One ground ball to a shortstop hands you four things to score. The first step, the hands, the transfer, and the throw. A swing off a machine hands you three, which are the timing, the contact, and the direction. Picking baseball tryout drills comes down to that ratio: how much a single rep tells you per minute of field time. Then you need to know which line of your sheet each rep fills.
Which drills belong at a baseball tryout? Set up five stations. Hitters take six swings off a machine, two bunts, and a timed run to first. Infielders field grounders and throw across, outfielders run down fly balls and hit a cutoff, pitchers and catchers work a short bullpen, and coach-pitched situations show who knows the game.
Print this map before tryout day and give a copy to every evaluator. Each line is one drill. Read across it and you have the reason the drill is on the field, the thing it cannot tell you, and where its score goes on the evaluation form.
The day plan on the evaluation form puts these stations on a clock for a whole tryout group, after a warm-up and a throwing progression. It also splits the work. A small panel stands together and scores every rep, while helpers feed the machine, time the run to first, and hit the fungoes.
Receiving and calling a game, which the bullpen shows
Catcher sheet (Blocking, Pop and Throw)
Coach-Pitch Situations
Where the throw goes, backups, who talks
Raw tools, already scored at the stations
Baseball IQ
Baserunning Reads
Go or hold, tag-ups, the turn
Pure speed, already timed
Base Running
Character/Attitude has no station. Score it at the close, from the whole session.
Read the "What it misses" column before you cut a station for time. Some gaps are filled by another drill on the map. Others, like a hitter facing live pitching, are filled by none of them, and a score from that station is only part of the story. To compare your rows with what other coaches put on paper, read our study of 86 public tryout forms.
Six Swings, Two Bunts, and a Timed Run to First
The batting station does three jobs at once. It grades the swing and the short game, and the last swing doubles as the first read on baserunning, while everyone else in the group fields live balls the whole time. Run one group of about nine through it before the next one steps in.
Feed every hitter the same pitch. A machine is the fairest choice. A coach's arm drifts as it tires, and the ninth hitter ends up seeing a different ball than the first. The counts are deliberate too. Six swings and two bunts are the reps the form's Hitting levels are written against, so a 5 on that row means the same thing to every evaluator who circles it.
Know what you are not seeing. Little League's guidance warns that a tryout swing "will be influenced by the environment, the pitcher, and the number of pitches received." A machine strike tells you nothing about how a hitter handles a live arm or a two-strike count. Treat the Hitting score as a read on the swing, and let the live situations later in the day add what the machine could not.
As you read, press Add to plan on each drill you want to run. They gather into one list after the last station, which you can print or save as an image for the helpers running each station.
Six-Swing Round
At the PlateAll levels
Players: One hitter, the group in the fieldTime: 10 minEquipment: Pitching machine or L-screen, bats, helmets, a bucket of balls
Builds: Timing, contact quality, and where the ball goes off the bat
Use one machine for every hitter, or one coach throwing front toss from behind a screen at a steady speed. Each hitter gets six swings. Mark each swing on a four-step scale (miss, foul, soft contact, barrel) and note the field it went to.
Reps: 6 swings per hitter, each one charted
Target: On the form's Hitting row, a 3 makes solid contact on most strikes, a 4 sprays line drives to more than one field, and a 5 hits most of the six hard to all fields.
Coaching cues
Load starts before the release · Head stays still through contact · Barrel stays in the zone a long time
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Rating the hitter on the one ball that left the yard
Fix: Score the chart. Six marks on paper outvote one swing you remember.
Called-Line Bunt
At the PlateAll levels
Players: Same hitter, straight after the swingsTime: 3 minEquipment: Same machine or screen, two cones on each foul line
Builds: Bat control, and whether a hitter squares early enough to choose a line
After the sixth swing the hitter lays down two bunts. As each pitch leaves, the feeder calls the line, first base or third. Set two cones about 20 feet up each foul line so the result is easy to read from the clipboard.
Reps: 2 bunts per hitter, one to each called line
Target: A 3 on the Hitting row gets one down fair. A 4 kills both on the grass in fair territory. A 5 puts each one down the line the feeder called.
