The 10-Roll Gauntlet: Free Fielding & Defense Challenge for Ages 7–12

STEP 1 / THE CHALLENGE

The 10-Roll Gauntlet

SET IT UP

Adult kneels 15 feet away (8U: 10 ft · 12U: 20 ft). Use a soft ball. Roll 10 grounders: mix left, right and right at the player, medium speed.

HOW TO SCORE

Count a clean field only if the ball goes in the glove and stays there — no bobble, no knee block, no chasing it down.

STEP 2 / THE ONE FIX · 5 MINUTES

Ready Feet, Moving Ball

Starting on the balls of the feet gives a player time to move in any direction instead of standing tall and reaching.

THE CUE“Move first, then field.”

THE DRILL

Mark a 6-foot lane; the adult rolls six slow balls left and right. Player moves to center of ball, gets hips low, fields and freezes for a quick posture check.

8U: Use slow soft rolls from a short distance, one direction at a time. Celebrate moving feet before expecting a clean catch.
10U: Vary left and right rolls and add a calm transfer after a secure field. Keep throw distance comfortable.
12U: Mix predictable and game-like hops, add one force/backup decision, and retest without increasing speed blindly.

STEP 3 / THE RETEST

Same challenge. Same rules. Go.

Say the cue out loud once — “Move first, then field.” — then run The 10-Roll Gauntlet again exactly like the first time.

Safe practice: Use foam or softer balls for new tasks; protect faces from unexpected hops. Keep throwing and catching lanes separate.