new catcher questions

danocaster,
hope this will help, but everyone has some different ideas.
1. it depends on how far away from the plate the catcher is from the plate. Throwing over hand is more natural from a distance. I have seen more errors made from fliping the ball under hand from LL to the pros. sometimes it goes over the head of the other player or ends up not being hard enough and ends up at his feet.

2. Blocking the plate- if the throw is on it's way. he should drop his knee on the 3rd base side of the plate and block the plate. If the throw is just leaving the hand of the infielder, then block half the plate forcing runner to slide to back side of plate. Sweep tags can be dangerous in that the runner can kick the ball out of the glove. Your son should learn to try to make the tag with both hands.

I have a great picture of my son blocking the plate but I don't know how to upload it.
hope this helps

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1. it depends on how far away from the plate the catcher is from the plate. Throwing over hand is more natural from a distance. I have seen more errors made from fliping the ball under hand from LL to the pros. sometimes it goes over the head of the other player or ends up not being hard enough and ends up at his feet.

The problem I found with throwing overhand in this situation is that I was always falling down as a part of my slide to get the ball so if I threw it overhand, I likely would throw it straight into the ground. So this was one of those situations where I'd almost push the ball if I was going to try for a play at the plate. A lot of times though, unless it is a super-short backstop or a brick backstop, a passed ball is going to be a run scored and it won't be very close at all. That's my experience at least..

BackStop
I agree, sometimes I've seen my son throwing underhand and sidearm any way he can get it to the player covering the plate. But, this is a 9 year old learning how to catch, he needs to learn the "so called" right way first, then make adjustments as he gets better.
Besides, I've never seen a catcher have a passed ball, they're ALWAYS a wild pitch, LOL.

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BackStop

Sorry I meant Bulldog

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Originally posted by Bulldog 19:

The problem I found with throwing overhand in this situation is that I was always falling down as a part of my slide to get the ball so if I threw it overhand, I likely would throw it straight into the ground. So this was one of those situations where I'd almost push the ball if I was going to try for a play at the plate. A lot of times though, unless it is a super-short backstop or a brick backstop, a passed ball is going to be a run scored and it won't be very close at all. That's my experience at least..

When a catcher is playing on a larger field there won't be many opportunities to flip the ball underhand to make a play at the plate, so you might as well start working now on the more common overhand toss.......when appropriate. The overhand toss does not need hard, however it should be thrown low enough so the tag can be made immediatly. When tossing underhand there is a tendancy to leave the ball "high".

Flip or throw? College parent is right when he talks about the distance increasing dramatically as the players move up. I suggest you consider buying the DVD by Rob McDonald. This is a very good instructional video on catching.
Here's a link:
Rob McDonald video
This video is over an hour and covers Characteristics and Qualities of Catchers, Stances, Use of the Glove, Framing the Plate, Blocking, Throwing, Fielding Bunts, Tag Plays and Force Plays. Along with the top-flight instruction are 21 drills you can use to improve your catchers.

McDonalds video is very good. I used it when I played. I think on the first one you need to slide and throw the ball from the angle you field it at.

throwing it overhand presents too many problems - the catcher has to stand up, and the ball is usually going to go straight down because the player is making his posture erect while trying to throw.

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Besides, I've never seen a catcher have a passed ball, they're ALWAYS a wild pitch, LOL.

Pitchers are horrible people. They do not understand how hard a catcher's job is. I always told my pitching coach that pitchers were has-been catchers who couldn't handle the work. I tell pitchers that I coach that too.

I never had a passed ball in my life. Just like the pitchers I caught never threw a wild pitch-- just ask them

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When a catcher is playing on a larger field there won't be many opportunities to flip the ball underhand to make a play at the plate, so you might as well start working now on the more common overhand toss.......when appropriate. The overhand toss does not need hard, however it should be thrown low enough so the tag can be made immediately. When tossing underhand there is a tendancy to leave the ball "high".

My experience is "on the big field" and I think I mentioned that there really aren't many opportunities to have a play at the plate on a wild pitch "on the big field" just because there is so much room behind many homeplate areas.

I was taught to slide, grab, and get rid of the ball all in one motion. That meant I was falling down as I was getting rid of the ball so if I tried throwing it overhand, that ball would bounce two feet in front of me..

There are plenty of opportunties on HS fields with moderate backstops and/or partially blocked balls to have a play at the plate.....or another base. Each situation is different, there is no one answer, however some coaches suggest recovering the ball with the same technique as fielding a bunt if possbile. If you are able to be on your feet when recovering the ball it gives you the added opportunity to throw to another base if the trailing runner gets greedy or is late moving up.

I thought the new NHSF rule no longer allows you to block the plate until you have the ball.I saw a few kids called for blocking the plate last season doing what we were always taught to do which was to block the plate if you are in the act of receiving the ball.

Ken, you are correct. Must have ball possession to block plate. I've seen one play this season where the runner was called safe due to obstruction.

Talked to a local HS umpire about it this morning. He had a play this season where the ball was in flight, over the catchers head. Catcher was in the base path and runner was trying to jump over catcher. When ball came in, catcher jumped and there was collision. Catcher reached back to get the ball behind him, tagged the runner who had never touched plate. Umpire called dead ball, runner safe, obstruction.

He noted that my son plays it correctly, puts one foot on the foul side of line, then if he doesn't have the ball, moves left foot to fair territory giving the runner the plate. Runner has to slide.

Yes prior to last year the rule was the arrival of the ball had to be "imminent" in order for the catcher to block the plate. The rule changed so that now the catcher must have possession of the ball in order to do it.

The old rule left a good bit of room for leeway. New rule is more cut and dried, although in my experience, umpires still cut the catcher a bit of slack.

I caught up until 2002. I was unaware of the rule change and I will let my catchers know. However, if and when blocking the plate or recieving a throw, always make sure your kid's left leg is pointed up the third baseline with his knee bent almost 45 degrees. This way, if his knee gives, it will be strait back and not hyperextended or to either side. DO NOT let him drop to a knee as the runner slides in. That opens up so much unprotected flesh and even joints like the outer hip or groin area. To prevent the runner from actually reaching the plate during his slide, teach your kid to allow his own foot to roll out with the runner and burry his shinguard into the guy's thigh while applying the tag with both hands (barehand protected from a cleat.)