Coaching cues
Squares as the pitch is released · Catches the ball with the bat · Bat angle points the ball at the line
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Squaring late and stabbing at the pitch
Fix: Ask for the square at the feeder's first move, then let the hitter take the second bunt again.
Last-Swing Run-Out
At the PlateAll levels
Players: Same hitter, one timer at first baseTime: 3 minEquipment: Stopwatch, first base, a cone 15 feet past the bag
Builds: Speed from the box and a hard run through the bag
Give each hitter one last swing and have them run it out wherever the ball goes. One timer stands at first, starts the watch at contact and stops it when the foot hits the bag. Use the same timer for every hitter so the numbers compare.
Reps: 1 timed run per hitter
Target: Rank the group by time and copy each number onto the form's header beside Home to 1B. On the Base Running row, a 3 runs hard through first and a 4 is fast leaving the box.
Coaching cues
First step goes toward first · Runs through the bag to the cone · No peek at the ball
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Comparing a time from 60-foot bases with one from a 90-foot diamond
Fix: Time every player on the bases they will play on this season, and write the distance beside the number.
Infield Drills for Hands, Feet, and the Throw Across
Defense comes first in Little League's advice, and it asks three questions in a row. How does the player move to the ball? Are the hands in position, and does the ball reach the throwing hand quickly? How far and how accurately does the throw travel? Four Grounders and a Roller answers all three on every ball, which is why it carries the most weight of any infield drill you run.
Score Fielding and Throwing separately after every fielder. A clean pick followed by a throw into the dugout earns two different marks, and one blended number hides which half went wrong.
The short-hop series runs without a coach, so put it on the side while a group hits. The in-between hop gives the glove no time to cheat, and you see hands a routine grounder flatters. Footwork stays hidden, though, because nobody moves more than a step.
Save the feed and turn for the players who list shortstop or second base. For an 8U group, skip it and spend the minutes on more ground balls. Whoever lists first base takes the throws during the grounder drill, and the scoops at the bag give you a First Base Fundamentals read without a station of its own.
Four Grounders and a Roller
InfieldAll levels
Players: Infielders in turn, plus a first basemanTime: 12 minEquipment: Fungo bat, a bucket of balls, a full infield
Builds: Footwork to the ball, clean hands, a quick transfer, and the throw across
From home, hit each infielder four ground balls, one right at them, one to the glove side, one to the arm side and one more at them, then a slow roller they have to charge. Every ball goes to first. Put a player who lists first base on the bag so that position gets scored too, or let your pitchers take the throws there between their own stations.
Reps: 5 balls per fielder, every one thrown to first
Target: On the Fielding row, a 3 is clean on routine plays and a 4 reaches balls to both sides. On the Throwing row, a 4 stays on target throwing on the run, which is what the roller tests.
Coaching cues
Glove out front of the feet · Feet move before the throw · Charges the roller under control
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Blending the pickup and the throw into one impression
Fix: Write Fielding and Throwing as two marks after every fielder, even when both are a 3.
Short-Hop Partner Series
InfieldAll levels
Players: Pairs, about 10 feet apartTime: 6 minEquipment: One ball per pair
Builds: Soft hands on the in-between hop that a routine grounder hides
Partners kneel or stand about 10 feet apart and throw each other short hops, aiming each one to land roughly a foot before it reaches the partner's glove. Throw ten straight on, then ten to the backhand and ten to the forehand. Walk the line and watch the hands.
Reps: 30 short hops per player, 10 to each spot
Target: Level 5 on the Fielding row fields the short hop clean. Count how many of the ten backhands stay in the glove.
Coaching cues
Glove meets the ball at the hop · Hands give with the ball · Backhand glove stays open
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Reading a stiff glove as bad hands when the player is simply too far from the hop
Fix: Move the pair closer for two reps and see if the hands soften. If they do, it is footwork you can coach.
