Relay Throw Race
Teams line up 20-40 ft apart and race a ball up and back with quick transfers.
Your job today
Two teams, two lines. Race the ball down your line and back. Quick catch, quick throw — fastest team wins.
What good looks like: Clean catches and fast transfers. Win the race without dropping the ball.
Why it matters: Relays win real games — they get the ball home fast. And racing makes practicing catch way more fun.
How it works
A team throwing game from the Red Sox Foundation and Elkhorn plans. Players form teams of 3-5 in a line 20-40 ft apart. The ball is thrown down the line and back; quick feet and a fast glove-to-hand transfer win the race. Builds catching, throwing, and footwork at game pace in a fun, competitive frame.
- Reps / rounds
- 3-5 races
- Rest between sets
- 30s
- Space needed
- half_field
- Coaches
- 1-2
Equipment
- glove
- 2 baseballs
If you don't have it
- No baseballs? Use wiffle balls (moves to Backyard).
Setup
- Make even teams of 3-5
- Line each team up 20-40 ft apart
Run the drill
- On 'go', the end player throws to the next
- Ball travels down the line and back
- First team to finish the set number of trips wins
Coaching cues
- Throwing hand close to the glove
- Quick feet into a throwing position
- Catch with two hands
Common mistakes
- Rushing the throw and missing
- Slow transfer
- Throwing before catching
Scoring
Track (none).
Adjust it
Make it easier
- easier: underhand tosses, 15 ft
Make it harder
- intro: shorter spacing (20 ft), slower
- intermediate: 40 ft spacing, timed
- advanced: add a turn/relay pivot each catch
Variations
- Around the horn: Throw in infield order C-3B-SS-2B-1B
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.
- PITCH_SMART_GENERAL: Pitch Smart is the canonical guideline set for youth pitch counts and required rest. Throwing volumes, rest days, and allowed pitch types must defer to Pitch Smart's age-banded tables. Compliance program available for orgs.
Source
Author: platform · Status: Reviewed · Last reviewed 2026-06-03