This document is designed as a foundation for all coaches working at the 10-12 year old level. While it may seem basic, its usefulness is the focus on fundamentals – frankly, an area that many coaches overlook. Baseball is an explosive sport – when things happen, they happen very quickly. Players must react and to do so successfully requires a solid grounding in fundamentals. Focus on these fundamentals and your players are certain to improve. Build on the fundamentals with every player on your team and your team will be competitive. There are four primary sections to the document – fielding ground balls, fielding fly balls / outfield play, hitting, and running practices including some useful drills.

John Verducci is the primary source for the content. John has been with LAMV PONY Baseball for nearly a decade coaching at all levels and serving as the league's president. He's been one of our more successful coaches. His teams have frequently won the championship or finished in second place. That's not because he always has the best players, it's because he's excellent at developing their talent. John has a rich baseball background - he was a local star in high school and went on to play at Stanford University where he was considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the school's history. Following college he played in the San Francisco Giants organization for several years. He has a tremendous knowledge of the game but also a unique ability to teach the game to young players. While it's impossible to capture everything John teaches kids or his approach to coaching, we hope you find this excerpt useful to you as you develop the young men and women on your teams.

Fielding the ground ball

The foundation of solid defense is fielding the ground ball. The pitcher’s goal should be to live low in the strike zone and induce ground balls. Strike-outs are a bonus. Making outs with ground balls should be the bread-n-butter of the defense.

Proper fielding starts with the “ready” position. The player should always start down low, glove on or near the dirt with the palm up, and the throwing hand out in front of the body. Players often start a game with a good ready position but after six or seven innings they will lose the discipline. This is when games are often won or lost. Stay focused for the entire game. Don’t let your players slip on this.

The player should move quickly and aggressively to the ball as soon as it’s hit with a cross-over step and good footwork. Better fielders will “round” the ball hit to their side – first step may be a hesitation move and then moving into the ball as it approaches with the ideal of catching the ball at the top or bottom of the bounces arc. They should stay low as they move and step into the ball keeping the shoulders square and the left leg (right handers) slightly ahead of the right leg, then shift to get in line for the throw aligning shoulders and hips in the direction of the throw. Always make a shuffle move with the feet to “close the gap” on the throw reinforcing that players should always “throw with their legs”. If the shoulders and hips are in line with the target and there is a good “shuffle-n-throw” move then the ball with almost always be delivered on line.

Coaching points: Good “ready” position – Pre-pitch routine (similar to free-throws in

basketball or putting in golf) can be as simple as “right-left-glove down” for right handers and “left-right-glove down” for lefties. Corners should have

their eyes focused on the hitter to read hands on a bunt and middle infielders should focus their eyes on the trajectory of the ball reading inside or outside location and anticipating where ball will be hit.

“Rounding” the ball Stay low moving to and through the ball – avoid the first move being “up” Step into the ball with right leg (right handers) and field it in-front. At the

point where the ball makes contact with the glove, there should be a nice triangle shape formed by both feet and the glove. If the triangle is flat, the player is not catching it far enough out front.

Work from the ground up – there should never be a downward motion with the glove just prior to catching it (glove should always be below the ball).

Use momentum and strong right leg (right handers) to pivot for the throw Shuffle and throw – closing the gap to the target and use the body to make

the throw. Most players will shuffle with their right leg/left leg (right hander/left hander) going behind their other leg. Others will go in front. Both methods are OK.

Practice drills for fielding ground balls

Insist on the player always being in a good “ready” position before any infield drill – don’t hesitate to stop the drill if players are not getting into position, which will happen as they get tired (or a little lazy). If hitting ground balls, do not hit the ball until the player is in the ready position. A solid “ready” athletic position sets the foundation for the play.

Drill 1 – “habituals”

This drill should be performed at nearly every practice – the point is to make the mechanics of fielding grounders routine such that it becomes a “habit”.

