Basic Skills in Rounders
Basic Skills in Rounders
Introduction
As early as 16th Century, some forms of batting and fielding games could be found in Europe,
particularly in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France and Italy. These games eventually evolved
into three distinctive games: cricket, baseball and rounders. Around the 18th century, these games
spread to the colonies: India, Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, Canada, USA and New Zealand. And
in the 19th century, they were introduced in Uganda specifically by the Indians who majorly used
them as a pass-time activity.
By the end of this chapter you should be able to make improvised equipment for
Rounders and perform basic techniques of the game of Rounders with consideration of rules as
well as safety.
Play Area
Rounder pitch
Note Rounders bats are generally round and made of wood with maximum length of 460mm and
diameter of 170mm. Rounders ball should be 180mm and 20mm in diameter.
Basic Skills Used in Rounders
There are many skills in the game of rounders that are similar to the skills learnt from other games.
Of course some being new and others being a modification of the skills you have learnt.
a. Catching: On the ground and in air
i) Upper catching
This involves catching a ball which is in air and above the head level. This skill is used when
fielding usually some distance from the batsman in the outfield, or when a batsman hits the ball
high into the air and requires good judgement
Action Points
• Move quickly and balanced towards the ball.
• Fingers should be pointing upwards with the thumb closer.
• Fingers should be relaxed and cupped.
• The arms should not be fully extended to the paths of flight of the ball.
• Keep your head steady with your eyes level, watching the ball at all times and call your
name for the ball to prevent a collision with another player.
• The oncoming ball should be sighted just over the finger tips with the catcher standing right
in the paths of the ball.
• The ball should be caught in the cupped hands.
• The elbow should be relaxed and bend to absorb the force and the fingers should close
around the ball.
• Your hands should give into the body.
Lower catching
Action Points
• Position yourself in the direction of the incoming ball.
• Keep the head still and eyes on the incoming ball.
• Weight on balls of feet.
• Relaxed stance.
• Hands pointing down, fingers together.
• Your knees should be bent with your feet roughly shoulder width apart in a relaxed position
with your weight evenly distributed so you can react/move quickly towards the ball.
• Your hands should be together with your fingers pointing down and when the ball is caught
your hands should give into the body if directly hit at you, or give to the side of your body if
the ball is left/right of you.
• Keep your head steady with your eyes level and watch the ball at all times.
The grip
Over Arm Bowling
This refers to a skill of releasing a ball towards the batter from over arm.
An illustration of a bowler using over arm technique
Underarm bowling
With one hand sitting on top of each other, it is essential to join hands on the bat.
For left-handed players, put the left-hand on top.
For right-handed players, put right-hand on top.
Grip the bat firmly and feel the bat in your fingers rather than the palm of hands.
The grip
Stance
The position of feet same span as shoulderwidth.
Weight equally on both feet, back foot in line with front foot.
The stance
Stand, Stride
Stand with your back and knees bent slightly.
Push off the back foot hitting against a straight front leg.
The swing
Swing
• When pitcher starts to throw, swing the bat and turn your hips but not your feet.
• Your stomach should be pointing right at the pitcher as you hit the ball.
• Both feet should be firm on the ground when you hit the ball.
• Keep your shoulders level.
• Keep your head steady, don’t turn.
• Keep your front arm away from your body, the bat back and still.
Fielding
Action points
i) Keep eyes focused on the oncoming ball.
ii) Move quickly to field the ball.
iii) Stop the ball with the non-throwing arm.
Once the ball is caught quickly move into a throwing position.
Fielding aerial balls
iv) Fielding ground ball requires good grounding position and split second timing to catch the
ball on a good bounce.
Fielding grounders
Position of players
Each team has two innings with all people in the team having a go at batting. The innings
is over when all the batting players are either out or at a base so that there is no-one left to
face the next ball. One by one, the batters line up to take their turn in the batting square.
The bowler throws the ball towards the batter.
Bowling and No-Balls
As a bowler, you must bowl a ball towards the batter so that:
• it is thrown with a smooth underarm action.
• the ball arrives without bouncing and within the batters square.
• the ball is above the batter's knee, below the batter's head, and not at the batter's
body.
• the bowler's feet are inside the bowler's square when the ball is bowled otherwise
a 'no-ball' is called.
A batter can attempt to hit a no-ball and can run on a no-ball, if desired whether the ball is
hit o r not, but cannot return once f irst post i s reached. If two consecutive no-balls are