A catcher should make it as easy on their pitcher as possible. If the pitcher gets a hitter to chase a pitch in the dirt, they should be rewarded with a strikeout. As there are different types of pitches that will be thrown, there are different ways to block these pitches. The goal in blocking is to block all balls so that they will hit you in the center of your chest and drop harmlessly in front of you. Do not try to catch a ball that is in the dirt.
Trouble starts when a catcher tries to catch the bouncing ball and misses.
The result is a ball to the backstop and the advancement of runners on base. When a fastball is thrown in the dirt, the catcher should maneuver their body in front of the ball and block it back to the middle of the field. Their body should be perpendicular to the ball. If the ball is blocked correctly off the middle of the chest protector, the ball will hit and return to the direction from which it was thrown. Depending on whether or not a right handed or left handed pitcher is throwing will dictate which direction a catcher will turn their body to adjust for the spin of a breaking ball.