Middle-Infield Feed and Turn
InfieldAdvanced
Players: Shortstops and second basemen, a first basemanTime: 10 minEquipment: Fungo bat, balls, second and first base
Builds: How the ball reaches the bag, the feet at second, and a release that beats the runner
Hit ground balls to the shortstop and the second baseman in turn. The fielder feeds the bag, the partner takes it, clears the base and throws to first. Rotate so every middle infielder both feeds and turns. Add a runner coming into second once the footwork is clean.
Reps: 4 feeds and 4 turns per player
Target: A middle infielder whose catch and throw are one motion, with the throw arriving at first on a line, has earned a 4 on Throwing for this rep.
Coaching cues
Feed goes to the chest · Feet are at the bag before the ball · Catch and release in one move
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Catching the feed, setting the feet, then throwing
Fix: Shorten the feed distance and ask for one rhythm from catch to release, then back up again.
Outfield Routes and the Throw to a Cutoff
Most outfield plays are decided before the catch. Little League tells evaluators to watch footwork on fly balls as well as ground balls, and the first step is where that footwork starts.
The throw has its own drill on purpose. Route and arm are separate skills, and an outfielder with a strong arm and a slow first step shows up as a strong Throwing mark beside a weak Fielding one. You might still keep that player. You just need both marks to know where to put them.
Neither drill shows how a player handles a ball off the fence or a fly lost in the sun. If your field has a fence, hit one ball off it as the station's last rep and jot the result in the Notes box.
Three-Direction Fly Ball
OutfieldAll levels
Players: One outfielder at a timeTime: 10 minEquipment: Fungo bat or a coach's throwing arm, balls, cones for a starting spot
Builds: The first step, the route, and the catch going back
Start each outfielder on a cone and give them three fly balls. The first drops short, the next goes over their head, and the last carries to one side. Watch the first step before you watch the glove.
Reps: 3 fly balls per outfielder, one in each direction
Target: On the Fielding row, a 4 is quick off the mark and gets to all three balls.
Coaching cues
First step is a drop step on a ball overhead · Runs with the glove down · Arrives early and waits
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Backpedaling on the ball over the head
Fix: Show the drop step once, hit the same ball again, and score the second rep.
Cutoff-and-Third Throw
OutfieldAll levels
Players: Outfielders, an infielder as cutoff, a catcher at home, a fielder at thirdTime: 8 minEquipment: Balls, third base, a cutoff spot marked in the infield grass
Builds: Carry on the throw, accuracy, and choosing the right target
Roll or hit a ball into the gap. The outfielder fields it and throws to the cutoff, who turns and relays it home. On the next ball the outfielder throws all the way to third. Mark where each throw lands and how it arrives.
Reps: 2 throws to the cutoff and 2 to third per outfielder
Target: A 3 on the Throwing row reaches the target on one bounce from the outfield. A 5 throws on a line from deep, the throw that gets a runner on a close play.
Coaching cues
Crow hop into the throw · Aims at the cutoff's head · Ball carries without a high arc
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Lobbing a rainbow over the cutoff's head
Fix: Ask for a throw the cutoff can catch at head height, and score the next one.
The Bullpen and Battery Station
Pitchers and catchers work on their own clock, with two evaluators scoring the pitching and catching sheet while the panel watches the hitting rounds. Keep each bullpen to the 20-pitch script on the pitching and catching evaluation form. Pitch Smart's tables for players 9 to 12(opens in new tab) list 1 to 20 pitches as needing no days of rest. Pitchers of league age 15 and 16 may add a ten-pitch block, since Little League's rules on pitch counts(opens in new tab) require no rest day for up to 30. High school limits come from your state association, and the rules section of the evaluation form links the NFHS rule behind them. During the season, the pitch count tracker keeps one pitcher's count for the current outing, so copy each total into your scorebook before you reset it.
A bullpen hides half the job. Once the ball is put in play, a pitcher is a fielder, and the comebacker drill shows whether they field it, throw to first, and break to cover the bag on a ball hit to the right side. Score that on the main sheet's Fielding and Throwing rows, the same as any infielder.
