This is one of my favorite scenes from League Of Their Own. Why is she getting yelled at? Because she forgot to hit the Cut Off Man/Woman! If you want your son or daughter to avoid this same scene then see below for a few cut off basics.
Once the ball is hit into the outfield the fielder will have different options depending who is on base, the number of outs, and how far the ball is hit. One of these options will be hitting the Cut Off Man which is typically the second baseman, shortstop, or pitcher. Most outfielders (especially kids) are unable to throw from the outfield all the way to home, therefore the Cut Off was created. Instead of throwing a long ball to home plate the outfielder will make a shorter throw to the second baseman (shortstop or pitcher) and that player will then throw it home.
Simple right? Hitting the cut off can actually be very tricky. First of all, both outfielder and second baseman (or shortstop) have to remember they are going to complete a cut off. If someone does not remember or communicate then you will have a scenario of the ball flying all over the place. The outfielder also has to let go of his/her ego and realize they cannot make it to home plate on their own. Many things can go wrong with the cut off scenario, so if you see the ball going every which way and people are yelling HIT THE CUT OFF, you can be assured that someone has missed the cutoff.
by Stacey Atkinson