I have seen too many times both the batter and runners all looking down at their wrists for 3-5 seconds. Maybe its just me, but I don't like to see everyone looking down at their wrists trying to decipher the call.
Again, the number system???
- Thread starter Cannonball
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I've also seen batters looking at there coach to repeat the sign because they missed it. Or they think they have it and hit when a bunt is called.
All signed signals are bad and take too much time and is ineffective. (Sarcasm font needed here)
All signed signals are bad and take too much time and is ineffective. (Sarcasm font needed here)
I can see it being a good tool for teams who throw some girls together that don't normally play as a whole. ( that's a legit circumstance )
The competitive side of me thinks it kinda cheapens the game. One of the most challenging parts of coaching is designing a body signal system that is easy for the girls to decipher, but hard for the other team to crack. And some of the most fun is seeing who can break that "code" of your opponent first. It's just a added layer of ingenuity, intelligence, focus.
I feel the bands.......dumb down those game traits.
The competitive side of me thinks it kinda cheapens the game. One of the most challenging parts of coaching is designing a body signal system that is easy for the girls to decipher, but hard for the other team to crack. And some of the most fun is seeing who can break that "code" of your opponent first. It's just a added layer of ingenuity, intelligence, focus.
I feel the bands.......dumb down those game traits.
Deep, I hear what your saying but if that was the case in baseball or life in general, we would still be riding horses to tourney's.
Not saying it's for everyone but saying its ineffective or takes too long, etc etc is just not correct either.
Don't mean to sound difficult but if my 10u league team can use them, anyone can use them.
I'm not beating anyone up for using the bands.
But like I said earlier, I always enjoyed developing and/or seeing very complex body signal systems. Mostly because I know how difficult they are to construct, how difficult they are to learn, and how difficult they are to steal. It's also a very "personal" achievement when you can design one that no one can crack, and even more fun to watch them scratch their head all weekend when they can't.
It's also teaching moments for the girls. They loved to try to break the other team's "code" as much as the coaches did. It made them think, and a reward when they could steal those signals. ( they know what's coming )
I'm 43, but also perhaps old school. I always had respect for teams with intricate body signals, and the players who could learn them, because it's not easy.
We used a "hybrid" of a mathematical signal system that I learned in college ball. Different body parts own different numerical values. Also some body parts could erase the value of the whole sequence, to simplify the intended signal.
Nobody can steal these type of signals, because no one knows the values of the body parts, except the team.
I just think the bands take the human aspect out of it. It may simplify things, but is that really a good thing for developing minds?
Gotta take the wife to an outdoor concert, will talk tomorrow.
Good posts and points made. Maybe its just me... I never cared for the players looking down at their wrist. I saw a lot of it with my boy on his HS team.
I use verbal signals when the batter is in the box. It's quick and I don't have to worry about my signs getting picked because I am calling them after the catcher signals their pitcher.
I use verbal signals when the batter is in the box. It's quick and I don't have to worry about my signs getting picked because I am calling them after the catcher signals their pitcher.
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Just for you old school guys
Just for you old school guys
DD has used the wrist bands and having watched them for a couple of years feel they are more desirable than the old body sign miscommunication style. DD's team uses them for Offense and defense. The only issue is if someone has the wrong card and that is usually resolved in 2 or 3 pitches. LOL.
- May 17, 2012
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We use wristbands.
Last weekend a team we were playing "figured out" that 125 was a changeup. We don't verbalize our signals they are all given via hand signing. I use the same subset of available numbers so by the end of the season everyone "knows" what pitch is called before they look at the wristband.
We didn't change it up even after we knew that they knew. They still couldn't hit the change effectively even if they knew it was coming.
This was very high level 16u.
Last weekend a team we were playing "figured out" that 125 was a changeup. We don't verbalize our signals they are all given via hand signing. I use the same subset of available numbers so by the end of the season everyone "knows" what pitch is called before they look at the wristband.
We didn't change it up even after we knew that they knew. They still couldn't hit the change effectively even if they knew it was coming.
This was very high level 16u.
