FUN GAMES TO END PRACTICE ctive.com



COMPETITIONS AND GAMES AT PRACTICE

THROWING COMPETITIONS

21

Split players into 2 lines with each line facing the other. All the players in one of the lines have a ball. The players in the other line receive the ball, score the points, and return the ball quickly to their partner. If the throw is to the head, chest, or shoulder area of their partner they receive 3 points. If the throw is anywhere else they receive one point. Players receiving the throw yell out their partners total score with every throw. Once you here 21 the game stops. Go down the line and see how each other pair did. All the ball then go to the other line and start the game over. The throwers are now keep track of score and the other partner now does the throwing.

QUICK CATCH

Split players into 2 lines with each line facing the other. All the players in one of the lines have a ball. On GO, players throw ball back and forth 10 times and see who finishes first. Also use a stop watch for 20 or 30 seconds to see who completes the most throws.

THROWING RELAY RACE

Line players up in even teams of 3 to 5 players from the foul line to the outfield. Teams start with ball at foul line and at GO, throw the ball to the first person, then relay to the next and so on. Have a competition to see which team can complete the relay 4 times first. if a throw is missed it goes back to the thrower. Rotate players to each spot in the relay.

BOX DRILL – Split players into teams and time them with stopwatch

Position Players in a box or 4 corners at an appropriate distance for their age. Will have about 3 players at each corner. Early in the season start short and lengthen as they progress. Start with throws clockwise. After about 6 rotations go counter clockwise. When going counter clockwise start with inside turns then go to outside turns, then let the throw determine the footwork and turn.

After rotations of each footwork and throw, have a competition. Divide them into teams and time them with the stopwatch.

AROUND THE HORN – Split players into teams and time them with stopwatch

1. C-3-SS-2-1-C-1-2-SS-3-C

2. C-3-2-SS-1-C-1-SS-2-3-C

After rotations of each footwork and throw, have a competition. Divide them into teams and time them with the stopwatch.

FIELDING AND THROWING COMPETITIONS

KING OF THE HILL

▪ Players set up in a line between 2nd and 3rd or between 1st and 2nd, or have two games going at the same time, one between 2nd and 3rd and one between 1st and 2nd.

▪ Coach hits each player a ground ball.

▪ The player's job is to field the ground ball cleanly and complete the throw to the coach at the base to stay in the game.

▪ Left side throws to 1st base, Right side throws to Home.

▪ If the ball is fielded cleanly makes a successful throw, the player moves to the end of the line and waits his/her next turn.

▪ If a groundball is bobbled, dropped, or missed, or the throw is catchable at the base, the player is eliminated and must leave the line.

▪ The game ends when only one player is remaining, he/her is the King of the Hill.

▪ It playing two games at the same time, when there is only one player remaining in each line, these two players can playoff to be the ‘King of the Hill’.

This is a great game that allows young players to test their infielding skills under pressure.

KING OF THE CLOUDS

▪ Players set up in a line at one or two spots in the outfield.

▪ Coach hits each player a fly ball or uses the pitching machine to send out a fly ball.

▪ The player's job is to catch the fly ball and complete the throw into the cut/relay in order to remain in the game.

▪ If the ball is caught and throw completed, the player moves to end of the line to waits his/her next turn.

▪ If a ball is not caught or the throw is not caught by the cut/relay, the player is eliminated and must leave the line (it's a good idea to have a few practice rounds).

▪ The game ends when only one player is remaining.

This is a great game that allows young players to test their outfielding skills under pressure.

INFIELD

1. Around the Horn

a. C-3-SS-2-1-C-1-2-SS-3-C

b. C-3-2-SS-1-C-1-SS-2-3-C

2. GBs

a. Infield in Throws to Home

b. Infield Regular Throws to 1st

c. Infield Regular Double Play

d. Infield Regular Throw to First followed by Slow Roller Throw on Run to 1st

OUTFIELD – Hit the Cut/Relay

Line Drives and Fly Balls

• Throws to 2nd

o LF

o CF

o RF

• Throws to 3rd

o LF

o CF

o RF

• Throws to Home

o LF – 3rd Base Relay

o CF – 1st Base Relay

o RF – 1st Base Relay

INFIELD OUTFIELD PREGAME

Do above in outfield and then infield.

BREAK THROUGH

▪ The goal for each team is to not allow a ground ball to be hit through their side of the infield.

▪ Team 1: Position half of the players on one side of the diamond between 1st and 2nd .

▪ Team 2: Position half of the players on the other side of the diamond between 2nd and 3rd .

▪ Two Coaches: One coach hits ground balls to Team 1, the other coach hits groundballs to Team 2.

▪ If the fielders keep the ball from going past the dirt of the infield cut-out on their side of the diamond, they receive one point.

▪ The first team to reach 11 points wins.

You can play this game in a short amount of time and is a fun way to end practice.

