Wristband Play Calling

[TXJames44]

Trying to get a better understanding of how other Coaches call plays with wristbands. Trying NOT to have a debate on whether wristbands are good or not.

1. Do you call a play every pitch? Example: Situation is Swing Away.
2. What are some of plays that you put on your wristband? Example: Fake Bunt to move runner.

Interested in other opinions or insight.

Thanks.

 

[SESwildfire]

Call every Pitch unless pitcher is struggling to hit spots then I let her run until she settles down a little.
pitch type/location

Offense
bunting
slap
drag
fake bunt pull back
fake bunt swing
take ball 4 steal second (rarely called but catches a lot of teams standing still on 1st n 3rd with no verbal signal telling a player to go) the older we get the less i use this.

Base running
steal
delayed steal


anything outside of those calls are swing away, tag on flys freeze on line drives

 

[TXJames44]

Great info, it let clarify calling on each pitch......I meant in offense, are you calling a new number or giving a sign on every pitch?

 

[BradyC87]

Trying to get a better understanding of how other Coaches call plays with wristbands. Trying NOT to have a debate on whether wristbands are good or not.

1. Do you call a play every pitch? Example: Situation is Swing Away.
2. What are some of plays that you put on your wristband? Example: Fake Bunt to move runner.

Interested in other opinions or insight.

Thanks.

Signs for pitcher/catcher, numbers for defensive plays and base-running.

Not a call on every single pitch but we add enough nonsense calls to muddle it up so the other team doesn't always know when something is coming.

Offense:
Steal
Delayed Steal
Bunt
Fake Bunt

Defense:
Pick off 1st
Pick off 3rd
Quick back to pitcher
Throw to SS (SS cheats up as pitch goes)
Fake 2nd pick off 3rd

I am sure there are a ton more but that's just what I can remember from this last summer.

 

[radness]

When will techno gear reach travel ball?
Talking to an ear piece in the batters helmet?
Or Catchers for pitch calling?

....no not talking about the Astros method of pager vibration as an indicator

 

[Mmrichard]

When will techno gear reach travel ball?
Talking to an ear piece in the batters helmet?
Or Catchers for pitch calling?

....no not talking about the Astros method of pager vibration as an indicator

Is there a rule against it?

 

[radness]

Is there a rule against it?

? Rule dont know ?

At 18u Nationals 1983
Raiders coaches Phil Bruder and Colleen Silva brought out
head set walkie talkies just coaches wearing them in coaching boxes.
Which brought out the opposing team complaining and umpire stopping the game to try and figure out what to do. It got resolved when Phil Bruder said, you know I'm loud enough to hear across the field.
If you don't want us to wear them we don't have to.
We will win the tournament anyway.
...And they did.

 

[SESwildfire]

Great info, it let clarify calling on each pitch......I meant in offense, are you calling a new number or giving a sign on every pitch?

I am calling a new number every pitch on both offense and defense unless I feel like we need to get in a groove and focus on just playing ball vs doing plays. Some games both offensively and defensively my players just need to run with the game so i put up the coaches card and tell them to play ball.

One thing I found is pitchers calling their own pitches for example bit us quite a few times (and yes I own this one for not preparing them more what to throw, when and why). Example close games or ties runner on third and catcher struggling to dig still working low pitches and giving up unearned runs.

or observing a batter stepping away from plate during the swing and still working the inside corners and getting belted

basically not seeing things in the game (or knowing to look for them) that would tell you what to throw.

another good example is opposing team is WAY behind velocity so they chose to throw a changeup and it gets blasted. Or the opposite team has the timing down but continuing to work spots instead of throwing timing off.

My number system is easy enough most players have memorized the majority by now, and very rarely is the game held up because of our calls.

 

[uncdrew]

Call on every pitch. Yes, the wristband is littered with "Swing Away" calls.

We have "bunt to first" and "bunt to third" as well as "squeeze", along with many of the others listed. "Hit and Run" as well.

 

[BradyC87]

I am calling a new number every pitch on both offense and defense unless I feel like we need to get in a groove and focus on just playing ball vs doing plays. Some games both offensively and defensively my players just need to run with the game so i put up the coaches card and tell them to play ball.

One thing I found is pitchers calling their own pitches for example bit us quite a few times (and yes I own this one for not preparing them more what to throw, when and why). Example close games or ties runner on third and catcher struggling to dig still working low pitches and giving up unearned runs.

or observing a batter stepping away from plate during the swing and still working the inside corners and getting belted

basically not seeing things in the game (or knowing to look for them) that would tell you what to throw.

another good example is opposing team is WAY behind velocity so they chose to throw a changeup and it gets blasted. Or the opposite team has the timing down but continuing to work spots instead of throwing timing off.

My number system is easy enough most players have memorized the majority by now, and very rarely is the game held up because of our calls.

This was our first year using the wristbands (first year 12U) and it was rather entertaining the first couple of games when our HC would call out a number and you'd simultaneously hear 9 velcro flaps opening. Fortunately, they all had it memorized pretty quick. We would call 3 numbers but only the last 2 were actual play numbers.