9U Baseball Practice Plan
For a lot of teams, 9U is the first season of kid pitch, and it changes the game more than any year before it. Walks, passed balls, and balls thrown away decide more 9U games than hits do. So a 9U practice spends most of its time on catching, throwing, and the pitcher and catcher, not on hitting mechanics.
This free 9U baseball practice plan runs 90 minutes on the classic 60/46 diamond. Download a printable plan for ages 9 to 10 below, or open it in the free Practice Planner to swap in the drills your team needs this week.
What to Focus On at 9U
Catch it, then throw it to the right base
A 9U inning gets long when a throw sails or a routine catch hits the ground. Make partner catch count: pairs keep score of catches in a row, and a drop starts the count over. Then add force outs so every player knows where the throw goes before the ball is hit.
A pitcher and catcher station every practice
Kid pitch puts a catcher behind the plate for real, and balls in the dirt come every inning. Catchers need their own reps receiving and blocking, and pitchers need short, focused throwing at 46 feet. Bullpen pitches are not in the official count, but they still tire the arm, so keep them short.
Hitters learn to see a live pitch
Hitters coming off coach pitch now face pitches that miss the zone. Front toss where the hitter says "ball" the moment they see it in the coach's hand trains them to pick it up early. Some coaches tell 9U hitters to take until they get a strike, others want them swinging at anything close. Pick one and be consistent.
Sample 9U Baseball Practice Plan (90 minutes)
A ready-to-run structure you can use as-is or adjust to your team. Open it in the free Practice Planner to swap drills and export a printable PDF.
| Time | Block |
|---|---|
| 0:00 - 0:10 | Warm-up and catch with a scoreDynamic warm-up, then partner catch. Pairs count catches in a row, and a drop starts the count over. |
| 0:10 - 0:35 | Three stations, 8 minutes eachFront toss hitting, ground balls with a throw to first, and a battery station where pitchers throw a short bullpen and everyone else takes turns receiving and blocking in gear. |
| 0:35 - 0:50 | Force outs and covering firstForce Out, Tag Out as a game, then pitchers field comebackers and cover first on a ball to the right side. |
| 0:50 - 1:20 | Live at-bats with countsKid pitchers throw to live hitters with balls and strikes called and catchers in full gear. Count every pitch so you know how much each arm threw this week. |
| 1:20 - 1:30 | Baserunning and huddleRun through first and take the turn at first, then one thing to work on before the next game. |
9U Drills for This Plan
Each drill links to its full write-up in the drill library, with setup, steps, and coaching points.
Basic Receiving
Glove off, tennis balls, soft hands. The first thing a new catcher needs before blocking.
Triple Threat
One stance to receive, block, and throw, plus the read between catching a pitch and blocking one in the dirt.
Basic Blocking
Balls in the dirt, chest over the ball. Fewer passed balls means shorter innings.
Ball-Hit Front Toss
The hitter calls "ball" when they first see it and "hit" at contact, which trains them to track a pitch early.
Force Out, Tag Out
A partner game that teaches when to step on the bag and when to tag the runner.
Pitcher Fielding Practice
New pitchers learn they are a fielder too: comebackers, bunts, and covering first.
Download 9U Baseball Practice Plans
Free, printable practice plans matched to ages 9 to 10. No account required.
Youth Baseball Practice Plan (Ages 9-10) - Complete
Well-rounded practice covering all aspects of the game.
Download PDFYouth Baseball Practice Plan (Ages 9-10) - Fundamentals
Intermediate skills with station rotations. Introduces situational play and position-specific work.
Download PDF9U Baseball Practice FAQs
How long should a 9U baseball practice be?
About 90 minutes. Players ages 8 to 9 handle 8-minute stations well, plus one longer block of live at-bats once kid pitch starts.
What should a 9U practice focus on?
Catching and throwing first, then the pitcher and catcher, then hitters seeing live pitching. At this age, walks, passed balls, and throwing errors decide more games than hitting does.
What size field does 9U baseball use?
The classic kid pitch diamond is 60/46: 60-foot bases and a 46-foot mound, which is what Little League uses for ages 9 to 12. If you play travel ball, check your organization, since some use other distances.
Do pitch counts apply at 9U?
Yes. In Little League and most sanctioned youth leagues, pitch counts are rules, with mandatory rest days set by pitch count and by age. Bullpen and warm-up pitches are not in the official count, but they still tire the arm.
Baseball Practice Plans by Age
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