Cricket · Catching

Boundary catching and relay catches

Deep fielders practise getting under high balls near the rope and, when momentum carries them over, flicking the ball back to a partner who completes the catch.

COF1F2T1F3F4
Start / 4
Time
20 min
Players
3–12
Age
U13+
Area
Boundary edge, 40 × 20 m
Equipment
8 incrediballs or tennis balls4 hard balls (later stage)10 boundary rope or cones1 bat for the coach (optional)

Setup

  1. Work at the boundary rope, or lay a line of cones as a rope. Clear the area beyond it: no fences, benches, sightscreens or spectators within a few metres.
  2. A catcher starts about 10 m inside the rope; a partner stands 8–10 m away along the rope and slightly infield. The feeder stands 25–35 m away.
  3. Start with incrediballs or tennis balls. Move to a hard ball only once catchers are judging the flight consistently.

How it runs

  1. The feeder throws (or hits) a high ball that will drop near the rope. The catcher calls their own name, runs back and sets under it.
  2. If the catcher is balanced inside the rope, they take it cleanly with fingers up and give with the hands.
  3. If momentum is carrying them over, they take the ball or palm it, flick it up and back into the field before touching the ground beyond the rope, and the partner completes the catch inside.
  4. Six feeds each, then swap catcher and partner. Two pairs can work at once from opposite ends of the ground with a feeder each.
  5. Law check: the fielder must not be grounded beyond the boundary when touching the ball, and a catch is completed only when the fielder has control of the ball and their own movement. Law 19 on boundary catches has changed recently, so check the current wording and your competition's playing conditions.

Coaching points

  • Get back early and wait under the ball rather than arriving late and lunging.
  • Know where the rope is before the ball is fed: glance back and take a mental note of the distance.
  • High balls: fingers up, hands together near the eyes, then give and bring the ball in to the chest.
  • If you go over, release the ball upwards and towards your partner, not just anywhere into the field.
  • Partner: keep eyes on the catcher and be ready to move in; call 'Mine' once you take over.

Common mistakes

  • Backpedalling flat-footed instead of turning and running back.
  • Flicking the ball after already touching the ground beyond the rope.
  • Partner standing too close, so the flick and the catch become one tangled movement.
  • Snatching at the ball with stiff hands.

Say it: “Get there early, flick it before you land.”

Make it harder

  • Feeder varies height and length so catchers judge whether to stay inside or relay.
  • Use hard balls with longer, flatter feeds.
  • Catcher starts facing the feeder side-on and only turns on the coach's call.

Make it easier

  • Lower feeds from closer, with tennis balls.
  • Catcher starts already near the rope and works on the flick only.
  • Walk-through first: catcher takes the ball standing on the rope, steps over, then flicks.

Reviewed by the Sportdify coaching team.