5 Things NOT to Do When Sliding in Baseball or Softball

You can always tell when players weren't taught how to properly slide as soon as you see them hit the dirt for the first time.

Before sliding in games, players should be taught how to control their bodies, protect their hands, time their movement, and reach the base without slamming into it. When nobody teaches those steps, kids guess. That is when awkward slides, avoidable outs, and injuries happen.

Here are five sliding mistakes coaches should correct before they show up in a game.

1. Do Not Slide on Your Shins or Knees

The shins and knees are bones. They are not built to carry the full force of a slide.

They also act like emergency brakes.

When a player lands on a knee, all their weight comes down on one small, hard point. Instead of moving across the dirt, that knee digs into it. It can catch a seam, a clump of dirt, or the edge of the turf.

The player stops fast.

That is a problem when the whole point of the slide is to carry speed into the base. A fast runner can lose the race because their knee stops them a foot short of the bag.

Teach players to land on the side of the hip and back pocket. Their core should stay tight. The lead foot should stay low, and the other leg should bend into a figure-four position.

The body should glide.

Not plow.

2. Do Not Slide Headfirst Into Home Plate

Home plate is different from the other bases.

A catcher may be waiting near the plate with protective gear, the ball, and their attention focused on making a tag. A throw may also pull the catcher into the runner’s path.

That creates a crowded contact play.

A headfirst slide puts the player’s head, neck, shoulders, and hands near the catcher’s legs and equipment. For young players, the safer teaching choice is a controlled feet-first slide.

Rules also depend on the player’s age and league. Little League Baseball and Softball prohibit headfirst slides while advancing in the Major Division and below. Players can dive headfirst when returning to a base, but not while moving forward.

Coaches should check their league rules before the season. Even when a headfirst slide is legal at an older level, that does not mean it is the right choice at home.

Teach young players to slide feet first or move around the catcher when required. Do not teach them to launch their heads into a contact play.

3. Do Not Slide With Your Hands Down

Hands should stay up and off the ground during a feet-first slide.

A player who drags a hand through the dirt can catch a finger, jam a wrist, or send force up through the arm. Planting a hand behind the body can also put the shoulder in a weak position.

Shohei Ohtani gave everyone a clear example during Game 2 of the 2024 World Series against the Yankees.

Ohtani attempted to steal second and slid feet first. His left hand hit the ground hard, sending the force into his shoulder. He left the game with a left shoulder subluxation, which is a partial dislocation.

He was not injured because he chose a feet-first slide. The problem was where his hand went during the slide.

Young players often drop their hands because they are nervous. They want to catch themselves. That reaction feels natural, but it creates another point of contact with the ground.

Give players a simple cue:

Hands up. Core tight. Eyes forward.

Have them hold their hands near their chest or lift them slightly above their shoulders. Fingers should stay relaxed rather than locked together.

4. Do Not Start the Slide Too Late

A late slide begins too close to the base.

The player is still running at full speed when they drop to the ground. They have less space to slow down, control their legs, and finish on the bag.

That can lead to several problems.

The player may slide past the base. Their foot may hit the front or side of the bag at a bad angle. They may jam an ankle or collide with a fielder who is trying to make the tag.

There is no single starting point that works for every player.

A smaller player running at moderate speed will have different timing than a taller, faster player. Dirt, grass, turf, and indoor surfaces also change how far a player will travel.

This is why timing has to be practiced at real speed.

Start with slow reps. Let the player learn the body position. Then increase the approach speed while adjusting the starting point.

The goal is to make contact with the ground before the base, carry momentum through the slide, and finish under control.

Do not wait until the player is one step from the bag.

By then, it is already late.

5. Do Not Assume Players Already Know How to Slide

Telling a player to go slide is not coaching.

Many young players have never been shown where to put their feet, where to land, or what to do with their hands. Some have tried sliding once on hard dirt, felt pain, and decided they never want to do it again.

Coaches need to teach the whole movement.

That means showing players how to:

- Land on the side of the hip and back pocket

- Keep pressure off the knees and shins

- Hold both hands up

- Keep the core tight

- Bend one leg into a figure four

- Keep the lead foot low

- Begin the slide at the right distance

- Finish on the base under control

It also means watching every player.

Some kids drop too early. Some wait too long. Some lean back and throw their hands into the ground. Others turn too far and slide past the bag.

Those players do not need to be yelled at.

They need another rep and one clear correction.

Sliding mats can give players a consistent surface for learning and practice, but the mat does not teach the player by itself. The coach still has to explain the steps, watch the movement, and make small adjustments.

The tool creates the chance to practice.

The coach builds the skill.

Good Sliding Comes From Good Coaching

Players are not born knowing how to slide.

They learn it the same way they learn to throw, hit, field, and run the bases. Someone breaks the movement into steps. The player tries it. The coach makes a correction. Then they do it again.

Keep players off their knees and shins.

Teach feet-first slides at home.

Keep their hands off the ground.

Work on timing before game day.

Most of all, keep coaching the movement until it becomes something the player trusts.

Sliding should not feel like a wild fall toward the base. It should feel smooth, controlled, and repeatable.

Build confidence with every rep.