From "Baseball Excellence - Tip of the Week"
6/11/07- CATCHER SAFETY

If there is one area of expense you shouldn’t scrimp on, it is catcher’s equipment. Buy high quality gear and make sure it fits correctly. Make sure all his equipment fits snugly and gives maximum protection. The chest protector should fit well enough to provide protection around the collarbone. The mask should be closefitting. The throat protector is a vital piece of equipment. It is required in most youth leagues. Make sure that is on correctly.

Use Sound Catching Mechanics

Although there is not much a catcher can do about foul balls on the inside of the thighs, many injuries can be prevented by good catching mechanics.
Catching is a position where coaches should learn everything they can. What you don’t know can hurt your catcher.

Here are some tips and things you can look for when coaching catchers.


With no runners on base, he should keep his bare hand behind his right leg and receive the ball with one hand. (Not behind his body, behind his leg.)We have seen several split or broken fingers when kids ignored that little piece of advice.

With runners on base he should cup his hand loosely and keep it behind the glove.

He should never, under any circumstances, turn his head or body away from the plate. This is a natural reaction but by doing so he is exposing the parts of his body that is unprotected; the side of the neck, ribs, hip, etc. If you have a catcher who is having trouble overcoming that tendency, use the “balls to the mask” drill and “no hands blocking drill.”

He should not raise up to receive the ball. It blocks the view of the umpire and may put him in jeopardy of a swinging bat.

He should not fully extend his arm to receive the ball. The ball should be caught with the arm slightly extended but in a bent position. Reaching out for the ball could result in a bat to the back of the hand.

When blocking the plate with a runner trying to score he should keep the front of his knee facing the foul line. A serious injury could result from a runner sliding into the side of the leg.

When turning to find a pop foul the catcher should hold onto his mask until he has located the ball and then throw the mask in the opposite direction of the ball. Because pop fouls at the plate have a tendency to come back into play, throwing the mask away too early could result in the catcher tripping over it and turning an ankle.
Catchers receive much of the violence that baseball has to offer. But by observing good mechanics and wearing top notch equipment the injury factor can be substantially reduced.

WEAR A CUP!

To many coaches this may sound redundant but I have to say that I don’t see all the kids wearing a cup in LL and even in some 14-15 year old players. Oh sure, the catcher wears one. But LL does not require any other players to wear the cup. I guess they think pre-puberty kids can’t get hurt in that area of the body. It’s an important piece of equipment. Coaches, please require all your players to wear a cup, no matter what age or position; at games and at practice.

Wide end up, please.