By adding competition to baseball practices, coaches can make the exercise more fun and productive for players. Even coaches of novice baseball teams can improve their practices by turning fundamental drills into contests and games. As baseball teams become more advanced, the competition must become more elaborate and difficult to hold the players' interest.
Throwing Relay
Even big league players struggle making accurate relay throws from time to time. So this simple game has value at every level. It can be run with two or more lines of four or more players. The coach sets the players an equal distance apart in a straight line, replicating the outfielder's relay throw to the infield. As players become more advanced, the coach stretches the line and spaces the players farther apart. Players at one end of the line start the game by throwing to the next player in line. That player must receive the ball, turn to the glove-hand side and throw to the next player. When the ball reaches the final player in line, the relay reverses direction. Overthrown balls must be returned to the player who threw it before the relay may continue. The first team to complete three full up-and-back relays wins.
Knockout
The coach puts players in each fielding position, then hits grounders to the infielders and calls out the desired defensive play. The coach hits fly balls and line drives to the outfielders and calls out the defensive play. Players making clean plays and accurate throws rotate to a new position and remain in the game. Players making errors are knocked out. The game continues until one player is left. Coaches or parents fill in for the eliminated players as needed to finish the game.
Star
The coach sets a regular infield defense, minus the pitcher. Multiple players line up at shortstop and at home. When the coach hits the ball to the shortstop, the first runner takes offs. The shortstop throws to the first baseman. The first baseman catches the ball and throws it to the third baseman, who catches it and throws to the second baseman. The drill concludes with the second baseman attempting to throw home before the runner finishes the lap around the bases. The fielders should not cover the bases during the drill. This allows the runners to hit the inside of the bags while trying to perfect their turns. Repeat the drill with a different shortstop and a different runner for each repetition.
The 6-3-2-5 Triple Play Drill
This more advanced drill allows coaches to work on situational fielding and base running at the same time. The coach puts a third baseman, shortstop, first baseman and catcher on the field, and a runner at home, first base and third base. The coach hits the ball to the shortstop. The runner at home and first base run on contact. The shortstop throws to the first baseman, who takes the throw from the shortstop on the bag, then throws to the catcher. The runner on first continues on toward third base. The catcher takes the throw from the first baseman, attempts to tag out the runner, then throws to third base. The runner going to first tries to beat the throw from the shortstop. The runners going to home and third try to beat the throw or elude the tag. It is important that they seek an edge by leaving early. Each time the drill is completed without an error, the third baseman puts the ball in a bucket in foul territory. The drill continues until all the allotted balls are in the bucket.
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