Players pair up and face each other from about 8 feet apart. Start by rolling the ball to each other – focus on making the “triangle” (glove and feet), fielding the ball in front, use the top hand to secure the ball in the glove (glove catches the front half of the ball, bare hand catches the back half of the ball), and then “pull” the ball up to a throwing position with top hand on the ball – feet stay shoulder width apart the entire time. Players remain in a low, athletic position. This drill can also be done without the glove on.

After rolling it to each other 8-10 times, then shift to short hops from close range, and then short hops from farther apart (25-30 feet). In short hops, players should focus on “throwing the glove” toward the ball as it hops up. Reinforce the idea that on any bad / short hop they should “throw the glove at the ball.” Finally, move closer together again and work on backhands. For backhands, the left knee is up and right knee is down – players should be “scooping” the ball in a sweeping motion on the backhand. Glove should not be static as the ball arrives. Start by rolling the ball to the glove and then close range short hops. These drills are designed to reinforce fundamental mechanics. It’s not exciting but it’s focused and repetitive – good for building a foundation.

Drill 2 – Round The Ball

Start players in a line behind a cone or tee and roll or hit a ball directly at the cone / tee. Have the player run around the cone / tee to field the ball and then throw to a target near first base. Right handed fielders will move around the cone/tee to the right and left handed fielders will move around the cone to the left. Best to run this drill with two coaches and lines of players – one at short and one at second – have players switch lines after each rep. The goal is to get them moving to the ball, “rounding” it, and then throwing with momentum toward first. Space your first basemen at a safe distance from each other.

Drill 3 – On-The-Run

Start players in two lines – one at short and one at second. Hit balls to the line opposite from where the player is starting. Coach will yell “go” and hit the ball.

Players should run around the back of second base and field the ball on the move. Right-handed players can practice backhand fielding moving from second to short. Coach alternates hitting balls to short and second simultaneously to keep both lines running. Player at the front of the line starts to run (before his ball is hit) when the previous player catches the ball in his glove. Focus is to field the ball on the move and improve transition from fielding to throwing in one continuous motion.

Hitting

Basic hitting mechanics Stance – Hitting starts from the ground up. Feet should be shoulder width

apart, in a solid athletic position – good balance. A check point is to lightly push a player from in front or behind and then shouldn’t lose their balance. Players should not have much weight on the heels of their feet. Moving both knees slightly toward each other will shift the weight from the heels to the balls of the feet.

Grip – bat should be held in the fingers; not clutched in the palms. “Knocking knuckles” should be lined up

Load – as the pitcher starts his motion the hitter should “load” – shoulders rock back and weight shifts slightly to 60/40

Stride – Front foot should “step” slightly forward / inward to the ball – never step out (stepping in the bucket) – this is the most common mistake young hitters will make which is a reason they cannot hit the outside pitch (and another reason pitchers in Bronco who work the outside part of the plate will be VERY successful).

Swing should be strong and straight to the ball. When contact is made, top hand should have palm facing upwards and bottom hand should have palm facing the ground. Power drives off the back foot with strong hip rotation bringing the bat to the ball from the inside. Belly button should be facing the pitcher at the conclusion of the swing for full rotation.

Let the ball travel deep – avoid getting on the front foot. Follow through with strong extension

Three things to remember before they step in the box …1. Have an approach

a. What has the pitcher been throwing (first pitch fastball for a strike?)b. How many outs?c. Where are the runners? (no outs with a runner on second, their job is

to put the ball in play on the right side of the field – put the ball on the ground. Runner on third and less then two outs – score the run!)

d. Make adjustments with two strikes – do at least one of the following:i. Choke-up

ii. Get closer to the plateiii. Widen the stance and get loweriv. Move forward in the box (less common at younger levels)v. Expand your strike zone slightly

2. Swing at strikesa. Be sure players understand the strike zone – early in the season have

a group meeting at the plate to show where are ball can be and still be a strike. The strike zone is much larger than most kids think it is, especially on the outside part of the plate.

b. Early in the count, be picky – look for one pitch in one spot and be aggressive when you get it. Late in the count to with what comes – ball outside then take it to opposite field. “Spoil” questionable pitches by fouling them off – live another day. Expand the zone. Don’t go down looking – win the battle!

