3rd Base Signals

[Carty]

If CoachKevin is right, you are new to this. That is okay. All of the advice above tells you one thing - keep it simple. But keep it at the level that the players understand too. Varsity should be able to handle a little more oc the comples systems, but you need to be abe to also. The JV coach and I decided to keep the signs the same for both teams. It is a smaller school and we had to move girls up at times. This way they didnt need to learn two sets. The indicators were different - the JV just used a simple indicator - when you saw it next gesture was the sign. Only as many signs as you have plays. Doesnt make sense to learn a hit and run sign if you dont have that play.

Beyond that, practice them as much as anything else. Scrimmage with the team and give signs. Doesnt matter if the defense is reading it, it is just more practice at recognition. Let them set their own defense according to what they see. I practice in a mirror to see how I look. If I cant read my signs I wouldn't expect anyone else to.

 

[lostbayou21]

I coach a 10u team in Louisiana. I didn't dream this up, I stole the idea, maybe from here. We use an indicator and then a tap system.

I tell our youngsters to think of the indicators as parentheses, only the message inside the indicators (front and back) count.

They count the taps, and we create a silly little phrase to help them remember. A tap is anytime you touch your body (cap, arm, chest, ear, etc.)

One tap is take
Two taps means bunt
Three taps means hit and run
Four taps means steal

The phrase uses the first letters of each command:
Tom's Big Hamburger Stinks

For example: You give the indicator, tap three times, give the indicator again to signal nothing else matters, and you're done. The batter will say Tom's Big Hamburger...hit and run.

Every time it looks like the indicator or signal has been figured out, we just change the indicator. Works for us, and you can modify it as needed.

The key here is getting the batter to recite the phrase as you tap, and it's easy enough that our 9 year olds understand it easily.