What I've seen with newer coaches / lower-end teams the coach just has too much going on and isn't paying attention. Forgets to call a pitch number, looks around, looks down to his chart, looks around again, calls pitch, pitcher wants it called again. 30 seconds later the pitch finally comes. My daughter is 1st year 14, she's just starting with the wrist bands. Her coach is on it, she definitely misread the arm band this weekend, though. I'm glad she's going to do both. I have talked to college girls who never did wrist bands until college.
Wristbands vs traditional signs
- Thread starter CoachJon
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Let’s not forget that the hitter has to step out of the box and check their wrist after every pitch.
Here is what worked for us. Over several years and probably thousands of games we may have had a player miss a sign twice.
- https://www.nevermissasign.com/ makes it easy to make as many as you like in whatever size, or color(s) you like - AND makes you a coaches call sheet as well. Worth the few bucks (yes, you can do it yourself but why would you)
- Don't complicate it beyond the level you are playing. Keep it as simple as possible.
- Coaches sheet go on a clipboard - preferably with a dark back (see below).
- Cross off a number once you have called it so I don't repeat numbers too often (I did a HS game tonight where I knew the numbers for all the pitches by inning 3 because they kept repeating). If you run out of numbers in a game for something, you just grab a new coaches sheet and yes, you will then repeat but with NeverMissASign it was rare I ever got to a second sheet in a game if I did it properly
- Sign both verbally and with fingers. So "three, two, four" and at the same time sign the same numbers with your hand on the back of the clipboard so they are easy to see. That way if it is loud, or noisy or whatever - you have given the sign TWO ways. Fingers should be well apart when signing.
- If they screw something up majorly have a 'repeat' sign. So you call for a High Outside Fastball and they throw Low and Inside.... Just give the repeat sign to have them try to get it right this time (We used a fist and zero, zero, zero for repeat)
- Be QUICK - you should be looking at the sheet for the number to call - not ideas. We used to have pitch sequences set for some pitchers to make it easy
- If there is no need to sign something, don't. The slow girl isn't bunting with no one on. Tell her to go hit the ball and be done with it. The slow girl isn't stealing - she doesn't need a sign to tell her not to steal.
Also, if the game got out of hand in our direction (e.g. we are up 10 against a weak team) turn the whole thing over to the players (whatever signal system you use).
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- Oct 14, 2020
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3 up 3 down has some nice card builders where you can do smaller arrays and pay by the card. Coaches call sheets are generated too.
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- May 17, 2012
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Calling them out is horrible. No one wants to hear you shouting numbers from the dugout for an hour. Additionally, there is a chance that players will not hear the signs correctly. Don't do this.
Sure if the sun is in the batter/pitcher's eye you can call out numbers but it just isn't needed otherwise.
You want to visually sign the numbers and there is a proper technique for doing this.
Last edited:
- May 17, 2012
- 2,807
- 113
There was a video somewhere I might be able to find it. I can summarize below.
- You are signaling with your right hand the numbers 0-5;
- Start with your hand to your side, shoulder height, and flash the number 5 (palm towards batter);
- It's important that your hand not be in front of your body (harder to see) it should be to the side like you are waving to someone;
- When you transition to your next number (4) rotate your hand so the back of the hand is now facing the batter;
- When you transition to your final number (3) rotate your hand again so that the front of the hand (palm) is now facing the batter.
- It takes milliseconds to when done correctly and the transitions make it clear to the batter.
Pro tip. Have numbers or a sign that means nothing. Make sure the players sell it (glance at their wristbands) but the player will know immediately it's hit away. It helps speed the game along.
This is what we use.
I almost never called out the numbers, just signed with my hand. Much harder for the other team to grab the signs when they don't hear them. There is no need to give a sign to each hitter each pitch, but also make sure you are sometimes giving either dummy signs or giving a number that just says hit. When calling pitches train the P and C to look to you almost immediately after the ball is in the circle and have a sign ready. Go back and read what marriard said.
A couple ideas for wristbands.
When I make them and laminate them I make them in pairs of colors. For example one side is red, the other side is blue. If we get in a situation where we have exhausted calls, we can just flip them over and change between innings. We also will change sides of the wristbands between games of a double header. Its is just always a pre-game check in our pre-game meeting. Just verify, we are red on offense, brown on defense, and black for pitcher/catcher or whatever combinations we are going with.
We use the the wristbands that open and close, so we keep our offensive card up front and the defensive calls on the inside. If we get into a 1st/3rd or bunt situation they can just flip up.
We will carry 3-4 pairs of colors for both offensive and pitcher/catcher. We don't repeat colors between offense and pitcher/catcher so there isn't any confusion. I also use black wristbands for offense and white wristbands for pitcher/catcher.
I do use Never Miss A Sign, so it makes this process easier. We wristband everything, offense, defense, and pitching. The one issue we do have once in awhile is that my pitchers/catchers that hit will forget to change wristbands. Easy fix is to put the offensive wristband on their bat or in the batting helmet, their pitching/catching wristband in their glove.
Teams used to try and write down our numbers to scout us, they don't even bother anymore. They can visually see what color we are one and they know we have switched.
When I make them and laminate them I make them in pairs of colors. For example one side is red, the other side is blue. If we get in a situation where we have exhausted calls, we can just flip them over and change between innings. We also will change sides of the wristbands between games of a double header. Its is just always a pre-game check in our pre-game meeting. Just verify, we are red on offense, brown on defense, and black for pitcher/catcher or whatever combinations we are going with.
We use the the wristbands that open and close, so we keep our offensive card up front and the defensive calls on the inside. If we get into a 1st/3rd or bunt situation they can just flip up.
We will carry 3-4 pairs of colors for both offensive and pitcher/catcher. We don't repeat colors between offense and pitcher/catcher so there isn't any confusion. I also use black wristbands for offense and white wristbands for pitcher/catcher.
I do use Never Miss A Sign, so it makes this process easier. We wristband everything, offense, defense, and pitching. The one issue we do have once in awhile is that my pitchers/catchers that hit will forget to change wristbands. Easy fix is to put the offensive wristband on their bat or in the batting helmet, their pitching/catching wristband in their glove.
Teams used to try and write down our numbers to scout us, they don't even bother anymore. They can visually see what color we are one and they know we have switched.
what age group is this?
