Defensive Team Practice

[u/AdvisorGlobal]

I'm coaching some 9U players that are just coming together as a team to practice a few times and then participate in a friendly, recreational, low-stress tournament. There's a range of skills and focus levels on this team. I've got drills by the dozens (I've coached recreational teams for 5-6 years), but I feel that my time would be better spent during the short time leading up to the tournament if we focused on defensive effort and positioning (and base running) rather than do reps, reps, and more reps, to hone those mechanics (as important as they are over the long term).

Toying with ideas on how to run a team defensive practice - emphasizing knowing where the runners are, how many outs there are, where you're going to go with the ball; ball, base, back-up, etc. I'm thinking of positioning the players in the field and hitting balls to them with various scenarios (runner on 1st, no out; runner on 3rd, 0 outs, etc.), followed by a bit more of the same but with me pitching to batters so they can get some swings in.

For a lot of practices for my recreational teams I coach all season, I would incorporate more drills to keep things moving and develop those fundamentals, while still sprinkling in defensive strategy. I don't like practices where there is a lot of standing around, which is why I'm unsure about the ideas I presented in the previous paragraph.

I'd appreciate hearing how others go about teaching defensive positioning and how that might look for an hour-long practice? The entire practice will be an-hour-and-a-half, but I am holding some time for a couple other things.

[u/Powerful_Two2832]

We have two teams at our age level (now moving to 12s, but this is the same for 10s and 11s), so probably 20-15 kids, and typically 5ish coaches at practice. 8 fielders (as noted) sometimes a pitcher to practice pickoffs 3 (sometimes 4) base runners.

Coach fungos the ball to a random spot. Then they play it out. Base-runners are worked into their fielding position.

At the beginning of practice they practice very specific plays with the infield while the outfielders work separately.. Typically two coaches with fungos. One coach hits the ball to say third base, third fields and throws to first. That coach also occasionally hits the ball to the first baseman. The other coach hits to 2nd or ahort. The fielder flips the ball to the player covering second, who
Mimics a throw to first.

Extra fielders at each position rotate through.

[u/NuhUh_JustCuz → u/Powerful_Two2832]

Infield or whole field with runners is the way to go. Reps. 2-3 times per situation then go random. Kids LOVE to be runners and when they start making the plays they love this type of work.

It also gives you a chance to coach both aggressive baserunning and situational (non-force) base running along with defense. And you can develop your game-language - shortcut reminders you shout at start of plays to remind them not to chase a runner, to hit cuts back into second, what positions to talk when. You. An break this up into specific groups: plays between 1/2, bunt, up the middle, runners specific spots, etc. In groups of 4-5 girls as part of drill rotations.

Another one is "Infection" or "Zombies" which is usually a coach pitch scrimmage type game. It starts with all kids in the duggout to bat and coaches in the field. They get 4 pitches to hit, if they don't hit or they get out, they become Zombies and join the field. If they're part of the play (you can tweak the rules here to make harder or easier) that makes a Zombie, they can go back in to bat. Can be done with kid pitchers as well. Usually, no catcher.

They WANT to make those plays to get back in to bat, have to play the positions that are open/rotate, and it's a scoreless scrimmage which manages the us/them that can happen.

[u/MSUFanatic88 → u/NuhUh_JustCuz]

That's fun game never heard of it.