Printable practice scripts with time blocks, stations and rotations, so every player is moving and every coach knows the job.
Best for weeknights and younger teams. Our suggestion
| 0:005 min | Huddle and goals
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| 0:0510 min | Dynamic warmup
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| 0:1510 min | Throwing progression
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| 0:2521 min | Stations: 3 x 7 minutes
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| 0:2515 min | Catcher block (runs alongside the stations)
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| 0:4610 min | Team situation
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| 0:564 min | Cooldown and huddle
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groundupbaseball.net/coaches/practice-plans/ · Time blocks are Ground Up suggestions. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.
A standard travel ball practice. Our suggestion
| 0:005 min | Huddle and goals
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| 0:0512 min | Dynamic warmup
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| 0:1712 min | Throwing progression
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| 0:293 min | Water break
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| 0:3230 min | Stations: 3 x 10 minutes
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| 0:3220 min | Catcher block (runs alongside the stations)
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| 1:023 min | Water break |
| 1:0518 min | Team defense or live situations
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| 1:237 min | Cooldown and huddle
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groundupbaseball.net/coaches/practice-plans/ · Time blocks are Ground Up suggestions. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.
For older teams and weekend sessions. Our suggestion
| 0:005 min | Huddle and goals
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| 0:0512 min | Dynamic warmup
|
| 0:1713 min | Throwing progression
|
| 0:303 min | Water break |
| 0:3336 min | Stations: 3 x 12 minutes
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| 0:3330 min | Catcher block (runs alongside the stations)
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| 1:094 min | Water break |
| 1:1320 min | Team defense
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| 1:3320 min | Live game or scrimmage
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| 1:537 min | Cooldown and huddle
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groundupbaseball.net/coaches/practice-plans/ · Time blocks are Ground Up suggestions. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.
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groundupbaseball.net/coaches/practice-plans/ · Built from the Ground Up station menu. Times are our suggestions. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.
Ten drills for the catcher station. Names, reps and cues are our own suggestions. Pick 3 or 4 per practice and rotate through the list over a couple of weeks. Full gear that fits (mask or helmet, chest protector, shin guards, and a cup for boys) for anything with a ball. Throws count like pitches, so keep them low.
Builds: Comfort and balance in the relaxed stance (nobody on) and the ready stance (runners on, or two strikes).
Setup: Catchers in full gear behind a plate or a throw-down base. No ball needed.
Run it: Coach calls “bases empty” or “runners on” and the catcher drops into that stance and holds it for a count of 5. Then mix in calls like “runner going!” so they pop up and out of the ready stance.
Reps or time: 10 to 12 calls, about 3 minutes.
Coaching cues: Bases empty: sit low and relaxed, glove out front. Runners on: a little higher, weight on the balls of the feet, throwing hand tucked safely behind the glove or leg.
Safety: Throwing hand stays protected behind the glove or leg on every pitch.
Builds: Receiving: catching the ball softly and holding it where it was caught so the umpire gets a clean look.
Setup: Catcher in gear. A coach kneels 15 to 20 feet away with a bucket of tennis balls or soft balls.
Run it: Coach tosses to all parts of the zone. The catcher catches, sticks it for a one-count, then drops it. Finish with a few tosses just off the edges, where the catcher gently brings the glove back toward the zone without yanking it.
Reps or time: 2 rounds of 15 tosses.
Coaching cues: Relaxed hand. Catch the outside half of the ball. Stick it, don’t stab at it. Small, quiet moves, not big jerks.
Safety: Use soft balls until the receiving is clean, then progress to real balls from a short distance.
Builds: Blocking: getting the body in front of balls in the dirt and keeping them close.
Setup: Catcher in full gear on a mat or soft grass. Coach about 15 feet away with tennis balls or soft blocking balls.
Run it: Coach calls the direction (middle, left, right), then the catcher drops to the knees, glove covering the gap between the legs, chin tucked, shoulders rounded forward to keep the ball in front. Progress to unannounced tosses into the dirt.
Reps or time: Low volume: 8 to 10 blocks per round, 2 rounds, rest between. Not every practice.
Coaching cues: Glove down first. Chin to chest. Round the shoulders and aim the ball back toward home plate.
Safety: Soft balls only for young catchers, full gear and a cup every time, and stop if knees or hips get sore.
Builds: Transfer speed: getting the ball from the glove to the throwing hand cleanly.
Setup: Two catchers facing each other about 10 feet apart, or a coach tossing.
Run it: Catch, transfer to the throwing hand and show a four-seam grip, then hold the throwing position without throwing. Make it a race: how many clean transfers in 30 seconds?
Reps or time: 3 rounds of 30 seconds.
