Catcher blocking balls in the dirt

Setup

1. Every catcher wears full gear: helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector and shin guards.
2. Start on soft grass with reduced-injury or foam balls. Move to the dirt and real softballs once the technique is solid.
3. The coach kneels about 8 m in front with a bucket and throws firm balls that bounce just in front of the plate.
4. A second catcher waits to the side in gear, out of the line of the ball.

How it runs

1. Dry reps first: from the stance, the catcher drops to both knees on 'block', five times with no ball.
2. Straight on: the coach throws five balls into the dirt in front of the plate. The catcher blocks each one and keeps it in front.
3. Side blocks: five to the glove side, then five to the arm side. The catcher steps out with the near knee and angles the shoulders back to home.
4. After each block, the catcher scrambles to the ball, picks it up bare-handed and shows it to the coach, then throws it back.
5. Swap catchers every 15 balls; blocking is tiring, so keep sets short.

Coaching points

• Drop both knees straight down; don't reach with the glove first.
• Glove fills the gap between the knees, fingers down, touching the ground.
• Chest over the ball, shoulders rounded, chin tucked. The ball should drop in front of you, not bounce away.
• Throwing hand tucked behind the glove so it is protected.
• On side blocks, angle the body so the chest faces home plate. Then the ball rebounds toward the middle.

Common mistakes

• Trying to catch the ball in the dirt instead of blocking it.
• Lifting the chin, so the ball can bounce up under the mask.
• Sitting back on the heels, so the ball bounces off the chest and away.
• Square shoulders on a side block, which sends the ball rolling to the backstop.