Mark your space
Mark it once. Every card in baseball and softball starts from this space and adds what it needs.
The space
A yard or park about 10 m by 10 m: a throwing line 3 m from a wall or fence, four cones as bases about 8 m apart for running, a tee spot with open ground in front. Baseball5 needs only a ball and a marked space.
Where it fits: lane (throwing), terrace (catching only), park, school ground, village ground.
Mark in this order
- The throwing line
- A wall or fence target (a hoop or a chalk box)
- The home spot
- First base (a cone or flat shoe)
Chalk or tape is enough. Tick each mark as you make it.
Practice kit first
A tennis ball or soft-core ball and a plastic bat; a glove if there is one; a bucket as target.
Use plastic, soft-core or low-compression tennis balls until players are comfortable; helmets for any bat drill; only the batter holds a bat.
Safety
Nobody stands within a bat swing; a feeder stands at least 2 m to the side; call before each throw and wait for the receiver to look; eyes on the ball; drop the bat after hitting, never throw it; throwing practice in parallel lines; run straight past first base on a hit; no slide and no head-first dive there; a double ear-flap helmet at bat and when running the bases; a catcher receiving pitches wears a helmet, face mask, chest protector and leg guards; waiting batters stand well back from the base lines.
awiseathlete.com/sports/baseball-softball/setup