Document
Player Skills Rubric
Developmental stage model for evaluating 8U players across fundamentals and game situations. Tracks where each player is in their learning journey — not just whether they're "good" at a skill.
Developmental Stage Key
For each skill, identify the stage that best describes the player right now. A player can be at different stages across different skills — that's normal and expected. The goal is to move each skill one stage to the right over the course of a season.
Introduced
Exposed to the skill; not yet attempting it consistently
Developing
Attempting with coaching prompts; execution is inconsistent
Proficient
Executes correctly without reminders in practice or drills
Automatic
Executes correctly under game pressure without thinking about it
For team-wide evaluations, note the distribution across players (e.g. "4 Automatic / 8 Proficient / 3 Developing") rather than a single rating.
Basic Fundamentals
Individual physical skills that form the foundation of every other aspect of the game.
Evaluate during warm-ups, fielding practice, and batting practice.
Throwing
General throwing mechanics and arm strength on any throw
› Arm action
4-seam grip; elbow up and back; 'L' shape at release; follows through across body
› Arm strength
Consistent effort and carry on the throw; appropriate velocity for age and distance
Catch Thrown Ball
Receives throws cleanly and moves to get in line with the ball
› Glove up / windshield wiper
Glove above the waist for high throws; wipes down for low throws; fingers point up
› Thumb to thumb
Two-hand catch; receiving hand covers glove after contact
› Moves feet/body to the ball
Adjusts feet and head to get in direct line rather than reaching across the body
Catch Fly Ball
Tracks and catches balls in the air with correct technique
› Glove up / windshield wiper
Same glove mechanics as thrown ball; fingers point up on high fly balls
› Thumb to thumb
Two hands; securing hand covers glove immediately at catch
› Catch at chin/head level
Catches ball in front of face rather than at chest or below waist
› Moves feet/head to the ball
Tracks early, moves to get under the ball rather than drifting
Fielding Grounder
Gets in front of ground balls and fields cleanly
› Two hands, out front
Alligator grip; fields ball in front of body, not between feet; glove out front
Swinging Mechanics
Overall swing mechanics in batting practice or cage work
› Balance
Balanced stance; weight back at load; finishes balanced on front side
› Load
Positive move back before forward; controlled weight transfer begins before pitch arrives
› Hand/arm action
Short, direct path to the ball; extension at contact; bat stays in zone
› Hip action
Hips initiate rotation; hands and bat follow; does not arm-swing
Hitting Skills
Applied hitting performance in live or coach-pitch situations
› Swinging hard
Swings with intent and bat speed; not defensive or tentative
› Contact ability
Makes consistent contact; can put the ball in play repeatedly
› Strike zone awareness
Attacks pitches in the zone; does not chase obvious balls or take hittable pitches
Base Running
Running technique and decision-making on the bases
› Rounding the bag
Hits inside corner of base; leans into turn; eyes ahead to next base
› Sliding
Knows when to slide; executes feet-first slide on target; does not pop up early
Pitching Mechanics
Physical delivery mechanics evaluated from the mound
› Balance
Balanced wind-up; controlled leg lift; stable landing foot
› Arm action
4-seam grip; elbow up; follows through consistently; arm angle repeatable
› Hip action
Hips lead rotation; arm follows in sequence; power transfers from lower half
› Glove position
Glove stays up and in front during delivery; does not fly open early
› Follow through
Full arm follow-through across body; lands in fielding position
Pitching Skills
Applied pitching performance in live situations
› Velocity
Consistent arm speed and effort; appropriate carry for age
› Strike throwing
Throws first-pitch strikes; works within zone; hits catcher's target
Catching Fundamentals
Core skills for the catcher position
› Receiving ball
Presents a target; receives and frames pitches quietly; two-hand catch
› Positioning behind home
Correct squat depth; weight forward; in line with batter's box
› Hustle after passed ball
Locates ball immediately; communicates to pitcher; sprints to ball
Basic Situations
Game-situation decisions every player at this level should be developing.
Evaluate during scrimmages and live game situations. 'Automatic' means the player reads and reacts correctly without a mid-play coaching prompt.
Covering First Base
First baseman gets to bag on all infield grounders; sets up correctly along the base line
MI Covering Second
Shortstop or second baseman covers second on steals and force plays without a coaching prompt
MI Cutoff (outfield ball)
Middle infielder positions in direct lane between outfielder and target base as cutoff
Outfield Throw to Second
Outfielder's default throw goes to second on base hits; hits cutoff on deeper balls
Outfield Throw to Cutoff
Outfielder hits cutoff man on relay situations; throw is on a line, chest-high
Baserunning Decisions
Correct read-and-react on batted balls from any base
› Run through first
Does not slow before the bag; runs through in foul territory
› Round first
Makes aggressive turn; reads whether to advance; retreats safely if holding
› Double
Stays wide on first-base turn; sprints through second; reads third base coach
› First to third
Aggressive read on outfield hits; rounds second wide; watches third base coach
› Second to home
Scores on outfield singles with proper angle; watches third base coach throughout
› Tagging from third
Waits at base until catch; gets secondary lead; breaks hard on the tag
› No force, ball in front
Holds or retreats when ball is fielded in front; does not get caught off base
› Fly ball, less than two outs
Holds on the base or tags up depending on depth; does not run automatically
Baserunning — Listening to Coach
Eyes find base coach on any close read; responds immediately to stop/go signal without hesitation
Calling for the Ball
Player calls loudly and early; teammates yield when they hear the call
Force Play vs. Tag Play
Fielder correctly identifies whether a force is on; applies tag when no force exists rather than stepping on base
Team Concept
Awareness of role and positioning as part of the defensive unit
› Ball, base, or back up
Every player finds one of these three jobs on every batted ball; no one stands and watches
› Basic positioning
Players know where to stand before the pitch based on situation (e.g., infield ready position, outfield depth)
Intermediate Fundamentals
More advanced individual skills that layer on top of the basics.
Introduce once basic fundamentals are consistently Proficient or Automatic.
Forehands & Backhands
Extends glove cleanly on wide balls; keeps glove open and firm through the ball
First Base — Short Hops
Stretches correctly; scoops low throws; adjusts feet to handle poor throws
First Base — Footwork
Finds the bag without looking; correct foot on bag based on throw direction; stretches at right time
Bunting
Square or pivot stance; deadens ball to target zone; bat angle controlled; fair/foul awareness
Hitting Inside/Outside Pitches
Pulls inside pitch with hip turn; goes opposite field on outside pitch with extension
Charging the Ball
Reads slow rollers early; charges aggressively; fields and throws in one motion
Outfield Grounders
Gets body in front of ball; does not let ball play through the legs; keeps it in front to limit extra bases
Outfield Fly Ball Footwork
Drop step on balls behind; crossover and charge on balls in front; does not backpedal
Throwing Relays
Positions in direct line; catches and redirects quickly with minimal steps; arm up as target
Infield — Tagging Runner
Swipes low tag with back of glove; protects ball; clears quickly after tag
Catching — Next Level
Advanced catcher skills beyond basic fundamentals
› Blocking
Drops to knees; body fully in front of ball; channels ball to feet in front of plate
› Throwing to bases
Fast footwork after receiving; accurate arm; uses correct footwork pattern for target base
› Fielding in front of home
Fields bunts and topped balls; communicates base to throw to; makes accurate play
Intermediate Situations
Team-coordination plays requiring multiple players to execute together.
Evaluate primarily through live game situations and structured team defense practice.
Infield — Where to Throw
Correctly identifies force plays at second, third, or home; does not throw to wrong base under pressure
Infield — Stopping Lead Runner
Identifies lead runner; throws ahead of the lead rather than defaulting to first for the routine out
Backing Up the Play
Players without the ball find their backup position on every batted ball — no exceptions
Pop Ups — Infield/Outfield
Multiple fielders converge and communicate on shared pop-up territory
› Calling each other off
Outfielder's call takes priority; infielder yields without collision; non-catcher calls off catcher
Catcher — Fielding in Front of Plate
Fields bunts and slow rollers; communicates base to throw to; makes accurate play under pressure
Team Concept — Advanced Positioning
Alignment adjustments based on game situation beyond basic pre-pitch positioning
› Double play depth
Infield recognizes DP situation; shifts to appropriate depth and alignment
› Infield in
Infield recognizes play-at-the-plate situation; moves in and understands the trade-off
› Outfield deep
Outfield recognizes late-inning or extra-base-threat situation; shifts depth accordingly
Evaluation Summary
After evaluating, capture overall impressions by category and identify the top 1–2 focus areas for the next practice or game cycle. The downloadable .docx includes a full evaluation form with rating circles and notes columns for each skill.