3. Make good swingsa. Hitting is explosive. Have one solid, repeatable swing with good

fundamentals and adjust timing to pitches – don’t change the swing. Swing for line-drives or grounders by having a slightly downward swing arc.

b. Remember – a ball hit on the ground requires three plays to make the out: it has to be fielded, there has to be a good throw, and a catch on the other end. A fly ball requires one play – catch it. There are no bad hops in the air.

Bunting – every player on the team should know how to bunt (no exceptions!) All players should know the Golden Rule of Bunting: Only Bunt Strikes!

Bunting mechanics: Hold the “back half” of the bat with the top hand – don’t wrap the fingers on

the bat (they’ll get crushed)

Pivot the feet to get belly button square to the pitcher Keep the bat out in front – start the bat at the top of the strike zone and work

down. Be sure there is coverage to the outside of the plate. Remember the Golden Rule.

Move up and down with the legs, not the arms. Keep the barrel of the bat above your hands at all times.

Deaden the ball at impact with a slight “give” – don’t reach out to it – let ball travel to the bat

Goal is to lay down on the lines or foul – not back at the pitcher

Three basic bunts Sacrifice – show the bunt early and be committed. Bunt down the first base

line. The player is bunting to get themselves out (sacrifice) and advance a runner. Follow the Golden Rule.

Drag – show the bunt late and go down the third base line or foul. This bunt is for a “hit”. Be quick out of the box on contact. Follow the Golden Rule.

Squeeze – runner is on third and likely coming home. Make all attempts to make contact. A “swing through” bunt on the squeeze is death. Drop the Golden Rule. Be sure to have a unique sign for the squeeze with a corresponding acknowledgement by the player (e.g., running his hand down the bat) so the coach knows the player has the sign and won’t swing the bat with a runner approaching.

A note on “taking” pitches. Yes, there is actually technique on taking pitches. Hitters should be taught to follow a pitch all the way to the catcher’s glove. They should be tracking the ball and checking to see the final location. This helps hitters understand the strike zone and is also very useful on passed balls with a runner on third base – they can quickly see that a pitch has been missed by the catcher and work with the runner on third. Hitters should welcome every opportunity to track a pitch – looking for the good pitch they can successfully drive into play. When taking a pitch the hitter should do everything he does when he swings at a pitch EXCEPT swinging at the pitch.

Hitting drills for practice

(Note: If you find yourself standing on the mound throwing 15 pitches to each kid with the rest of the team in the field to shag balls, slap yourself – it’s not BP and it’s incredibly unproductive)

A good hitting session will typically have three stations: tees, live throwing in a cage, and live pitching in the infield. Players will be in four groups of three – one group at each station with a group shagging balls on the field.

Tee work. An investment in a few lightweight “travel” tees and a good number of wiffle balls will pay tremendous dividends. All successful hitters spend considerable time working on their swing from a tee. Coaches should set up stations with wiffle balls and tees adjusted to different heights and / or locations so players work on a swing for different locations in the strike zone – high, low, inside and outside. They should focus on hitting outside pitches to the opposite field. Most pitchers at the 10-12 year old level will work the outer half of the plate. The pitch that is low and away is hard to drive and often results in a ground ball. Hitters need to practice hitting that pitch to neutralize the pitcher’s advantage. Using hard balls on a tee and a pop-up screen is also useful so hitters can tell when they are driving the outside ball. It starts from a tee and goes up to soft-toss and ultimately live pitching.

Batting cage. It’s easy to get caught up in just throwing pitches in a cage. It’s mindless for the hitter and for the coach. The best approach is to start each session with bunts – sacrifice, drag, and squeeze. Then, work on the hit-and-run, going to the opposite field, and finally let them “swing away” but always use a count. It’s best to start with a 2-1 count and then make them adjust if they get to two strikes or look for the really good pitch on a 3-1 count. The goal is to always have them thinking – have an approach (know the situation / adjust for two-strikes), swing at strikes, make good swings. Batting cage work can be done quite effectively with a coach sitting behind a screen tossing pitches underhand to the batter at close range – locations are more consistent, hitters need to react quickly, and coaches don’t get tired!

Live pitching on the infield. Hitting on the infield should replicate game situations. It’s not the place to work on basic mechanics – that’s for tees and cages. Always give

a situation to the hitter including a count. Have them lay down three bunts (sac, drag, squeeze) then rotate to hit-and-runs / opposite field, etc. If there are three players in the group hitting then put one of those players on a base and call out the situation – e.g., “runner on second, no outs, 2-1 count, move the runner to third or home – look to drive the pitch to the opposite field.” This is a great opportunity to work on baserunning at the same time.

Outfield / Fly-balls

Outfield is easily the most overlooked position on youth baseball teams. It’s common practice to “park” weaker players in right field and let them stand around. In fact, outfield is the Achilles heal for many teams and will prove to be their downfall in play-offs. All too often we see outfielders who can’t catch a fly ball or don’t know what to do once the ball is hit in their direction – where is the play? There are four areas that need to be developed in outfield play. The routine fly ball, the base-hit grounder to the outfield, the “extra bases” deep fly ball or ball in the gap (especially with “open” outfield – i.e., no fences), and throwing the ball back to the infield. Teams that can execute in these areas and limit the damage from a ball hit in the gap will prove to be successful.

Catching fly balls. Below are some of the fundamentals for fly balls: Solid “ready” position – unlike infield, the player should be more upright

and ready to run but should be in a fundamentally sound athletic position First step back – on a ball hit to the player’s left or right the first step will

be a “drop step” in the direction the ball is hit. Strive for your players to make a 180° drop step as their first move so that they can run “sideways” to the ball hit over their head and reduce the chance of back peddling to the ball.

Moving into the ball as it approaches – ideally, momentum is going forward as the ball is caught so the player can make a strong throw back to the cut-off. A common mistake is catching a ball over the head while backpedaling – the “Statue of Liberty” catch

The ball should be caught on the throwing side of the body so the player can make a strong throw – the ball should be in front of the player

Many coaches will hit fly balls to players in practice, which is fine if they have very

strong control. In order to build basic fundamentals, it’s often useful to use a pitching machine aimed up into the outfield or even a “sling shot” device (Easton makes one that works well) to be sure there are consistent fly balls to the players. Less skilled players will struggle with keeping the ball in front of them. One drill that works well is to have players track a ball and have it simply land at their feet. This is a similar concept to “taking” pitches – the focus is on positioning and building confidence with the flight of the ball.

Fielding grounders in the outfield. There are three ways to field a grounder in the outfield. First, is to drop one knee and field it in front of the body. This is the safest way to ensure a routine base hit remains a single and best approach with no runners on base. The goal is to simply keep the ball in front of them and come up with a nice throw to the infield and this is a great technique on youth fields where the outfield grass is often uneven and untrue hops are common.

With a runner on base, players should use the same technique as they do for infield grounders, which gives them more momentum for the throw back to the infield. The downside is that a ball between the legs is a sure extra base hit. The focus for the players should be to keep the ball in front of them. The last way to field the ball is “do or die”. In “do or die” the player will be running at the ball, “scoop” it on their glove side, and make a running throw back to the infield. This approach should be used with the game on the line and a “must make” play at the plate. It’s high risk but the only option when it’s for all the marbles.

Balls in the gap / over the head. These hits will almost always be for extra bases. The goal is to limit the damage. The key is to start running as soon as the ball is hit. Don’t wait for game situations to coach this – it will be painful for the coach, the players, and the fans / parents. Incorporate these hits into outfield work and practice the cut-offs and double-cut.

Throwing the ball from outfield – the crow-hop. The signature throw for a well-coached outfielder is the crow-hop. It’s a throwing motion that must be coached and practiced – make it part of your throwing progression. For the crow-hop, the outfielder should push off the front knee and replace the front foot with the back foot. The best way to do this is to elevate off the ground, lift the back knee first, then the front knee, and put the back foot down approximately where the front foot was. The crow-hop produces a strong throw using all the player’s momentum with the ball coming in low and on target. Players should throw the ball from the 12 O’clock position – this will eliminate throws being offline.

Cut-offs. At younger levels, it’s common to have the second baseman take cut-offs from right field and the shortstop to take cut-offs from center and left field. At the 10-12 year old level, cut-offs should shift to the first baseman and third baseman. First base will take all cuts from right field and center on base hits with runners on second base. Third base will take cuts from left field with the shortstop covering third base. The first baseman becomes the primary cut to right and center because – by definition – there is no play at first. This allows the second baseman and shortstop to cover a base and be a back-up on the throw. The first and third basemen should be coached to tell outfielders that they are the cut-off (turn to the outfielders and say (loudly), “on a base hit, I’m your cut). With a runner on third, the third baseman will be the cut-off for a fly-ball hit to left field. They should tell their left fielder, “on a fly-ball, I’m your cut.” Same goes for the first baseman on fly balls to center and right with a runner on third base.

Outfield practice

A good rapid fire drill is to have the players line up in the outfield and hit balls to them from just inside the pitcher’s mound (about half-way between the plate and the mound). Use a coach as the cut-off. Have players start in right field, take a grounder, throw to the cut, and then run to center to make a new line. Then hit balls to them in center, they field it, throw to the cut, and then make a new line in right field. Practice hitting hard ground ball base hits, fly balls, and deep balls (on the deep ball, use the next player in line as the cut and then that players throws in to the coach). This drill can move quickly and keeps players running – a little conditioning is the extra bonus.

Another effective drill is “drop, line, pop”. Have players begin by facing the coach about 6-10 feet away in a good ready position. The coach holds the ball out either left or right and the player makes the drop step and runs in that direction – the coach will throw the ball to them while they are running. The player will catch the ball, throw it back in and then run diagonally in the opposite direction. The coach will throw the ball out as a line drive and they should catch it on the run then throw it back. Finally, the player will run in toward the coach who will throw the ball straight up like a pop-up and the player will catch it.

Running a Practice

Players should arrive to the field 5 minutes before practice begins. Remove gloves,

bats, and batting helmets from the bags – you don’t want to waste time on this once practice begins (let alone a game). Find ways to reward players who are early (first in batting practice, leading a drill, etc.)

Have players warm up with a game of simple “pepper” – do not let kids just start throwing when they show up to practice. Players should never be throwing without stretching first.

A basic pepper game involves three or four ‘infielders” and a batter. The game goes like this:

1. The fielders throw the ball to the batter overhand and at half speed.2. The batter hits the ball back with a half bunting type stroke.3. Both fielders and batter attempt to keep play going for as long as possible without a miss of either parties.4. A batter is “out” when he misses a pitch (batter then goes to the end of the fielding line and the fielder at the front of the line becomes the batter) (strike) or the ball is caught on a pop-up (fielder who catches the line drive switches place with the batter).5. Limit batters to about 10 pitches if they don’t get out.

Start stretching within 5-10 minutes of practice start time. Form three lines with “line leaders” (another opportunity to reward early arrival players is to make them line leaders. Be sure to rotate this honor among all of the players on the team, including the weaker players) – remaining players line up facing the line leaders. Do the following stretches:

Right arm over left / left over right Arm circles – small / med. / large (forward and backwards) Forearm stretch – arm extended with hand up and gently pulling fingers back

with opposite hand. Shift to hand down then switch arms Trunk twists Flamingos Toe touches Sumo’s Hurdler stretch

Collapse the lines behind the line leaders and do plyometrics the length of the base line (starting the line on the first base line). Plyomentrics are exercises designed to

produce fast, powerful movements. Higher-level players from high school up through MLB will do plyometrics before every game and at practices. JT Snow – the famed gold glove first baseman for the SF Giants has said, “good fielders have fast feet”. These drills are designed to build “fast feet” and mimic many of the key moves in fielding and hitting.

