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Baseball drill

Eight ball outfield drill

A coach throws eight fly balls in quick succession around an area of the outfield, and one fielder chases down each one, calling for it, catching it and getting rid of it for the next. It builds range, communication habits and conditioning.

A youth baseball outfielder settling under a fly ball and calling for it as a coach throws from a bucket and a teammate collects balls
Video by Championship Productions on YouTube. The write-up below is ours.

At a glance

Sport
Baseball and Softball
Skill
Outfield
Ages
10U to High school
Players
3 (a coach, a fielder and a ball chaser), with others rotating in
Time
About 10 minutes
Level
Intermediate
Equipment
At least 8 balls, Gloves, A bucket, Cones to mark the area (optional)
Indoors
Needs a field

Outfielders often stand around in practice, catching one fly ball every few minutes. This drill does the opposite. One fielder gets eight balls in a row, each thrown somewhere new as soon as the last one is caught, so they have to read, run, catch and reset again and again.

It is hard work, so it doubles as conditioning, and it is a good test of whether a player keeps doing the little things, such as calling for every ball, when tired. A teammate clears the dropped balls so the area stays safe.

Setup

  • Mark out an area of the outfield with cones, or pick a stretch of grass.
  • The coach stands facing the area with a bucket of at least eight balls.
  • One fielder starts in the middle of the area. A second player stands back as the chaser to collect balls.

How to run it

  1. The coach throws a fly ball into the area.
  2. The fielder runs it down, calls for it, and catches it.
  3. Right after the catch, the fielder tosses the ball out of the way, away from the path of the next ball.
  4. The coach throws the next ball as soon as the fielder is free, somewhere different: shorter, deeper, left, right.
  5. The chaser collects the dropped balls. After eight balls, count the catches, and the fielder, chaser and next player rotate.

Coaching points

  • Call for every ball, loud, even when tired. That habit is half the drill.
  • Take direct routes to each ball rather than drifting.
  • Get rid of the ball fast and find the coach. The pace depends on the fielder being ready.
  • Mix the throws so the fielder has to change direction every time.

Common mistakes

  • Holding the ball after the catch, which kills the pace.
  • Going quiet once fatigue sets in.
  • The chaser drifting into the fielder's path, or balls left lying where the fielder runs.

Printable drill card

Take this drill to the field: the setup, steps, coaching points and equipment on one card, with the video's address to find it again. Free, no account needed.

Print the drill card

Smaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).

By age

10U

Throw higher and closer to give more time, and cut the count to five or six balls if eight is too much.

12U and 14U

Throw farther and mix in some line drives and short pop-ups to stretch the fielder's range.

High school

Use a bigger area and throw as fast as the fielder can reset, and keep a record of catches out of eight.

Next: Free defensive lineup generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many balls do you need for the eight ball drill?

At least eight per round, plus a few spares. Have the chaser bring them back to the coach's bucket between fielders so the next round can start right away.

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