When there’s a runner heading home and the ball is hit to the outfield, the fielder has one option: charge the ball, field it on the run, and throw on a line to home. No backup. No setup. Do or die. This is the most aggressive fielding play in the game.
What you need: A glove, 6 baseballs, a target (catcher or marker at home plate, 80 feet away).
Setup: Kid in the outfield 80 feet from home plate. You stand 50 feet to the side with the bucket.
How to run it:
- Cue: Drop, Show, Funnel, Send. On a do-or-die, all four happen while running forward at full speed.
- Roll or hit a one-hop grounder in front of the kid that won’t reach them if they wait.
- They charge full speed, field on the run with the glove, and throw to the target on a line. The throw should hit the target chest-high.
- Do 6 reps. Reset and tell them what you saw after each.
- Last 2: add a runner. The runner starts 30 feet from home and runs on contact.
What to watch: The throw flight. A do-or-die throw cannot be a rainbow. It has to be on a line, ankle-high to chest-high, and reach the target on one bounce or no bounce.
If they’re struggling: Use a closer target (60 feet). Slower rolls.
If they’ve got it: Move target to 100 feet. Add a runner who’s been running for two seconds before the ball is rolled.