KS4 · Physical education · Year 10
Pitching and catching techniques
Striking and fielding games: evaluate and improve performance in softball
Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.
IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/10
Your learning goal
I can pitch and catch a softball with a variety of techniques.
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Pitching and catching techniques: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
What you’ll learn
I can pitch and catch a softball with a variety of techniques.
Key learning points
- Move: a full circular rotation of the arm is executed before releasing the ball in a windmill pitch.
- Move: catching the ball with the glove and securing with the throwing hand gives a high certainty of making the catch.
- Think: throwing a variety of pitches, including fast and slow balls, reduces the chances of the batter hitting it.
- Feel: a fly ball offers more time to get into position but also to doubt yourself. This is overcome through practice.
- Connect: feedback should be given sensitively, but if individuals are confident, they typically handle more criticism.
Words to know
- fly ball
- a ball hit high in the air that will likely be caught by a fielder
- crocodile bite
- using both hands to secure the ball like a crocodile’s jaws snapping shut
- windmill pitch
- underarm pitching technique used in fast-pitch softball, where the pitcher makes a full 360-degree circular motion with their throwing arm before releasing the ball
Common mistakes
Pupils may field fly balls by putting their arm up in the air then running to where they think it'll land.
Teach pupils to beat the ball to the landing spot by running fast - something which can't be done with one arm in the air - then position themselves to catch.
For parents, carers and teachers
- The lesson has three parts (no gameplay) and could be spread over two lessons — introducing pitching in the second, allowing time for gameplay at the end of each. If needed, you can adapt to teach slow pitch, which uses pitching with an underarm arc of at least 6 feet and no windmill.