Baseball Coaching Digest – Fake 3rd Out Defensive Trick

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The Fake 3rd Out is a trick play ran by defensive teams to trick an unsuspecting base runner. If the base runner is not alert and aware, he may step off the bag and give the defensive team a cheap out to end the inning. Coaches should make their players aware of sure plays and tactics to prevent this trick from happening to their team.

I saw this trick play pulled in a 12 and under tournament. The defensive team caught a young base runner off guard and used the play to get him to step off the bag and a quick tag was put on him to get the 3rd out in the inning. 

Here is how the Fake 3rd Out trick play was ran.

The center fielder made the catch on a routine fly ball that was actually the 2nd out in the inning. The center fielder nonchalantly threw the baseball to his cut-off man who is the second baseman. The second baseman drops the ball and slowly retrieves it. The second baseman was close in behind second base. 

Meanwhile, every defensive player on the field acts is if they were going to their dugout as if it were three outs in the inning. The unsuspecting and “gullible” second base runner started off the field also. 

The defensive second baseman who has lagged behind, simply ran up behind the runner and tagged him out for the 3rd out in the inning. The umpire rings him up and the inning is over.

Coaches should always make sure that every base runner knows how many outs there are at all times. Coaches should tell teams about this trick in order to let them know that some teams will use this play to get a cheap out.

I hope this article will help you prepare your team for the approaching season.

Good luck till next time,

Coach Nick.