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

Equipment and Costumes

A truncheon shaped rounders bat Helment soft ball

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

Helment posts set out in a diamond shape Gloves

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.

ii) Lower catching

This is a technique which involve catching a ball which is either rolling along the ground or
dropping but below the knee level.

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

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.

b. Bowling the Grip

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

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

Over arm bowling

The Bowling Action
• The bowling spring is the spring from which the ball is released. Keep the ball
close to your chin or above the shoulder level.
• Keep your head upright and eyes to the batsman.
• As your back foot lands on the pitch, keep your body upright. Your back leg should
remain stable and support the body while the front foot should be raised slightly.
• Your front foot should be pointing to the batsman.
• Push your bowling arm forward and down from the coil position with your nonbowling
arm pointing to the batsman.
• The arms should rotate through with the ball released at the top of the delivery arc.
• As you follow through, fold your bowling arm into your body and swing your hips
around to finish.
• Your momentum will take you towards the batsman, but make sure you don't run
down the middle of the pitch.
Under Arm Bowling
This refers to the skill of releasing a ball towards the batter from under arm level.

Underarm bowling

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

Under Arm Bowling Action

• Grip the ball using the bowling arm.
• Keep the eyes to the batter.
• Keep the non-bowling arm pointing in the direction in which you are bowling.
• Keep the ball below the waist level.
• Step sideways with the support foot forward.
• Lift your bowling hand behind.
• Step forward with the support foot, bend the knee, turn the shoulders and release
the ball.
• Follow through by getting your balance and swing the support arm backward as you
swing the bowling arm forward, and then step forward with the right foot.
c. Donkey drop
A donkey drop in rounders is when the bowler bowls the ball high in the air. The ball
then drops just as it gets to the batter. This encourages the batter to hit the ball up,
indicating that the fielding team members are more likely to get a catch.
d. Bating

Bat grip Batting action

Batting action in steps

The Grip

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

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

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

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

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

Game Organization, Progression and Scoring

Player organization

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

Position of players

Rules of the Game

1. A team consisting o f a maximum o f 15 players and a minimum o f 6 , of whom no
more than 9 may be on the field at one time. An innings is over when the 9th batter
is out.
2. If the ball goes behind, the batter may only run to first post but may continue to run
once the ball has returned in front of the batter's square again.
In this way, it is possible to reach 4th post and score a rounder, even if the ball is hit
behind (although this would only happen in practice due to a fielding error).
3. A batter can run to a post even i f i t has been p reviously s tumped but there is no
score if this is done on 4th post.
4. Batsmen must carry their bat when running.
5. When the bowler has the ball in h is square, you cannot move on, but i f you a re
between posts, you can carry on to the next.
6. You must touch 4th post on getting home.

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

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

BASIC SKILLS IN ROUNDERS

bowled to the same batter, the batter scores a half-rounder.

Batting
• The batter gets one chance to hit the ball (ignoring no-balls) and must run even if
the ball is not struck.
• If the ball is hit behind the batting square or not hit at all, the batter may only run
to first base.
• Otherwise, the batter runs around as many of the bases as possible and stops at a
post only when the batter thinks there is a danger of the next post being 'stumped'.
The batter is out if:
• the batter hits the ball and it is caught without first hitting the ground.
• the post being run to is 'stumped'—a fielder touches it with the ball.
• the batter runs inside a post.
• the batter loses contact with a post when the bowler has the ball inside the
bowler's square.
• the batter overtakes a fellow batter when running around the posts.
• while not running between posts, the batter obstructs a fielder.
• the batter's foot is outside the batter's square when the ball is bowled.
Scoring Rounders
A score is immediately posted in the following situations:
• If the batter hits the ball or is bowled a no-ball and then reaches the fourth post, a
rounder is scored.
• If the batter fails to hit the ball and reaches the fourth post, a half-rounder is
scored.
• If the batter hits the ball and reaches the second post, a half-rounder is scored.
• A fielder obstructs a batter running to a post and a half-rounder is scored.
• If the batter hits the ball and reaches the first, second or third post without being
out, the batter stays at that post (and must keep in contact with it) until the next
ball is bowled. As soon as the ball leaves the bowler's hand, such a batter can run
to the next post, if they wish, even if a no-ball is called.
• If the batter does not keep contact with the post, the fielding side can stump the
next post to get the player out. 2 batters cannot be at the same post so a batter
must run on to the next post if the next batter catches up with them.
• A batter who continues in this way and reaches he fourth post, scores a half rounder.
Once the fourth post is reached, the person goes to the back of the batter's line and awaits their
next turn to bat.
Winning
After both sides have played both innings, the side with the most rounders wins

MOROTO HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT