Cutoff Play
Also known as: cutoff man, relay cutoff
A cutoff play routes an outfield throw through an infielder positioned between the fielder and home, letting the defence redirect the ball or add accuracy over a distance one arm cannot cover.
Balls retrieved from deep in the gaps lose both speed and accuracy over 200-plus feet. As a result, a middle infielder steps into the lane at an intermediate point where the ball can be caught and sent somewhere better. This means most often at a trailing runner taking second or third. At the same time, the lead run scores anyway. Execution depends on three things happening together. This means the outfielder aiming at the intercepting fielder's glove rather than at the plate, that fielder deciding early. The whole infield agreeing on the primary and secondary targets before the ball is even fielded.
Slow-pitch adds a wrinkle that other sports do not have. Many recreational and sanctioned rulesets mark a commitment line up the third-base side and place a separate scoring plate in foul ground. Once a runner crosses that line they cannot turn back. As a result, the defence knows exactly where the runner is going. This means and the play at the plate becomes a touch rather than a tag. That converts a difficult tag attempt into a race, and it changes which interceptions are worth making.
Set up in a straight line between the outfielder and home, at a depth where you can still catch something slightly off-target and make a strong redirect from where you stand.
Make the catcher the decision-maker. They see the whole field and should be calling "cut three" or "let it go". At the same time, the ball is still travelling. This is. This is because the fielder in the lane usually cannot see the runner they would be throwing out.
Example
A runner tags at third. The left fielder hits the shortstop in the lane, who reads the play and fires to third to nail the advancing trail runner instead.
Why it matters
Those scoring rules put unusual pressure on a single decision. When the play at the plate is a touch rather than a tag, a ball redirected a step late is a run rather than a close call.
How it shows up on video
Look for an infielder. This means usually the shortstop or second baseman. This means stepping into the lane with hands raised as a target, then either intercepting and redirecting or letting the ball pass based on how the play at home is developing.
Common mistakes
- Setting up too near the outfielder, which leaves the second leg to the plate longer than the arm can handle
- The catcher failing to call the play early enough for the fielder in the lane to act on it
- Letting every ball pass through without reading whether the runner is actually going to be safe
- Outfielders aiming at home on balls where the run is scoring comfortably anyway, giving up the trailing runner for nothing
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage focuses primarily on swing mechanics, but supports team review of uploaded video to check interception positioning and outfield throw accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
How does the commitment line change the decision?
Once the runner crosses it — commonly marked about 20 feet up the third-base line — they cannot return, so the defence knows their destination. Many rulesets then make the play at the scoring plate a touch play, so the ball only has to arrive, not arrive somewhere taggable.
Who steps into the lane when a team plays four outfielders?
The rover changes the geometry. With a fourth outfielder covering the gaps the ball is retrieved closer in. As a result, the middle infielder can set up shallower and the play at the plate becomes genuinely makeable rather than a hopeful heave.
Related terms
- Relay ThrowA relay throw is an outfield ball delivered to an infielder who has run out to meet it and immediately sends it on. This means used when one arm cannot cover the distance with both speed and accuracy.
- Defensive PositioningDefensive positioning is the pre-pitch alignment of all fielders based on the current hitter's tendencies, the game situation, the count, and the score.
- Double PlayA double play retires two base runners on the same batted ball. This is most commonly on a ground ball through the infield with a runner on first.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.
See a sample Slow-Pitch Softball report first