Catchers get two reads. In the last five pitches of the script, the pitch and its spot are the catcher's call, which is where Game Management comes from, and the changeups the script sends into the dirt count toward Blocking along with the block drill. The quicker of two throws to second goes on the pitching sheet's header as pop time.
One rule shapes who catches the bullpens. Pitch Smart's guidelines for 8 and under(opens in new tab) and for 9 to 12 both include the line "Avoid playing catcher while not pitching." In other words, a young pitcher should not spend their time off the mound behind the plate. For a player trying out at both spots, take their Blocking and Pop and Throw marks from the Dirt-Ball Block and Throw-Down drill, and leave Receiving and Game Management blank at this tryout. Your other catcher candidates catch the run of bullpens.
Called-Spot Bullpen
BatteryAll levels
Players: One pitcher, one catcher, two evaluatorsTime: 8 minEquipment: Mound or portable mound, catcher's gear, a pitch counter
Builds: Command, a repeatable delivery, and a changeup that looks like the fastball
Each pitcher throws one scripted bullpen of 20 pitches, laid out on the pitching evaluation form. The catcher moves the glove to a called spot before every pitch, and a counter keeps the total honest. Pitchers 12 and under throw fastballs and changeups only.
Reps: 20 pitches, glove side, arm side, changeups, then called counts
Target: On the Fastball Command row, a 3 throws most fastballs for strikes and a 4 hits both sides when the catcher moves the target.
Coaching cues
Same arm slot every pitch · Lands in line with the plate · Same tempo after a ball
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Watching the radar gun instead of the glove
Fix: Velocity has no row on the sheet. Score where each pitch ends up against where the catcher set the glove.
Comebacker and First-Base Cover
BatteryAll levels
Players: Pitchers, a first baseman, a fungo hitterTime: 6 minEquipment: Fungo bat, balls, first base
Builds: The pitcher as a fielder, the part of the job a bullpen never shows
Each pitcher fields two comebackers and throws to first, then a bunt in front of the mound, then breaks to cover first when the ball goes to the first baseman and takes the feed on the run. Hit the balls from home so they come off a bat.
Reps: 2 comebackers, 1 bunt, 1 cover per pitcher
Target: Score Fielding and Throwing on the main sheet. A pitcher who gets to the bag before the feed and touches it in stride has done the hard part.
Coaching cues
Glove up at the finish of the motion · First move toward first on a ball to the right side · Touches the inside of the bag
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Pitchers watching the ball hit to first instead of running
Fix: Make the break to first the drill. Hit the ball only once the pitcher's first step is gone.
Dirt-Ball Block and Throw-Down
BatteryAll levels
Players: One catcher, a coach feeding, a fielder at second, a timerTime: 8 minEquipment: Full catcher's gear, balls, stopwatch, second base
Builds: Blocking, the exchange, and the throw to second
A coach throws balls into the dirt from about 30 feet, two in front, two to the left and two to the right. Then the catcher makes two throws to second off a coach's pitch. Time each one from the pop of the catcher's glove to the pop of the glove at second, and keep the quicker as pop time.
Reps: 6 blocks, then 2 timed throws to second
Target: On the catcher sheet, a 3 on Blocking keeps most dirt balls in front, and a 4 on Pop and Throw puts the throw on the bag at tag height.
Coaching cues
Chest squares to the ball · Knees go down before the hands · Short exchange at the ear
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: An exchange that loops behind the head and gives back the arm's advantage
Fix: Ask for a short exchange, glove to ear, then time the next throw.
Live Situations and Baserunning Reads
One group takes all nine positions while another bats, and every pitch comes with a called situation. A coach does the pitching, so no tryout pitcher adds to their count here, and every hitter sees a ball they can put in play. Nearly every Baseball IQ mark comes from here, because this is the main block where players have to make decisions.
Baserunning reads run next, with runners on first and second and a coach hitting live balls. You already have each player's raw time from the batting station. This drill asks whether they go first to third, tag on a fly, or hold on a grounder without being told. Whether runners lead off depends on the division, which the next section sorts out.
