Softball Offense Defense Drill

Softball Throwing Towel Drill - softball drills

An awesome softball team offense defense drill from The Softball Drill Book to stress the importance of using all aspects of team offensive skills

Softball Offense Defense Drill

Organization

Divide the team into two or more equal groups.  Ideally, you want enough players to field a full defense while the other group is batting.  If you have 12 players use 3 teams of 4 players.  Place one team on offence and the other two teams on defense.  Place a pitching machine or use a coach on the mound.

Make up a scorecard for your teams to use.  This scorecard should include the potential offensive skill or strategies you want your team to work on (see sample).  Coaches should eventually divide the team leaders and star players onto separate teams.

softball offense defense drill

Execution

Each team gets 21 attempts to execute, which simulates the 21 outs in a seven inning game.  The offence must bat all players in a set order but can choose which offensive strategy each batter will attempt.  For every failure to execute on an attempt, the offence must cross off or eliminate one of the 21 attempts on their scorecard; the box eliminated does not have to match the strategy strengths and minimize categories that their team is not good at. (eg.  if their team does not have power hitters they can eliminate the home run boxes).  Notice that a team can gain high bonus points for three successful executions or for filling out a full sequence of execution attempts.  The defense takes a game like approach and attempts to keep the offensive team from succeeding.

Coaching Points

Ideally, your leaders or captains will learn how to organize their teams strategy to maximize their team’s ability to score points.  Before you begin you might want to give the offensive teams five minutes to figure out which players will execute which skills.  Team leaders should be encouraged to maximize their team’s strengths and avoid random strategies.  Use for offensive and defensive skills that you want to work on with your team and to encourage thinking on their own.