Cutoff & Relay — 3-Man Chain
FieldingFull field10 minAges 9-12, 13-153-6 playersIntensity: normalPitch Smart OKAdult supervision
OF → cutoff → tag base. 3 reps each side.
Your job today
Ball in the gap. Outfielder throws to the cutoff’s chest. Cutoff spins glove-side and fires to the base. Three throws, one chain.
What good looks like: 4 of 6 chains hit the cutoff’s chest cleanly.
Why it matters: Big throws from the outfield are slower and less accurate than a perfect relay. Teams that relay well keep doubles from becoming triples.
How it works
Coach hits ball to outfielder; OF throws to a lined-up cutoff; cutoff turns glove-side and throws to tag base. Drill the chain at game pace.
- Reps / rounds
- 6 chains
- Rest between sets
- 30s
- Space needed
- full_outfield
- Coaches
- 1
Equipment
- fungo bat
- 6 baseballs
Setup
- OF at depth
- Cutoff lined up between OF and tag base
- Tag base manned
Run the drill
- Coach hits gap shot
- OF throws to cutoff chest
- Cutoff turns glove-side and throws to tag base
Coaching cues
- Throw to the chest
- Turn glove-side, not arm-side
Common mistakes
- Cutoff facing wrong way
- OF throwing on the bounce too early
Scoring
Track % chains hit chest (percent). On-track when at or above 70.
Adjust it
Make it easier
- easier: Walk-through, no fungo
Make it harder
- advanced: Add baserunner forcing throw decision
Variations
- Double cutoff: Add a trailer cutoff
Safety
- STOP_ON_PAIN: Distinguish acceptable muscle soreness from joint pain or severe muscle ache. Any pain, pop, or possible injury must be reported to a parent, coach, or trusted adult, and the activity stopped immediately. Any sign of illness or injury must be evaluated before returning.
Source
Author: platform · Status: Published · Last reviewed 2026-05-26