Coach-Pitch Situations
Live SituationsAll levels
Players: A full defense of nine, hitters and runners from another groupTime: 20 minEquipment: Full field, balls, helmets, a coach throwing
Builds: Where the throw goes, who backs up, and who talks before the pitch
One group plays defense while another hits. The coach on the mound names the situation before each pitch, such as a bunt situation, a fly ball with a runner on third, a gapper with first occupied, or first and third. Switch sides at the halfway mark.
Reps: About ten situations per defense
Target: On the Baseball IQ row, a 3 hits cutoffs and backs up plays, a 4 reaches the backup spot ahead of the ball, and a 5 tells teammates where the play is before the pitch.
Coaching cues
Says the play out loud before the pitch · Moves when the ball is hit elsewhere · Hits the cutoff
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Watching the ball and missing the player backing up third
Fix: Give one evaluator the job of watching away from the ball for the whole block.
Baserunning Reads
Live SituationsAll levels
Players: Runners at first and second, a coach hittingTime: 10 minEquipment: Bases, fungo bat, balls, a base coach at third
Builds: Go-or-hold decisions, tag-ups, and the turn at a base
Start with a runner at first and another at second, then hit live balls. A single to right asks the runner on first to read first to third, a medium fly asks the runner on second to tag, and a grounder asks for go or hold. Where your league allows leads, the coach pitches from the stretch so runners can lead.
Reps: Three or four reads per runner
Target: On the Base Running row, a 4 makes the go-or-hold call on a batted ball with no help from a coach, and a 5 tags up and takes the base on a catchable fly.
Coaching cues
Finds the ball off the bat · Picks up the base coach on the turn · Commits once the decision is made
Common mistake & fix
Mistake: Running hard with no read, then stopping halfway
Fix: Freeze the play, ask the runner what they saw, and run the same ball again.
Your Baseball practice plan
Add drills from the sections above to build a session you can export, print, or copy
Fitting the Drills to Your Division, 8U to High School
Read your league's rulebook first. It sets leads and base distance, Pitch Smart's age guidelines cover pitch types, and once those three are set, the same stations work at every level.
8U to 10U: Fewer Stations, Simpler Reads
Pitch Smart's pages for 8 and under and for 9 to 12 open with the same line, "Focus on athleticism, physical fitness and fun." Run fewer stations with more balls per player. Drop the feed and turn. At the plate, contact is a bonus. Little League's tryout advice is to look past whether the bat finds the ball, at where a young hitter stands in the box, whether they follow the pitch all the way in, and whether they "shy away from the ball." Score the Six-Swing Round on that, the same thing the youth baseball evaluation form asks for on its Hitting Approach row.
Major Division and Below: No Leads, 60-Foot Bases, Two Pitches
As Little League's help center(opens in new tab) puts it, the Major Division and the divisions under it call no balk, because runners there cannot lead off. So the Baserunning Reads drill runs without leads, and you score reads and tag-ups instead. Little League's field specifications(opens in new tab) put these divisions on a 46-foot pitching distance, with base paths of generally 60 feet for players 12 and under, and that is the run you time. In the bullpen, Pitch Smart's 9 to 12 guideline steers pitchers away from anything beyond a fastball and a changeup, so those are the only two pitches you call.
50/70, 13U, and High School: Leads Come In
Intermediate 50/70 is Little League's division for league ages 11 to 13(opens in new tab), played on 70-foot base paths from a 50-foot mound. The balk rule applies there and in Junior and Senior League, so runners lead, and the coach in the situations block pitches from the stretch. Junior and Senior League move to a 90-foot diamond, so a run-out time from 60-foot bases does not compare with one from those fields. In high school, runners lead as well, under the NFHS rules(opens in new tab). Wherever leads are allowed, the form's Base Running row adds its "Leads allowed" clauses.
Indoor Baseball Tryout Drills, and What Waits for the Field
Winter dates and rained-out weekends push plenty of baseball tryouts into a gym. Most of the stations above survive the move. A few do not. For those, the honest answer is to leave the row blank until you get outside.
