Free softball template, no account
Free Softball Player Evaluation Form
A mid-season report you can hand a parent: softball skills rated against the age group, a separate section for pitchers and catchers, and the space that matters most, in words, for what went well, what to work on, and one thing to practice at home.
What a softball player evaluation should include
Eight rows in the main table, one table for the two positions that need their own, and three open-ended sections at the end.
- The main table. Hitting, bat speed, fielding, arm strength, throwing, baserunning, awareness and coachability, rated against the age group, with a column for what you saw.
- Pitchers and catchers. Command of the zone, spin and movement, windmill mechanics and composure in the circle; receiving and framing, blocking, pop time to second, and working with pitchers. Leave it blank for everyone else.
- The writing. What went well (the strengths), what to work on (the areas for improvement), and one thing to practice at home.
- The last line. The date you went through it with the player. Worth filling in for the same reason a receipt is.
Effort and coachability are the exception to rating against the age group. They are marked against what you saw from this athlete, because nobody is below average for a ten-year-old at trying.
Softball player evaluation versus tryout evaluation
The two sheets rate similar skills and do different jobs.
- A tryout evaluation compares players. Several evaluators score the same group in one session, and the average sheets help a league choose or balance teams. The softball tryout evaluation form is built for that, and the softball tryouts guide covers running the session.
- A player evaluation describes one player. One coach, about halfway through the season, rating a player against the age group rather than teammates, with the writing a family keeps. That is this page. Its scale reads as strengths and focus areas for that reason.
| Tryout evaluation | Player evaluation | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before the season | About halfway through it |
| Who scores | Several evaluators, independently | Usually one coach |
| Compared with | The rest of the group | What is typical for the age group |
| Used for | Choosing pitchers, catchers and positions, and balancing teams | Development and a talk with the family |
| What you hand over | An averaged scorecard | A written report a parent keeps |
A league that holds tryouts can use both: the tryout sheet to place players before the season, and this one halfway through it to say how each of them is doing.
Softball comments a parent can act on
The numbers give the page its shape and the sentences are what a family remembers. Vague praise and vague criticism are equally useless, and softball has a specific thing to say about almost everything. Compare:
- Hitting. Not "needs to work on hitting". Try "starts the swing early on the change-up and is out in front of it. Ten soft toss swings a day, waiting on the ball."
- Fielding. Not "good hands". Try "stays down through ground balls and gets the glove out in front. Next is the first step on a ball in the hole, which is a half beat slow."
- Throwing. Not "good arm". Try "throws from short to first on a line. Needs to step toward the target, because the throws that miss all miss to the right."
- Attitude. Not "great attitude". Try "kept hustling after two errors in one inning, and was the first to pick up a teammate."
The last section, one thing to practice at home, is the most useful line on the page and the one most often left blank. In softball it is usually easy: a drill that takes ten minutes against a fence or a net with a glove and a ball, or a tee in a garage.
Pitchers, catchers and arm care
Pitching and catching are where an evaluation can do real good, and where a careless one does the most harm. A few rules for the sections the form gives them:
- Comment on mechanics and command before speed. At youth ages speed follows size and growth. Repeatable mechanics, throwing strikes and a change of pace are the things a player can work on.
- Never rate "wants to pitch" as ability. A player's enthusiasm for the circle is information for you, not a score.
- Mention pitching limits and rest in the comments. If a player threw a lot this season, or kept throwing through soreness, the evaluation is a good place to put the plan for next season in writing. Limits are counted differently from league to league, so refer to yours.
- Treat catching as a skill with a long runway. A catcher who blocks well and receives softly at ten is on the way to being very useful at twelve.
Other sports, and the general version
This is the softball version. The general player evaluation form works for any sport, and the softball forms and templates page lists the other 5 softball documents.
Playbook Logix provides customizable templates for informational and administrative use. They are not legal advice and will not meet the requirements of every organization, sport or jurisdiction. Review anything you intend to rely on with your own attorney or your insurance carrier, and check your league and state requirements.
Common questions
What should a softball player evaluation form include?
Ratings for hitting, bat speed, fielding, arm strength, throwing, baserunning, awareness and coachability, a short section for pitching and catching where it applies, and three pieces of writing: what went well, what to work on, and one thing to practice at home. The writing is the part a family keeps.
When should we give out softball player evaluations?
About halfway through the schedule. A report handed out at the last practice is a report card, accurate and too late. The same page at the midpoint is a plan with weeks left to act on, and it gives you time to follow up on the thing you asked a player to practice.
Should pitchers and catchers be rated differently?
Yes, in a section of their own. Pitching and catching are judged on different things from everyone else, and only some players do them. The form has a table for each, and a player who does neither leaves it blank.
How do I write about a slap hitter or a pitcher in the comments?
Say what you saw and what to do next, in the same plain terms as for anyone else. "Gets the slap down the third base line but starts the run late" is a comment a player can use. The pitching table scores mechanics, command and composure, so the writing can carry the one adjustment worth making.
Should I rate players against their teammates?
No. Rate against what is typical for the age group. Ranking within the team gives you a list of your own roster, which tells a family nothing and does harm if it circulates. The form says on its face which comparison you used.
Do I have to give one to every player?
Yes. Evaluating some players and not others tells all of them who the coaching staff thinks is worth the time. Short and honest for everyone beats thorough for the stars.
More softball tools
The rest of the softball toolkit
Softball Registration Form
Bats, throws, slap hitting, pitching and catching experience, uniform sizes and jersey number choices, on a form for sign-up day.
Open the generatorSoftball Code of Conduct
Dugout, helmet and face mask, umpire and bat rules for players, and bleacher rules for parents, on one page with one signature.
Open the generatorSoftball Tryout Evaluation Form
A scoring grid for hitting, bat speed, fielding, arm strength, throwing and baserunning, with a table for home to first and pop times.
Open the generatorSoftball Tryouts & Evaluation Guide
A 90-minute run of show, seven stations, a staffing plan, and how to run pitchers and catchers safely.
Read the guideSoftball Equipment & Uniform Checkout
Jersey, pants, visor, helmet with face mask, bat and catcher's gear, with condition, replacement cost and a return date.
Open the generatorPlaybook Logix
What Playbook Logix tracks behind a softball evaluation
Playbook Logix is registration, rosters, payments, schedules and team messaging for youth and adult sports, in one place. A report is only as good as the season behind it. This is what Playbook Logix keeps so the report is quicker to write.
Attendance behind the report
Mark each player present or absent from your phone at the field, and on the web see every player against every event with an attendance percentage. It is the number a parent is really asking about when they ask about playing time. Free on every plan.
How it worksThe player and the family together
Jersey number, position and the parent's contact details sit on the roster, so the player you are writing about is one click from the adult you are handing the report to.
How it worksReach families without a group text
A team message board for things that need a record, live chat for the quick stuff, and reminders that respect quiet hours, so parents see a schedule change and do not mute the app.
How it worksThe Starter plan is free, and the iPhone and Android app is free on every plan. Anything described above as Coach plan and above needs a paid plan. See the plans or the mobile app. Nothing you type into the template above is sent to us, whether or not you ever sign up.
Keep the whole season in one place
Schedules, attendance, messages to the team and a roster that is the same in everyone's pocket. There is a free plan.