Fly Ball Communication (Call It)
Two players track a ball between them and loudly call it until it's caught.
Your job today
A ball goes up between you and a teammate. Whoever takes it yells ‘Ball! Ball! Ball!’ until it’s in the glove. The other person gets out of the way.
What good looks like: Loud, early call every time — no bumping, no dropped easy fly balls.
Why it matters: Two players going for the same ball without talking is how outfielders crash and drop easy outs. Talking keeps everybody safe and the ball caught.
How it works
Communication drill from the Elkhorn 7U-10U plan. Two players line up at least 40 ft apart; a ball is thrown or hit between them on a downward flight, forcing them to call for it ('Ball! Ball! Ball!') until it's secured. Teaches who-takes-priority and avoids collisions and dropped cans of corn.
- Reps / rounds
- 8 fly balls
- Rest between sets
- 20s
- Space needed
- half_field
- Coaches
- 1
Equipment
- glove
- 5 baseballs
If you don't have it
- No baseballs? Use soft/safety baseballs (moves to Full field).
Setup
- Two players 40+ ft apart
- Coach with a ball between them
Run the drill
- Coach lofts a ball between the two players
- Both read it; one calls 'Ball!' loudly and repeatedly
- The other peels off; caller secures it
Coaching cues
- Call early and loud
- Call until it’s in your glove
- If you hear a call, peel off
Common mistakes
- Silent fielders
- Both calling and colliding
- Calling too late
Scoring
Track % clean called catches (percent). On-track when at or above 75.
Adjust it
Make it easier
- easier: soft toss between players standing close
Make it harder
- intro: thrown ball, slow loft
- intermediate: fungo fly balls
- advanced: three players (priority rules)
Variations
- Priority chart: Teach CF-takes-priority and corner-yields rules
Safety
- collision risk use calls
- 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: Reviewed · Last reviewed 2026-06-03