High knee run (out) High knee skip (back) Drunken sailor (out) Frankenstein (back) Karaoke (out and back) – exaggerate the left knee going high across the front

like the first move in a steal Shuffles (out and back) – keep the butt low with the glove hand down – push

off with the back leg, don’t click the heals (a little thigh burn is a good sign the drill is being done properly)

Simulated base running – take a lead (right, left, shuffle, shuffle). Coach is in position as the “pitcher”

o Ground ball (out and back) – secondary lead, then explosive moveo Straight steal (out and back) – be sure to use pick-off moves and get

players diving back to the “base”o “In the face” on a lefty – steal on the first move

Throwing Progression with partners – receiver should always have a two-handed “triangle” target (elbows are the lower part of the triangle – glove at the top)

Right knee up, left knee down (10 feet apart)o Forearm “snap”o Circle and throw

Ball starts at the bottom of the circle – hand “open” to the target

Standing – feet facing forward, shoulder width apart (20 feet apart)o Pray, twist, break and throw

Standing – feet facing sideways, should width apart (20 feet apart)o Rock-n-fire

Shuffle and throw (40 feet apart / 50 feet apart / 70 feet apart) – simulates infield throw

Long toss (high fly ball – goal is to stretch the arm – work over the top). Simulates outfield throw. Start with ball in glove making sweeping motion on the outside of their glove side foot, crow-hop and throw from the 12 O’Clock position.

Zipper drillo Players form two lines facing each othero Ball starts at one end of the line and throw down the line to each othero Focus on stepping to the ball, catching with two hands, shuffle and

throwo (Coach will need extra balls to throw in when they are missed – keep

the drill moving and focus on getting up and down the line cleanly)

o Once your team gets good at this, have them “throw and then back-up the next throw”

Four corners (optional)o One player per base – throw from base to base clockwise and

counter clockwise. Other players rotate in after each throw.o Emphasize catching with two hands and shuffle-n-throw to close

the gap on the throwo Start with catching and throwing then add in a tago Coach should be in the middle with a bucket of balls – add balls in

on over-throwso This drill should move quickly – watch for tired arms!

Double-barrel groundersUse two coaches and hit grounders. One coach works the middle and the other works the corners – start easy with focus on mechanics and then step it up. Add in throwing variations – third to first, first to third, turning a pair in the middle, and then short to first and third to second.

There are two keys to an effective practice: have a plan and use stations. Know in advance what you are doing that day and tell the kids at the beginning of practice. After doing the activities above (which should be done at every practice), then there should be station work (hitting, fielding, bull pens), some situation work with the full team, and then finish with a fun drill – a running or throwing competition that has two groups competing against each other. Below is a sample practice plan for a 90-minute practice:

0-5: pepper5-15: stretch & plyos15-25: throwing progression & zipper

25-30: water30-40: double barrel40-70: hitting stations (water in between rotations)70-85: outfield & cut-offs / situations85-90: “fun” drill

o “Milkshake” throw – players line up in the outfield to make throws to home. If someone can hit a tee at the plate they get a milkshake at the next practice. Throws should be low and hard.

o Relay race – start one group at second base and the other at the plate. Each player runs all four bases and tags the next in line. See which group and finish first.

o Home runs – line up at the plate, run to first, run to second, run to third, then run the full bases.

Some additional thoughts / comments

1. Most kids are scared of the ball. If the game was played with a soft cushy ball then it would be easy. But, it’s played with a hard ball traveling 60mph or more. Our basic instincts tell us to get out of the way of small hard objects flying at us – it’s programmed into us as humans. It’s not natural to stand under objects falling from the sky and catch them. The caveman didn’t live long with that approach. Overcoming that fear is central to playing baseball well. It’s important to acknowledge the fear for kids, let them know that everyone faces it, and then help them through it with drills showing them that good technique will produce good results and minimize risk of getting hurt. However, it’s also important to point out that they probably will be hit by the ball, it will hurt, but that pain will also go away (and it’s rarely as bad as they think). Courage is the ability to overcome fear. If you can coach your players to have that courage they will be better players. It’s not done through intimidation – rather, it’s repetition and working from slow pace with good mechanics to greater intensity. No kid will overcome their fear of the ball by having a coach hit hard grounders at them and yelling at them to not be a wimp. It doesn’t work.

