Rounders Drills

Split the group into teams of 3 or 4 aside set out an area with cones where the posts would be on the pitch. one ball. The game follows netball rules and is played inside the area. The aim of the game is to throw the ball to one of your players by one of the posts for them to touch the post without having to run.

Set up : Split players into two teams (no more than 5v5 - set up several mini-games if necessary). Pitch marked out with 2 goals. Size will depend upon your players' ability and numbers in the group but 20m by 10m is a good starting point. The Game: This is an invasion game and the aim is to score a goal by rolling the ball through the oppositions goal. Rules: Roll only to score. Cannot move with the ball, defending team must be a metre away from the player with the ball. If the ball hits an attacking players' foot in open play the ball is given to the defending team. If the ball hits your team's foot from an attempt at goal then a penalty is awarded. The penalty is taken from behind the half way line and only one player can defend it from the corner of the pitch. On the coach's call of "GO" the attacker rolls the ball and the defender can run across to defend the shot.

The player at the front of the 2 players runs to the middle to collect the ball on the cone and roll it to the player on the opposite side. This player collects the ball and runs to the middle to put the ball on the cone. The next player then runs to collect the ball and rolls the ball for next player waiting.

Split your group into two teams: A throwing team and a fielding team. The fielders have to put one player by each post and the rest in the field. Players from the other team have 1 ball each. Each player from the throwing team has to come into the batting square and call out which base they are going to run to. Immediately after call out they must then throw the ball to one of the fielders after which they have to try and beat the ball to the post. The ball then gets thrown back to the square for the next player to call, throw and run.

Split the group into teams of 5. One team throwing the ball around posts. One team running around the posts. The ball starts by the batting square and has to be thrown to post one then 2 then 3 then 4 then back to the batting square. The running team have to run and tag. The first player in the batting square has to run to tag 1st post player this player has to run to release the player at 2nd post etc until the player on the forth post is tagged and runs back to the batting square. Start again when ball and players are back in position again. Best of 5 runs.

The aim of the game is to make 10 catches by a team without getting caught whilst holding the ball by the other team. If a player is touched the ball goes to the other team and they try to achieve 10 catches. First team to take the 10 catches whilst staying in the grid wins. Players can run with the ball and if they do run out the grid the ball goes to the other side as well as if the ball is dropped.

Setup: 4 players stand in a diamond with 3 balls. A 5th player stands in the middle. To start the drill 1 of the outside players throw their ball to the player in the middle who has to return the ball the player who did not have a ball before the ball was thrown. The middle player then rotates to receive the next ball and the drill continues in this way.

Batter 2 calls YES hit or run,  then starts to run on the call. Fielder 1 feeds from an angle, fielder 2 runs in and flicks at player 1 moving to the post. Player 1 touches the post with the ball. The batter is either in or out. When 3 lives are used up the team is out, then batters change with fielders.

Players work in groups of 5, in a grid with 5 cones set up in a zig-zag formation, roughly 7 metres apart. Each player stands on a cone. All players, except for those queueing behind the first cone require balls. On the coach's call player 1, on the first cone, aims to get to collect the ball that has been dropped from shoulder height by the player on the cone in front of them, before the ball bounces twice. This is one pick-up. Player 1 then gives the ball back to the player on the cone, and sets themself before the coach gives the next call. Again the working player aims to get to the next ball before second bounce. This process is repeated until all players have performed 4 pick-ups.

Long barrier Team A must roll the ball past team B to score a point (goal) and vice versa.

Players work in fours with one batter, one bowler and two fielders. The basic structure of this drill is that the ball is bowled to the batter who has to try and hit the ball. To improve hand-eye coordination there are 3 stages to this drill. Firstly the batting player should hit the ball with their hand (or yellow hand CP where available), then with a paddle bat and lastly a rounders bat.

Four players working with 1 ball and 1 bat. One of the 3 players throws the ball at the batter who has to tap the ball back to any of the 3 players so they can catch the ball and throw the ball back again.

Teams of 4 try and throw the ball across a pitch as quickly as possible, not missing any players out. The first team to throw the ball 10 times across the pitch is the winner.