Cutoff Play
Also known as: cutoff man, relay cutoff
In a cutoff play, an infielder between the outfielder and home takes the throw. They can redirect it, 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. So a middle infielder steps into the lane at an intermediate point. There the ball can be caught and sent somewhere better. Most often that is at a trailing runner taking second or third while the lead run scores anyway. Execution depends on three things happening together. First, the outfielder aims at the intercepting fielder's glove rather than at the plate. Second, that fielder decides early. Third, the whole infield agrees 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. So the defense knows exactly where the runner is going, 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" while the ball is still travelling. 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. With a touch play at the plate instead of 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 — usually the shortstop or second baseman — 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
Motion Lab follows one athlete, so it cannot check the cutoff's position or a throw's accuracy. It can read one fielder's throwing motion from pose.
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 ThrowIn a relay throw, an infielder runs out, takes an outfield throw, and fires it on. It is used when one arm cannot cover the distance with speed and accuracy.
- Defensive PositioningDefensive positioning is how fielders line up before the pitch. It depends on the hitter's tendencies, the game situation, the count, and the score.
- Double PlayA double play retires two runners on the same batted ball. It most often comes on an infield ground ball with a runner on first.
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