Wristband sign chart
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coachjwb
Love this game!
I also do custom wristband signs for teams and charge just $3.50 for the bands. Most teams can get the bands and 3 sets of signs from me less expensively than just buying the bands and doing the signs themselves. It's just a hobby I enjoy now that I am retired from coaching. Email me at jffbaker3@gmail.com for more info.
At the risk of raising cane with the fairer gender...
I have worked with both boys baseball and girls fastpitch. The girls I worked with preferred the wristbands on offense to hand signals. They liked the clear-cut direction of a three digit number and tended to miss hand signs more frequently than boys. We called out the numbers because frequently there was a fielder of some sort getting in the line of sight between the coach and the runner on 1st. The number barking usually annoys the opponent that doesn't use wristbands, and a few umpires, but I always tried to think ahead and have the next number ready to call as soon as the pitch was thrown so I wasn't spending time looking at my chart. That way it took less time than hand signs, unless Suzie wasn't good at reading her chart. Then I felt silly when she would take eight seconds to interpret a "no-call" and then watch strike three go by.
Boys are hand signals only, mostly because that's what is done in the big leagues and it feeds their egos because then they are like spies using secret code.
I have worked with both boys baseball and girls fastpitch. The girls I worked with preferred the wristbands on offense to hand signals. They liked the clear-cut direction of a three digit number and tended to miss hand signs more frequently than boys. We called out the numbers because frequently there was a fielder of some sort getting in the line of sight between the coach and the runner on 1st. The number barking usually annoys the opponent that doesn't use wristbands, and a few umpires, but I always tried to think ahead and have the next number ready to call as soon as the pitch was thrown so I wasn't spending time looking at my chart. That way it took less time than hand signs, unless Suzie wasn't good at reading her chart. Then I felt silly when she would take eight seconds to interpret a "no-call" and then watch strike three go by.
Boys are hand signals only, mostly because that's what is done in the big leagues and it feeds their egos because then they are like spies using secret code.
coachjwb
Love this game!
That stealing sign app is pretty cool ... though I don't think it should be used in a kids' game. The wristband system if properly designed has multiple combinations per sign and no pattern, so it would take longer (several innings?) for something like that to work. And a good system also has the ability to change out the sign cards as often as every inning if you wanted to.
I agree with northball re: thinking ahead to the next sign, but I never had an issue with players being able to see my hand signs from 3B on a softball field so I much prefer that. Northball is right also that baseball teams prefer to use traditional signs though I honestly think its more the coaches than the players who won't change.
Finally, I would make an argument about the effective use of wristband signs will actually teach players more about the strategy of the game.
I agree with northball re: thinking ahead to the next sign, but I never had an issue with players being able to see my hand signs from 3B on a softball field so I much prefer that. Northball is right also that baseball teams prefer to use traditional signs though I honestly think its more the coaches than the players who won't change.
Finally, I would make an argument about the effective use of wristband signs will actually teach players more about the strategy of the game.
I think the majority of the teams in the Baseball CWS all used the wristband system?
We played against a team that did not dedicate enough numbers to the change up. After yelling the numbers for each pitch, we knew all 6 numbers for the change up by the 4th inning. It was funny to hear him yell the pitch then look at us to see if we knew what was going to be thrown.
- Feb 15, 2017
- 391
- 43
We have 2 sides and switch mid game. Occasionally we will go top first and then side if we need even more combinations. Ive seen opposing coaches with a clipboard writing stuff down. FACEPALM
- Mar 7, 2016
- 242
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We use a 3 number system, that is completely random. We have had coaches think they figured it out and yell out what is going to happen. AS some has stated we started with writing them down or using hands to relay in. WAYYY too many times first base would be in line of site, or someone would distract a girl. We switched to being verbal and dont really care what others think as it gets the point to our players. The only time it really gets old is when the other team has the same system and you have two coach in a 3 number yell dual. Or when opposing teams/fans start mimicking numbers mid game. At state this past summer I had a coach verbally yelling out "well now we know 312 is a bunt and it didnt work" and then "hell they cant do 458 either"... Was the worst time for our girls to have an off game.
back to number grid here is an example of my old chart:
back to number grid here is an example of my old chart:
