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14U Softball Practice Plans: 16U, 18U, JV, and High School

A 14U softball practice plan is built for the game that starts when pitchers move back to 43 feet: fewer walks, cleaner defense, and offense that has to be created with the short game, the running game, and at-bats that have a purpose. This page has two complete plans, a 90-minute practice for 14U travel, middle school, and JV teams, and a 120-minute practice for high school varsity and 16U or 18U travel teams. Both open in the free softball practice planner, where you can change the length, swap a block, and print a one-page coach sheet.

High school softball hitter making contact while an infielder charges and a coach times the play on a tablet

The 90-Minute 14U Practice Plan

The 14U plan gives 26 minutes to arrival, warm-up, and throwing, 57 minutes to three core blocks (the short game, a hitting circuit, and first-and-third), and 7 minutes to a cooldown with arm care.

Softball practice plan · 13-15 (14U, junior high)

14U Softball Practice Plan (90 Minutes)

90 min · 7 segments

0:00
8 min
Short-Hop Hands on Arrival
Rolled grounders and short hops in pairs on one knee — glove work with zero throwing before arms are warm.
Arrival
0:08
8 min
Dynamic Basepath Warmup
Dynamic movement prep using the 60-foot basepaths: skips, shuffles, karaoke, and sprint build-ups.
Warm-Up
0:16
10 min
Throwing Progression & Arm Care
Structured partner throwing: wrist snaps to full throws to quick-catch, building arms for the 11"/12" ball.
Warm-Up
0:26
15 min
Slap & Short-Game Station
Left-side speed weapons: running slap footwork, soft slap vs. hard slap, drag bunts against a set defense.
Core
0:41
22 min
Station Hitting Circuit
Four-station circuit — front toss, tee work, bunting, and dry-swing drills — max swings, nobody standing in line.
Core
1:03
20 min
First-and-Third Battles
Live first-and-third reps: defense runs its calls, runners hunt the steal and the break home.
Core
1:23
7 min
Cooldown Stretch & Arm Care
Guided team cooldown: easy jog, full-body static stretching, and extra shoulder care for pitchers and catchers.
Cooldown

Equipment: gloves, one softball per pair, bucket of softballs for helper line, bases or cones every 60 feet, one softball per pair (11" for 8U/10U, 12" for 12U+), L-screen, bucket of softballs, bats, helmets, cones, chalk, stopwatch, 2 tees, nets, 3 buckets of softballs, cones for bunt targets, weighted bat (optional), bases, catcher's gear, softballs, pitching rubber, light resistance bands (optional), water bottles

Change the length, swap modules for your age group, print a one-page coach sheet, and share it by link. No login.

Customize this plan free →Save to my account

Short-Hop Hands on Arrival (8 minutes). Glove work in pairs on one knee, rolled grounders and short hops, with no throwing before arms are warm. Travel players often arrive carrying a weekend of games, and the arrival block should not add throws.

Dynamic Basepath Warm-Up (8 minutes) and Throwing Progression (10 minutes). Build-up sprints on the bases, then partner throwing that finishes with quick-catch and position throws.

Slap and Short-Game Station (15 minutes). Left-side slappers work running footwork, the soft slap against the hard slap, and drag bunts against a set defense. Right-handed hitters work the sacrifice, the push bunt toward second, and the squeeze. It comes first among the core blocks on purpose, while attention is fresh, because the short game is timing and it falls apart when players are tired. Coaching point for slappers: crossover step toward the pitcher, hands stay back and inside the ball, head still, and the front foot still in the box at contact. The sprint starts after the ball is hit.

Station Hitting Circuit (22 minutes). Front toss, tee work, bunting, and dry swings. At this level, run the front toss station with a plan: a round of inside pitches, a round of outside pitches, and a two-strike round.

First-and-Third Battles (20 minutes). Live reps. The defense runs its calls. The catcher's throw depends on the call, usually after a quick look at third, and the middle infielder on the cut reads the runner at third and either cuts and throws home or lets the ball through. The runners hunt the steal and the break for home. Keep score between offense and defense.

Cooldown Stretch and Arm Care (7 minutes). Full-body stretching, with extra shoulder care for pitchers and catchers.

The 120-Minute High School and 16U/18U Plan

The longer plan adds a 20-minute bullpen block for a full staff, a team defense block, and baserunning built on reading the pitcher's release.

Softball practice plan · 16-18 (high school, 16U-18U)

High School Softball Practice Plan (120 Minutes)

120 min · 8 segments

0:00
10 min
Arrival Tee Groove
Early arrivers groove swings off tees into a net or fence, checking contact point before practice starts.
Arrival
0:10
8 min
Dynamic Basepath Warmup
Dynamic movement prep using the 60-foot basepaths: skips, shuffles, karaoke, and sprint build-ups.
Warm-Up
0:18
12 min
Throwing Progression & Arm Care
Structured partner throwing: wrist snaps to full throws to quick-catch, building arms for the 11"/12" ball.
Warm-Up
0:30
20 min
Pitcher-Catcher Bullpen Block
Structured windmill bullpens for 2-4 batteries running parallel to team stations — spins, locations, sequences.
Core
0:50
25 min
Station Hitting Circuit
Four-station circuit — front toss, tee work, bunting, and dry-swing drills — max swings, nobody standing in line.
Core
1:15
20 min
Situations: 21 Outs
Full defense takes fungoed balls with runners and live situations — outs, bunts, cuts, and communication.
Core
1:35
15 min
Reads Off the Release
Fastpitch baserunning: rocker starts timed to the pitcher's release, steal jumps, and pop-time challenges.
Core
1:50
10 min
Cooldown Stretch & Arm Care
Guided team cooldown: easy jog, full-body static stretching, and extra shoulder care for pitchers and catchers.
Cooldown

Equipment: tees (2-3), nets or sock screens, buckets of softballs, bats, helmets, bases or cones every 60 feet, gloves, one softball per pair (11" for 8U/10U, 12" for 12U+), pitching rubbers or throw-down strips, home plates, catcher's gear (full set per catcher), softballs (bucket per lane), pitch chart or notebook, L-screen, 2 tees, nets, 3 buckets of softballs, cones for bunt targets, weighted bat (optional), fungo bat, bucket of softballs, helmets for all runners, catcher's gear, bases, softballs, stopwatch, sliding surface check, light resistance bands (optional), water bottles

Change the length, swap modules for your age group, print a one-page coach sheet, and share it by link. No login.

Customize this plan free →Save to my account

During the bullpen block, two to four batteries work in parallel on spins, locations, and sequences while the rest of the team does position work: corners on bunt defense and slap defense, middle infielders on steal coverage and double-play feeds, outfielders on drop steps and do-or-die throws. The hitting circuit follows. Situations: 21 Outs at this level rotates through bunt coverages, first-and-third calls, cuts and relays, and rundowns, and an error resets the count. Reads Off the Release closes the core: rocker starts timed so the front foot leaves the base as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand, because leaving early is an out, then steal jumps, and delayed steals that read the catcher's throw back to the circle.

A high school staff of three can split the practice cleanly: one coach with the batteries, one with infielders and the hitting circuit, and one with outfielders and baserunning.

What Changes at 43 Feet

The pitching distance moves from 40 feet at 12U to 43 feet at 14U, and it stays at 43 through 16U, 18U, high school, and college. Three extra feet gives hitters more time and takes away the pitcher who won at 12U on speed alone. Pitchers now need movement and location: a drop or a rise that actually moves, a changeup thrown with fastball arm speed, and the ability to hit a corner on purpose.

Practice changes to match. Bullpens get a plan for each pitcher and a catcher who calls locations. Hitters practice against spin, with front toss rounds that mix speeds and heights, and they practice an approach: what they are looking for in a given count. And because runs are harder to come by, the short game becomes a weekly block. A team that can bunt, slap, and steal manufactures a run without a hit to the outfield, which is how many 14U and high school games are won.

Divisions above 12U move in two-year steps, 14U, 16U, and 18U, and age cutoff dates differ between USA Softball, USSSA, PGF, and school associations. The softball age chart covers the cutoffs.

Planning Around a Travel Schedule

A 14U to 18U travel team may play five to eight games across a weekend and practice twice during the week. That shapes the week more than any drill choice. Make the first practice after a tournament a recovery day for pitchers and catchers: light throwing, no bullpen, and plenty of hitting and short-game work. Put bullpens and the hardest team defense work in the middle of the week. Make the last practice before travel short and sharp, a walk-through of first-and-third calls, bunt coverages, and signs.

Softball has no universal pitch count rule, so the staff has to manage workload itself. Keep a simple log of innings and pitches by pitcher across the weekend. Shoulders are where windmill overuse injuries show up most, and tired legs are usually the first warning sign. A pitcher who carried the weekend does not throw a bullpen at the next practice.

Many players are on a school team and a travel team in the same year. Ask about the other team's schedule before planning a heavy day, and talk to the other coach about pitchers if you can.

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School Season: One Focus a Day

A high school team practices five or six days a week for a short season, so each practice can carry one narrow focus and the week covers everything. In a week with games on Tuesday and Thursday, a workable plan is bunt and slap defense on Monday, first-and-third with situational hitting on Wednesday, and a full two-hour day on Friday, with a short pre-game routine on game days. The 120-minute plan on this page is one of those days, with the focus written at the top of the sheet.

JV, Freshman, and Middle School Teams

JV, freshman, and middle school teams can run the 90-minute plan as written. Their biggest gains come from the throwing progression and from team defense basics, so trade First-and-Third Battles for 21 Outs on alternate days.

Using Game Data to Pick the Focus

Older players can act on information. If the charts show your pitchers falling behind in counts, the week's bullpens are about first-pitch strikes. If opponents are beating you with slaps to the left side, the week's defense is slap coverage. Pitch charting and hit charting in Rizzler record that data during games so the practice focus comes from what happened, not from a hunch.

Build Your Own 14U or High School Practice Plan

Open either plan in the free softball practice planner with the "Customize this plan" button under it. Choose the 13-15 or 16-18 age group and the library shows the modules built for older players, including the slap and short-game station, first-and-third battles, the bullpen block, and reads off the release. Print the one-page coach sheet or share the plan with your staff by link. No login is required. The softball practice plan template includes a filled 120-minute high school example.

Save a plan to a free Rizzler account and it lands in Practice Manager, attached to a practice on your schedule with RSVP counts, station assignments for each coach, and an equipment list. The softball practice plans hub covers every age, and the 12U plan covers the last year at 40 feet.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a 14U softball practice be?

Ninety minutes to two hours. Ninety minutes fits a travel team that practices twice a week; two hours suits a school team or an older travel team that needs bullpens, a hitting circuit, and team defense in the same session.

What should a 14U softball practice focus on?

The short game, first-and-third offense and defense, hitting with an approach against spin and changes of speed, and bullpens with a plan for each pitcher. Those are the areas that change most when pitching moves to 43 feet.

How is a high school practice different from a 14U practice?

It is longer, about two hours, and it adds a 20-minute bullpen block for a full pitching staff, a team defense block such as 21 Outs, and baserunning reads off the release. The 14U plan spends that time on the short game and first-and-third instead.

How should a travel softball team practice between tournaments?

Start the week with recovery for pitchers and catchers, put bullpens and hard team defense in the middle of the week, and finish with a short walk-through of calls and signs before travel.

What is the pitching distance for 14U, 16U, and 18U softball?

Forty-three feet with a 12-inch ball, the same distance used in high school and college.