Coaching cues: Glove comes to the throwing shoulder, not the hand to the glove. Find the seams on the way up.
Safety: No throws in this drill, so it is safe to repeat. Keep spacing so nobody gets hit.
Builds: The throw to second base: footwork, transfer and an accurate throw.
Setup: Catcher in gear at the plate, a coach or fielder covering second. Use an age-appropriate distance (move up from the full base distance for younger catchers).
Run it: From the ready stance, the coach tosses a pitch; the catcher catches, does quick footwork and throws to the bag. Accuracy first, then speed. Use a phone stopwatch only for older players who want to track progress.
Reps or time: Capped: no more than 8 to 10 throws per practice, and count them like pitches. Skip it on days after a heavy catching game.
Coaching cues: Feet first, then arm. Throw through the target, chest-high to the bag. A good, accurate throw beats a wild hard one.
Safety: Count every throw. Never max-effort for young arms. Any arm pain means stop and tell a parent.
Builds: Catching pop-ups behind and around home plate.
Setup: Catcher in gear with a coach using a tennis racquet and tennis balls, or tossing high.
Run it: On “up!” the catcher finds the ball, turns their back to the infield, takes the mask off and holds it until they know where the ball is, then tosses the mask away from where they are going. Catch it above the head with two hands.
Reps or time: 6 to 8 reps.
Coaching cues: Turn your back to the field: these balls drift back toward the infield. Mask off and away from the ball.
Safety: Clear space, and call it loud so nobody collides. Start with soft balls.
Builds: Receiving a throw at the plate and making a safe tag.
Setup: Catcher in gear at the plate, a coach throwing in from the infield or outfield, and a walking runner (no sliding into the catcher).
Run it: Catcher sets up in front of the plate, leaving the runner a clear path, catches the throw, then sweeps a two-hand tag down to the plate. Run it slow, then at normal speed.
Reps or time: 6 to 8 reps.
Coaching cues: Give the runner a lane. Catch first, then tag. Ball tight in the glove with the bare hand covering it.
Safety: No collisions, ever. Follow your league’s plate-blocking and collision rules. Runners walk or jog in this drill.
Builds: Fielding bunts and slow dribblers in front of the plate and throwing to first.
Setup: Catcher in gear. Coach rolls balls 5 to 15 feet in front of the plate. A fielder covers first.
Run it: Catcher pops out, circles to get the body lined up toward first, scoops the ball with two hands (or bare-hands a stopped ball) and makes a short, accurate throw.
Reps or time: 6 to 8 reps, counted with the other throws.
Coaching cues: Mask off on the way out. Get around the ball so your momentum goes to first. Short, easy throw.
Safety: Count these throws with Pop and Fire so the total stays low.
Builds: Pitcher and catcher communication: signs, setups and a calm partner on the mound.
Setup: A pitcher and catcher during a planned, counted bullpen, or dry with no ball.
Run it: Practice the team’s simple signs, the sign when runners are on second, and visits: the catcher walks out, says one simple, positive thing, and jogs back. Rotate so every pitcher works with more than one catcher.
Reps or time: 5 minutes, or tucked into a bullpen.
Coaching cues: Keep signs simple and hidden from the base coaches. A visit is short and positive: “Breathe, hit my glove.”
Safety: Pitches in a bullpen count toward the pitcher’s rest and arm care plan.
Builds: Leg strength and hip mobility for the squat.
Setup: Catchers, gear off, on grass.
Run it: A short circuit: slow bodyweight squats, side lunges, a hold in the catcher squat, hip openers, then easy walking. Gentle and controlled, not a punishment.
Reps or time: About 5 minutes, 1 to 2 rounds.
Coaching cues: Heels down, chest up, knees track over the toes. Smooth breathing.
Safety: No added weight for youth catchers. Stop if anything pinches or hurts.
groundupbaseball.net/coaches/practice-plans/#cdrills · Ground Up suggestions. Play Hard, Stay Grounded.
No field? Keep the same time blocks and swap the stations. Our suggestion
End practice or a game with three quick questions each player answers out loud or in a notebook: What went well? What is one thing to work on? Who helped you today? Coaches answer too. It builds the habit of learning from every day and keeps the focus on effort and growth. Our suggestion
Kids stay motivated when they can see themselves improve. Pick two or three simple things, write them down, and compare next month against their own last result, never against teammates. Our suggestion
Let each player set one goal from their numbers for the next month. Skills come and go with age and growth, but the work habits and character they build here last.
All of this section is our suggestion.
Sources retrieved Oct 24, 2026. Everything marked Our suggestion (timings, drills, rotations, checklists and coaching opinions) is our own coaching advice, not a rule or a published prescription.