Live batting practice with situations

Setup

1. The batting practice thrower (a coach, or a pitcher on a planned throwing day) throws from the mound behind an L-screen and stays behind it after every pitch. Throws from a pitcher count toward their weekly workload.
2. A catcher in full gear (helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards, cup) receives every pitch, or use a backstop net with nobody behind the plate.
3. Full defence in the field. If a second ball is ever fed to first (for example a coach hitting fungoes between swings), put a protective screen in front of the first baseman.
4. Batter and every runner wear helmets. The hitting group waits behind a fence or screen; nobody walks in front of or behind the hitter.
5. Groups of four hitters: one hits, one is the runner, two wait safely. Rotate groups into the field every round.

How it runs

1. Before each round the coach calls the situation: 'runner on second, no outs', 'runner on first, hit-and-run', 'runner on third, infield back', 'two outs, nobody on'.
2. The hitter gets 5–6 pitches to do the job, then 1–2 free swings. Every ball in play is played out live by the fielders and the runner.
3. The runner starts on the called base and reacts to every ball: go on a ground ball, tag on a fly, freeze on a line drive.
4. After each hitter, the runner becomes the next hitter and the old hitter becomes the runner.
5. The coach keeps a quick score: a point to the offence for each job done, a point to the defence for each out that stops it.

Coaching points

• Hitters: say the job out loud before stepping in ('ground ball to the right side'), then commit to the pitch that lets you do it.
• Runners: know the outs and the fielders' positions before every pitch, and read the ball off the bat.
• Fielders: treat every ball as a game ball. Know where the throw goes before the pitch.
• The thrower gets the ball back from a bucket behind the screen, never from a throw by a fielder while a hitter is in the box.
• Keep the pace high: the next pitch comes only when the previous ball is dead and every fielder is set.

Common mistakes

• Hitters treating it as ordinary batting practice and swinging for the fences.
• The thrower stepping out from behind the L-screen to watch the ball.
• Fielders throwing balls back in toward the mound while the next pitch is on its way.
• Runners standing still on a ground ball because nobody called the outs.
• Too many hitters waiting, so players stand around for long periods.