Fielding (Cricket)

Children catching beanbags with buckets

Fielding can be introduced in Foundation and Year 1, focusing on stopping a rolling ball and underarm throwing. Children needs lots of opportunities to practice their catching skills. We don’t normally see fully developed catching skills until the ages of 6-9 years. Throwing accuracy and selecting the appropriate type of throw for the game situation will continue to develop in the upper years. 

Teaching cues
  1. Ready position – knees bent, hands in front of the body, pointing to the ground 
  2. Eyes on the ball 
Teaching strategies

  • Focus on the ready position - teach knees bent, hands low, eyes on the ball.
  • Practice stopping rolling balls with two hands and body behind - known as ground fielding

Catching 

  1. Eyes on the ball
  2. Soft fingers
  3. Butterfly hands: thumbs together and fingers pointing up for balls being caught above the waist
  4. Wriggly worms: fingers pointing down for balls being caught below the waist
  5. Move hands to the ball
  • Use soft balls to build catching confidence. 

Throwing 

  • Start with underarm throws, then progress to overarm throws.

Fun Games

Ask questions:

  • How do you get ready to catch the ball (above waist/below waist) in cricket? 
  • What should your hands look like when you try to catch the ball? 
  • How do you stay low when fielding a ground ball? 
  • How can you make sure you catch a ball that’s coming fast? 
  • What should you do if the ball bounces before you catch it? 
  • How can you throw the ball quickly after you catch it? 
  • How do you position your body to collect a ball that is rolling on the ground? 
  • How do you stay balanced while fielding the ball? 
  • How can you make sure you're ready for a high catch? 

  • Emphasise quick reactions and balanced movement in the ready stance.
  • Introduce Ground Fielding Drills: Practice one-handed pickups for faster throws and accurate scoops under pressure.
  • Challenge children to catch balls thrown at a greater speed or distance. 
  • Focus on selecting the appropriate type of throw (underarm or overarm) for game situations and hitting targets consistently. 
  • Play games like Cricket Baseball to allow children to practice their fielding skills in fun games. 

  • Practice catching on the move and diving when needed.
  • Game Awareness: Teach positioning, backing up throws and anticipating where the ball will go.
  • Progress to playing games like Continuous Cricket or Diamond Cricket to practice fielding skills while under pressure in game situations.
Skill criteria
  1. Ready Position: Stand with knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart and hands low, ready to react.
  2. Tracking the Ball: Eyes on the ball, whether it’s rolling, bouncing or in the air.
  3. Ground Fielding: Using two hands to scoop or stop a rolling ball, getting your body behind it.
  4. Catching: Using soft hands, fingers pointing up for high balls and down for low balls, absorbing the impact.
  5. Throwing: Selecting the appropriate throw for the game situation:
    1. Underarm throw for short, quick distances.
    2. Overarm throw for long, powerful throws to a teammate or the stumps.
  6. Team Support: Always back up teammates to prevent overthrows or missed stops. 
  7. Decision-Making: Reacting quickly to decide the best action—whether to catch, stop, or throw—and executing it accurately. 
Common errors
  • Ready position - not staying ready to move quickly to the ball.
  • Dropping catches - hands in the wrong position or not watching the ball closely.
  • Missing rolling balls - forgetting to get your body behind the ball.
  • Throwing - not aiming properly or choosing the wrong type of throw for the situation. 
  • Not backing up - forgetting to help teammates by stopping overthrows.

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