Baseball drill
Gap communication drill
Two outfielders run out around cones and come back toward each other as the coach throws a fly ball into the gap between them. One calls for it and catches it, the other gives way and calls where to throw. It builds the calling habits that prevent collisions.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Outfield
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- Pairs, one coach
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Gloves, A bucket of balls, 2 cones
- Indoors
- Needs a field
The ball in the gap is where outfielders collide. Two players run hard at the same ball, both watching it, and nobody says anything until it is too late. The cure is a clear habit: call early and loud, and the player who gives way says something useful too, such as where the throw goes.
In this drill two outfielders approach the same ball from different directions, the way they do in a game, so they have to talk to sort it out. It takes two cones and a bucket and can run with a whole outfield group rotating through in pairs.
Setup
- Set two cones in the outfield about 30 to 40 feet apart.
- Two players start in the middle between the cones, facing the coach.
- The coach stands about 40 to 50 feet in front of them with a bucket of balls.
How to run it
- On the coach's signal, both players run out and around their own cone.
- Both turn and run back toward the middle.
- The coach throws a high fly ball into the space between them.
- One player calls for the ball loudly, more than once, and makes the catch.
- The other player calls off, peels away, and shouts the base the throw should go to. The catcher sets the feet and throws, or fakes the throw, there.
Coaching points
- Call early and loud. A late call is almost as bad as none.
- The player who gives way gets clear of the catcher's path right away.
- The player who gives way still has a job: tell the catcher where to throw.
- Agree on your team's rule for who has priority, such as center fielder over the corners, and enforce it.
Common mistakes
- Both players calling for the ball and neither giving way.
- Waiting until the last second to call.
- The player who gives way stopping and watching instead of moving away and talking.
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 cardSmaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).
By age
10U
Keep it to calling loud and getting out of the way. Throw high, easy balls so there is time to talk.
12U
Add the second player's job of calling out the base, and have the catcher make the throw.
14U and up
Move the cones farther apart, throw harder balls into the gap, and mix in balls that one player clearly owns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has priority on a fly ball between outfielders?
Most teams give the center fielder priority over the corner outfielders, and outfielders priority over infielders on balls they can reach coming in. Whatever your rule, the drill only works if everyone knows it.
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