▪ Try to make the teams as equal as possible.

▪ If your field does not have an infield cut-out, use cones for the boundaries.

▪ Avoid letting one player make all the plays, hit ground balls to different areas of the infield.

BETWEEN THE LINES

Set Up

▪ Divide the field in half by placing cones or players street shoes in a straight line between home plate and 2nd base, and then straight out into centre field.

▪ Place a batting tee on either side of home plate, depending on which half of the field the game is on. You can have a two tees, one on each side of the plate and one game on the left half of the field and one game on the right half of the field

▪ Divide players into two teams, one team at bat and one team in the field. 5-7 players needed per team.

The Team at Bat:

□ Every player hits each inning.

□ The ball is hit off the batting tee

▪ Hits are only singles and home runs. Singles are any hit through the infield, and home runs are balls hit clearly over the last outfielders . Any balls that are dropped or bobbled are singles.

▪ The batter does not run the bases. Since there are no real base runners, the game is played station to station. For every hit, one "phantom" base runner is added. To score runs, the hitters must accumulate enough singles to load the bases. After that, every hit counts as 1 run (unless the hit is a home run in which case all phantom runners score and the bases are cleared).

□ The batter can:

□ continue to hit until the ball is fielded cleanly

□ or, rotate batter every hit until 3 outs.

▪ The team in the field:

□ Fielders are positioned along the base paths as well as in the outfield. A team of 5 players would have 2 infielders and 3 outfielders, a team of 6 would have 3 infielders and 3 outfielders, and a team of 7 would have 3 infielders and 4 outfielders.

Runs

□ The batter does not run the bases. The coach keeps track of where the imaginary baserunners are. Each time there is a single hit, one imaginary base runner is added. One the bases are loaded, each single hit scores one run. Home Runs clear the bases, and runs are scored for the hitter and for the number of imaginary runners on base.

Outs

□ Groundballs fielded cleanly inline or in front of the basepath is an out. If the infielder runs backwards and fields the ball in the behind the basepath or in the outfield, the hit is a single.

□ Balls caught in the air are an out.

□ Balls hit foul are an out

□ A swing and a miss is an out

□ A swing that hits the batting tee causing the ball to fall off the batting tee is an out.

□ They are also out if their ball is caught in mid-air or fielded in front of the baseline between the two bases.

▪ Rotate Offense and Defense after all players have had an at bat or every 3 outs depending the age you are coaching.

▪ Keep track of how many runs each team has earned.

▪ Play 2-3 innings to finish off practice.

This is a great game that can be played anywhere there is an open field. There are no base runners (only fake/phantom runners), however, it involves the entire team because there are two separate games going on at the same time.

18 or 21 Outs

Rookie, Minor and Major will play 18 outs, JR Babe will play 21 Outs

GAME

The coach hits different types of batted balls to the players. The players try to get 18 or 21 consecutive outs. Early in the season start with 6 or 9 outs. No live runners, imaginary runners. Let the players no the situations. Start with No One On and No One Out. Coach hits Ground Balls, Line Drives, and Flyballs to all positions in the field and players react and throw to the correct base for the situation.

Have a Pitcher of the mound and hit some to the right side so the Pitcher get over to cover the bag.

If there is a base hit, then there is an imaginary runner on first, or whatever base they would have gotten, and the play must change. You then may have a Double Play situation.

Objective: To get 21 outs (we use 21 because we play 7 innings and need to get 21 out in our ball games) without any errors. Any time there is an error, we start back over at zero (0). Be prepared to have a long practice. Sometimes, it can go quick, but it usually takes awhile. I usually plan for an hour for this drill. This is great for practicing situations. It is also great for teaching the players to bounce back from an error. You cannot hang your head because you made an error. You have to step back up and make the play the next time. Variations: You can do the same drill with nothing but fly balls, or you could just hit grounders. Early in the season, we'll play 12 outs and work up to 21 outs

TEE BALL/COACH PITCH/or SCRUB GAME WITH IMAGINARY RUNNERS

• 9 Players in the field and the rest are hitting.

• Rotate like SCRUB every 3 outs.

o RF – CF

o CF – LF

o LF – 3

o 3 – SS

o SS- 2

o 2 – 1

o 1 – P

o P-C

o Hitters rotate to the outfield.

• Let the other players on offense hit the ball BUT NO RUNNING

• Double plays count as two outs.

• There is no bunting, or stealing.

You CANNOT hit the ball to the same defender two times in a row or its considered and automatic out.

FUNGO or SELF TOSS GAME

9 players take the field, the rest are at bat. The pitcher simulates a pitch and the batter tosses a ball to themselves, hits the ball in play, and runs to first

If the runner is out at first, he/she takes the field, and a fielder comes in to bat. Rotate the fielders accordingly.

If the batter is safe at first, they get back in line and wait their turn to hit again.

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