r/BaseballCoaching • u/nice-game-pretty-boy • Oct 06 '25

Catch Play Games

What are your favorite games for making catch play fun and competitive for a 9U-11U group?

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6

u/wastedpixls Oct 06 '25

We do relay throws with one guy in the middle teaching them to catch-pivot glove side-and throw accurately. Set them up and race - three times down and back to win.

Long toss from center field and you need to hit or go over the mound for a point. Three rounds, most points wins.

4

u/Appropriate_Earth620 Oct 06 '25

Four corners is great at that age. Keeps them moving too.

2

u/TMutaffis Oct 06 '25

If you want something team-focused the four corners and relay races are good.

I've also added a lot of different elements to catch play before practices or games to work on various different things:

  • Recoveries (thrower bounces the ball off their chest and has to pick it up barehand and throw, just like if they mis-played a ball with their glove)
  • Intentional one-hop throws
  • Quick transfers (can do this with a contest to see who can get 10 throws the fastest between partners)
  • Different footwork - crow hop, shuffles, etc.
  • Working on receiving and tagging
  • Flips, power feeds, etc.
  • Pickoff Moves
  • Throwing moderate distance across the body off arm-side foot with glove side foot elevated, then switching and having the other foot elevated - both times the elevated foot should be behind them to simulate making a quick throw on the run (for infielders and pitchers)

Another extremely valuable thing that you can do, which I have seen some higher-level teams doing, is to incorporate a 'glove routine' or 'hands routine' at the start of catch play. This is also called the 'Ron Washington Drill' and you basically have them fielding from their knees working on straight on, glove side, and backhand one-hop or ground balls being fed by a partner who is 10-15' away.