Category: Drills
Type: Drill
FIELDING/TAG DRILL
This drill helps improve fielding, throwing and base running. It also helps the fielder become aware of base runners and base runners aware of what to do when heading to a base where the ball is being thrown. Please remember to have the base runners ALWAYS wear their helmets when running the bases.
Note: We play this drill between second and third, but you could play this between two bases anywhere on the field. Also, with younger players, we start this drill on grass so they get comfortable with sliding.- Divide the team into two groups (this could also be done with a smaller number of players as another group is working with a coach on a different skill) and form two parallel lines to the right of second base toward right field, one for fielders and one for base runners.
- Select two fielders, one to play at SS and one to play at 3B, and position them appropriately.
- Place a runner at 2B (wearing a helmet) and have the coach hitting or throwing the ball stand between home and the pitching rubber. Depending upon the league you play in, start the runner on the base or with a lead off.
- Either on the coaches command or when the ball is hit, the runner takes off toward 3B and the ball is hit on the ground to the fielder at SS.
- The SS fields the ball and throws to 3B. The fielder at 3B catches the ball and applies a tag as the runner comes in.
The object for the runner is to get safely to the bag (either by sliding or stopping on the bag - not over running it), and the object for the fielder is to get the runner out.
The coach should time the hitting or throwing of the ball so that the play at third is close. After the runner gets to third and the ball is thrown, the runner resets back to second and the drill goes again.
Each runner and fielder gets two chances, then the fielders and runners rotate: SS to 3B, 3B to the back of the runner line, the runner to back of the fielding line. The first in line of the fielders moves to SS and the first in line of the runners puts on a helmet and moves to 2B. Depending on time, we would run the players two or three times through this drill. As they got better, we added a wrinkle or two by either hitting the ball to the fielder at 3B and have them throw to the SS covering 2B making the runner go back to 2B, or occasionally hitting the ball in the air to either the SS or 3B, sending the runner back to 2B. If the ball gets past the fielder, then the runner advances so the girls get used to advancing on a mis-played ball. The wrinkle helped both the runner and the fielder become more aware of where the ball was and what to do in a given situation.
This was one of our best drills and the players really started to improve when they figured out what they were doing. This was also a good "spirit" drill as we had the girls cheer on either the fielder or the runner, depending upon the line they were in.
Good luck and have fun!
Submitted by: Evan Kirschner
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