If you ask most youth baseball coaches what their young
players struggle with the most, the answer is often aggressive base running.
Kids tend to be too scared to risk it all and run the bases or they just don’t
have a good feel for when to run. Fortunately, there’s a great new base running
drill that can help them to learn how to round the bases and how and when to
take an extra base. Best of all, the drill is super fun for kids and can be
done indoors or outdoors.
Getting Started
l First
things first, place down four bases in a square shape, keeping each base about
30 feet apart from the next.
l Choose
one of the bases to be the home plate.
l Split
players into teams of four
l One
team should act as defensive players. Give each member of this team a glove and
place each player at one base.
l Another
team should act as offensive base runners. Place players on first, second, and
third base.
l Team
three will have the job of backing up passed balls behind each base.
l Allow
two players to act as base coaches, behind bases one and three.
l The
coach should prepare to act as umpire
Drill Rules
During the drill, offensive players will try to score runs.
The goal for the offense is to score five runs. The goal for the defense is to
score five outs. Whichever side reaches the goal first is the winner.
Basic rules for the drill are as follows:
l A
play is counted a “run” only when the base runner who started at first base
makes it across home plate.
l An
“out” is when a runner gets tagged off base.
l Begin
the game by tossing the ball to a defensive player who is “home.”
l That
player then throws to another base at the umpire’s signal.
l Base
runners may lead off to simulate real gameplay.
l Runners
may run through first and home.
l A
runner who is “out” can remain on the nearest base.
There you have it- a simple, easy, and above all else, FUN
drill to try with your players. They’ll love it, and they’ll learn a lot about
base running too!
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