2. Some notes on positioning playersa. First base

i. Be positioned for the pick-off throw with the right foot on the “plate side” of first base and the left foot on the chalk line and sweep back to the runner

ii. When taking a throw from the field on a force, start out “square” to the base and be ready for the bad throw. Once the ball is on-line, then shift to a stretch position – don’t start in the stretch position. If a throw is off-line, have them step toward the ball once they recognize the direction of the throw.s

iii. Play off the base and behind it with a runner on first and second – don’t hold the runner on

b. Second base / short stopi. With a runner at first, always shift to double play depth – pinch

in toward second – give up some ground on the first and third sides to get the double play

ii. Read the hitter – if he’s consistently late on the ball then shade in that direction

iii. Read the pitches – know the pitching signs, read them from the catcher, and shade to the side of the pitch

iv. Know who is taking the throw from catcher on a throw down to second. Receive the ball on the first base side of second and be in a low position where you can sweep the catch back toward the runner. The other fielder should back-up the throw.

c. Outfieldersi. Right fielder positioning - the right fielder should draw an

imaginary line from third through second base and take about seven big steps from that line toward right field – that’s their “neutral” position. Left fielder should do the opposite.

ii. Read the hitter/ know the situation and adjust: is he big, small, late with his swings, a pull hitter, where are the foul balls going, what is the count? Don’t be a scarecrow – move around!

3. Talk to your players during the game. It’s not realistic to think players are going to know where the play is, what the situation is, and what they need to be doing over the course of six or seven innings. If they all take the field with their hat on then you are doing well.

a. Signs – have a basic set of clear signs that are given for every pitch. Some coaches don’t believe in calling pitches but it’s good for kids to get exposed to that at this level – it’s rare to find an 11-year old catcher who can call a game. Don’t leave it to chance. It’s part of coaching.

b. Suggestions on signsi. Keep it simple but mix things up so that the other team doesn’t

pick up your steal sign. Don’t underestimate the opposing team’s players – often they will pick up the sign before the coaches.

ii. Have signs for the following plays:1. Runners:

a. Straight stealb. Delayed stealc. Running in the face of the left-handed pitcher /

stealing on first motion2. Hitters:

a. Buntb. Squeeze (this should be accompanied with an

“acknowledgement” sign by the hitter so you both know that the play is on)

c. Taked. Swing awaye. (on two strikes, remind the hitter of where they

are in the count and to “expand the zone” – use your hands to make the point

3. Pitchesa. Have a system where you call the location and

the pitch – you might tap a place on your arm for location (inside, middle, out) and have a number of taps to the face or hat that correspond the pitch: fast-ball, change-up, pick-off, pitch-out

4. Catchersa. The most important sign for catchers and

infielders is what to do on the first and third situation – hold the ball, throw down to get the running, throw down to a second baseman cutting in for a throw back to catcher if the runner on third attempts a steal, throw down to third. Coach should relay the sign to the catcher and catcher should step forward and call attention of the outfields (“infield – eyes up”) and then give the sign for the play to the infield.

c. As the third base coach, you should talk to your runners. You pick them up once they get to second.

i. Runner on second. Tell them the situation – particularly, the number of outs. With less than two outs, yell out the following reminder: “go on a ground ball hit to the left side, don’t run into a tag for a ball hit in front of them (shortshop), freeze on a line drive, score on a ball hit to a gap, tag on a fly ball.” Make it a habit to repeat this every time a player gets to second. With two outs, be sure you tell them, “two outs, go on anything but don’t run into a tag at short”

ii. Runner on third. Have a green, yellow, red system.1. Red: only go home on base hit (typically when there are

no outs and the top of the order is up to hit) – don’t make the first or last out at home.

2. Yellow: go home on a ball hit anywhere except the pitcher – tag on a fly ball.

3. Green: go home on anything (game is on the line and you need the run) – tag on a fly ball.