10u coach here, want some opinions on how to teach pitchers and catchers to cover on past balls.
Obviously C needs to acquire ball and sprint for it, preferable to barehand it.
I was having P (assuming RHP) run home, moves into RH box, facing catcher. I had them crouching, glove about one foot off ground, directly behind HP, or towards 3B dugout, depending on location of ball. C to throw to their glove, P catches, then turns towards backstop/1B dugout, sweeping glove along HP. This way, they are not in patch of slide (both to avoid injury and to avoid any potential blocking call, but if C makes good throw and they catch, catching and tagging motion makes it pretty much impossible for runner to avoid tag (we must slide at home if there is a play). Some others have expressed concern that Ps back is towards runner, but to me first they need to worry about getting ball, then basically sweep glove with ball across plate (I tell them to actually sweep it in contact with the plate and ground, stopping right in front of plate).
I see so many times where P stands on HP, and since it is not a force, all this accomplishes is increasing odds of injury for someone. Want to give them a specific spot to go to instead (ie RH batter's box) where they are in position to make play once they have the ball. ie catching, then basically allowing ball to continue to move, just now in glove, not describing it right what I was showing them, but was essentially not really stopping the throw, just capturing the motion of it with their glove).
Obviously C needs to acquire ball and sprint for it, preferable to barehand it.
I was having P (assuming RHP) run home, moves into RH box, facing catcher. I had them crouching, glove about one foot off ground, directly behind HP, or towards 3B dugout, depending on location of ball. C to throw to their glove, P catches, then turns towards backstop/1B dugout, sweeping glove along HP. This way, they are not in patch of slide (both to avoid injury and to avoid any potential blocking call, but if C makes good throw and they catch, catching and tagging motion makes it pretty much impossible for runner to avoid tag (we must slide at home if there is a play). Some others have expressed concern that Ps back is towards runner, but to me first they need to worry about getting ball, then basically sweep glove with ball across plate (I tell them to actually sweep it in contact with the plate and ground, stopping right in front of plate).
I see so many times where P stands on HP, and since it is not a force, all this accomplishes is increasing odds of injury for someone. Want to give them a specific spot to go to instead (ie RH batter's box) where they are in position to make play once they have the ball. ie catching, then basically allowing ball to continue to move, just now in glove, not describing it right what I was showing them, but was essentially not really stopping the throw, just capturing the motion of it with their glove).
) if the ball is close to the backstop, I have them slide on their knees into the ball. I use the scoop the ball using both hand and glove. They throw from their knees.
