Exploring the International Tie Breaker in Softball
If you have been to or played in a softball tournament, you are probably familiar with the international tiebreaker rule. If you aren’t, the international tiebreaker takes place when a game ends in a tie and time has expired. The team will play another inning of the game, this time starting with a runner on second base in scoring position. The runner on second is typically the last out from the inning before, unless it’s a pitcher or catcher who would need a courtesy runner, then it would go to the person who made the out before them.
Many coaching strategies go into an international tiebreaker. It would be awesome to have a statistic for how many lead-off batters in the inning attempt to sacrifice bunt the runner on second over to third base. This is the most common strategy that offensive coaches use when put in an international tiebreaker situation. If the batter gets the bunt down, it moves the winning run to third base with one out and two more chances to score. Defenses should almost always play that first batter as if they are going to bunt. Pitchers should also be thinking this way and should try to get the batter to pop up or miss the bunts entirely.
Both teams get a chance to start with a runner on second base. If the international tiebreaker inning remains in a tie, they will play another until one team outscores the other.
The purpose of the international tiebreaker is to speed up the games in tournament settings. Most pool play games of tournaments can end in a tie, and the teams will be seeded into bracket play accordingly. Once bracket play of a tournament kicks off, any game that ends in a tie will go into international play until a winner is decided.
It’s essential that coaches take it upon themselves to practice international tiebreaker play in practice settings. The best way would be to coordinate a scrimmage with another team or among the team and start some innings with a runner on second base. This will get the pitchers and the defense use to starting an inning with a runner on second. It will also help the hitters, especially that lead-off hitter of the inning, in a high-intensity bunting situation. If the runner is moved to third base, the next hitter needs to make contact or put the ball in play and put pressure on the defense to make the play. A fly ball to the outfield should do the trick.
In international tiebreakers, the secret is to play for one run at a time. Some coaches may get eager for more and let their lead-off power or contact hitter take a chance and swing away to lead off the inning. If it works out and they get a hit, great, now the team has two runners on with no outs. On the flip side, if the hitter strikes out, flies out, or grounds out, now there is one out and with the runner stuck on second base. A sac bunt from the next batter would result in the runner moved to third base but with two outs.
Multiple scenarios could take place in an international tiebreaker, that’s why it’s important to practice them to prepare your team the best way you can. The teams who practice high-intensity situations that simulate what could happen in a game will likely be the ones who are more prepared to execute and come out on top on game days.