Runs as written. The Short-Hop Partner Series, the catcher blocks, the comebacker drill with a soft ball, and the Called-Line Bunt with tape lines on the floor.
Runs with a note. The Six-Swing Round into a cage or net still shows timing and contact, but you lose direction and carry. Ground balls on a hard floor come faster and truer than on infield dirt, so write the Fielding score in pencil and check it outside. A bullpen needs a portable mound to look like one.
Waits for the field. The Three-Direction Fly Ball, the Cutoff-and-Third Throw, the situations, and the baserunning reads. A gym ceiling caps every fly ball, and the throws are the wrong length.
Measure before you time anything. The run to first needs the full base distance plus room to run through the bag and stop. A throw to second crosses the diagonal of the diamond, about 85 feet on 60-foot bases and about 127 on 90-foot bases, so a pop time is only possible in a gym long enough for that throw. If the indoor day is all you get before cuts, schedule one short field session for the rows the gym left blank.
What to Tell Players Before Tryout Day
A tryout runs faster when players arrive knowing what is coming. Send a short note a few days ahead that covers five things, and fill in the date and the way results arrive before you send it.
List a first and a second position, so we know who takes throws at first and who catches.
Bring a glove, plus a bat and helmet if you own them. Catchers, bring full gear.
Pitchers, do your usual warm-up but throw no bullpen before you arrive. You will pitch one short scripted bullpen here.
Indoors, wear flat shoes that grip a gym floor.
Results arrive on [date] by [call, email, or text], so nobody has to spend the week refreshing their phone.
When results are ready, our making tryout cuts guide covers deciding the close calls and telling each player.
After the Cut, the Drills Keep Working
None of these drills retire after tryout day. The reps that sorted your roster in March can tell you in May who has moved, and each player's tryout scores are their starting line for athlete development through the season.
If you start from your sport's starter content when you set up baseball in Striveon, you get six skill sets, from Hitting and Pitching through to Game Sense, with six sub-skills in each. The table shows which of those sub-skills each drill informs. You enter every rating yourself, so use it as a guide when you score.
Drill
Maps to these starter sub-skills
Six-Swing Round
Swing Mechanics, Contact Ability, Power Hitting
Called-Line Bunt
Bunting
Last-Swing Run-Out
Running Form
Four Grounders and a Roller
Ground Balls, Accuracy, Quick Release, First Base Fundamentals (for the player at first)
Short-Hop Partner Series
Catching Skills, Ground Balls
Middle-Infield Feed and Turn
Double Play Turns, Quick Release
Three-Direction Fly Ball
Fly Balls, Positioning
Cutoff-and-Third Throw
Arm Strength, Relay Throws, Accuracy
Called-Spot Bullpen
Windup and Delivery, Fastball, Changeup, Control
Comebacker and First-Base Cover
Ground Balls, Positioning, Anticipation
Dirt-Ball Block and Throw-Down
Catching Skills, Quick Release, Arm Strength
Coach-Pitch Situations
Situational Awareness, Communication, Anticipation, Team Play
Baserunning Reads
Tagging Up, Running Form (plus Reading Pitchers and Lead-offs where leads are allowed)
There is no catcher skill set. A catcher's throw-down maps to Quick Release and Arm Strength under Throwing, and the block to Catching Skills under Fielding.
Score the Roster and Follow It
After the cut, press Evaluate players, enter one baseline for each rostered player, then press Publish evaluations and confirm. Published evaluations can no longer be changed.
Use Add Goal to set a Skill goal on the sub-skill a player rated lowest. When a later evaluation rates that sub-skill differently from the goal's current value, the goal gets a new progress point, and a rating at or above the target rating marks it complete.
Once a player has two evaluations, the Progression section of their Evaluations tab plots any skill set that has two or more ratings.
Keep the Drills in Your Library
In the drill library, create a drill for each one and fill in its name, goal, and Implementation, the field for how to run it.
Pick the skill set it scores under Related Skill Sets, and add a tryout tag in Tags.
Next year, the Choose tags filter on the Drills tab brings the set back.