Glissade (slide)
Also known as: glissade pieds devant, glissade tête première, glissade avec relevé (pop-up), glissade crochet (hook)
Une glissade est la technique qu’un coureur utilise pour atteindre un but sous un touché, pour freiner son élan et ne pas dépasser le but, ou pour éviter une collision.
La glissade pieds devant (jambe pliée ou tendue) est l’option la plus sûre pour les jeunes joueurs : le coureur s’assoit, étend une jambe, replie l’autre et glisse vers le but. La glissade avec relevé (pop-up) ajoute une redirection de l’élan vers l’avant — le coureur utilise le but pour se redresser, prêt à repartir. La glissade crochet (hook) évite le touché en s’écartant en angle de la position du joueur. La glissade tête première est plus rapide sur les jeux serrés mais augmente le risque de blessure à la main et au poignet. La technique compte pour la sécurité : une glissade jambe pliée avec le genou dirigé vers le haut en direction du joueur augmente le risque de collision.
Mark a chalk line 10 feet from the bag in practice and challenge yourself to be off the ground before your lead foot crosses it on every rep. That trains the early commit that makes every version cleaner and safer.
Practise the pop-up to both sides of the bag so you can hook toward either corner and immediately redirect toward the next base. That directional flexibility on close plays is what separates advanced base runners from average ones.
Example
Elle a senti le tir du champ extérieur arriver et a plongé dans la terre en une glissade crochet nette, agrippant le coin du coussin pendant que le touché frôlait sa hanche.
Why it matters
This is a technique the rules regulate directly, not just a way to be fast. This means at second base and at the plate, the legality of the approach matters as much as the timing of it.
How it shows up on video
Two things read clearly on film: when the runner leaves his feet relative to the bag, and where the tucked leg points. Common errors are committing within three or four feet of the base. This produces a lunge rather than a controlled arrival, and raising the bent leg toward the fielder rather than keeping it tucked to the side.
Common mistakes
- Committing within three or four feet of the bag, which produces a lunge-and-drop that is neither safe nor fast
- Going straight into the tag rather than hooking toward a corner when the ball has clearly beaten you
- Raising the bent leg toward the fielder instead of tucking it horizontally, which risks knee contact for both players
- Never practising the pop-up separately, leaving the runner unable to advance when an overthrow makes the next base available
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage measures the distance from the bag at commit, body position through contact, and whether the approach reduced the taggable area by reaching a corner rather than the middle. Runners who reliably commit too late or too early get a trigger-distance advice based on their sprint speed and deceleration.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rule at second base on a double play?
A runner breaking one up must make a bona fide attempt. This means begin before reaching the bag, be able to reach it with a hand or foot, be able to stay on it, and not change path to contact the fielder. Failing that can bring an interference call and both runners being ruled out.
Can a catcher block the plate in front of an incoming runner?
Not without the ball. The home-plate collision rule bars the catcher from blocking the path unless they already have possession. This is why runners now most often look for a lane to a corner rather than an occupied plate.
Is head-first ever the faster choice?
On a dive back to first against a pickoff it usually is, because the runner is already leaning that way. Going head-first into a bag at full sprint is a different question — roughly comparable on time, clearly worse on hand and shoulder risk.
Related terms
- Lecture de course sur les butsUne lecture de course sur les buts est la décision en une fraction de seconde qu’un coureur prend selon ce que fait la balle après le contact — avancer, rester ou reculer.
- Départ en vol (jump)Le jump (départ) sur une tentative de vol est la rapidité et la décision avec lesquelles un coureur s’élance vers le but suivant au premier mouvement du lanceur — le plus grand prédicteur du succès d’un vol de but.
- Remettre le pied (tag up)Remettre le pied (tag up) signifie qu’un coureur revient toucher son but actuel au moment où une balle en cloche est attrapée, puis s’élance vers le but suivant — la méthode légale d’avancer sur une balle en cloche attrapée.
Related guides & benchmarks
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