Baseball drill
Football fielding drill
A coach rolls or bounces a mini-football at the fielders, and its odd shape sends it off in directions nobody can predict. Players learn to keep their feet moving, read the last hop and get in front of a bad bounce.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Infield
- Ages
- 8U to 14U
- Players
- 2 to 4 per group
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- A mini-football, Gloves (optional)
- Indoors
- Yes
Ground balls on a youth field rarely take a perfect hop. A football makes the point better than any lecture: it kicks left, right and up, and the only way to catch it is to stay on the balls of the feet and keep adjusting until the last moment.
It is a fun change of pace in the middle of a long fielding session, and players who are tired of routine ground balls usually wake up for it. It needs nothing but a football, so it works in a gym or a parking lot as well as on the field.
Setup
- Put the coach about 30 to 40 feet from the fielder, less for younger players.
- The fielder starts in a ready position. Gloves can be on or off; without them, players catch with two hands.
- Have the other players in a short line behind the fielder, ready to rotate in.
How to run it
- The coach rolls or bounces the football toward the fielder, end over end so it hops unpredictably.
- The fielder reads the bounces and keeps the feet moving to stay in front of the ball.
- The fielder catches it with two hands, giving with the ball, and brings it to the middle of the body.
- The fielder tosses it back to the coach and goes to the back of the line.
- Mix in balls to the left and right once players are comfortable with ones at them.
Coaching points
- Keep the feet busy. A fielder who plants and waits will be beaten by the last bounce.
- React to the last hop rather than guessing early where the ball is going.
- Stay low with the chest over the toes, so the fielder can move in any direction.
- Soft hands. Catch it with two hands and give a little to absorb it.
Common mistakes
- Reaching out with the arms instead of moving the feet to get in front of the ball.
- Standing up as the ball gets close, which leaves the hands too high for a low hop.
- Jumping at a guess on the first big bounce and getting caught going the wrong way.
- Throwing it too softly. The ball needs some speed to take odd hops.
By age
Coach pitch
Use a soft foam football, stand closer and roll it gently. A catch with both hands is the goal.
10U and 12U
Throw it harder so it bounces higher and more wildly, and add balls to either side.
14U
Use a regular football from farther away and mix in short hops right at the fielder's feet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if we do not have a football?
A rubber reaction ball, the kind with bumps that make it bounce off in odd directions, does the same job. Any small ball that does not bounce true will work.
Should players wear gloves for this drill?
Either way. Without gloves players have to use both hands and soft hands, which is a good habit. With gloves, it is closer to a real ground ball.
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