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College Softball

Wrist plays

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by Sftbll4ever » Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:54 am

Saw it this weekend too in a game. Just kinda stupid to see a pitcher has to look up numbers to get the sign!!!!
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by jonriv » Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:26 am

As mentioned earlier- saw two different teams using it. One worked fine, the other seemed awkward. I just can't imagine having so many plays that it would require a wristband. IMO it seems to be more of a distraction.
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by coachjwb » Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:24 am

jonriv ... it's not an issue on the number of plays in my mind (though it would allow for more), it's a matter of ensuring your team gets the correct sign and that the other team isn't able to steal it. For example, on the ones that I do, there might be 5 different sets of number combinations that designate "steal", and 3-4 different combinations that designate "fake bunt and steal" depending on how often a coach likes to do different things. There's no set pattern in these combinations that the other team can pick up on, but your team with a quick glance of their cards knows exactly what you want. Similarly, on pitch-calling, there might be a half dozen different signs for drop and a half dozen different ones for change up, which the coach is going to randomly pick and not use the same combination twice perhaps the whole game. And if you want, you can simply change out cards every inning, every game or a couple of times a season.
Last edited by coachjwb on Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by jonriv » Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:06 am

Seems like a "Rube Goldberg" solution- a very complicated soulution to an easy problem.
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by coachjwb » Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:57 am

jonriv ... with all due respect, I guess I don't follow why you say it's complicated, or what the implied easy solution is. The problem is that coaches want to signal plays to their players without the other team being able to figure it out too. My experience in having seen/coached in a few thousand softball/baseball games over the last 30 years is that most youth teams either miss too many signals, or opposing teams steal them fairly easily when they want to. And if there are multiple things going on during the same play say with both a batter and baserunners, good luck in hoping that they all get it.

As a coach, I want to do everything I can to improve my team's chance of winning, as well as minimize the number of mistakes my team is making by taking advantage of changes in process or technology as they are available ... no different than better bats, improved training techniques, etc.

There are more colleges going to such systems as well. I went to a game last Wednesday where both teams were using them. And I had one 18-U Gold coach tell me that two different college coaches recommended to him that he consider a wristband system so as to get the girls used to it before they went to college.

I know I'm biased, but I just think there's some misinformation about these systems out there, and no doubt a few teams not using good ones or at least not using them well.
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by jonriv » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:32 am

My thought is the girls that can't handle signals are going to have a harder time figuring out codes and charts :D While they are confused with that - they will then have to figure out what to do next!!!

I have found signals to work well and can easily be hidden in plain sight

Again, how many plays does any given team have? Just strikes me as a needless expense and a lot of time spent in practices teaching everyone how to figure ou their new decoder rings-jmo

BTW- have not seen them in MLB(where they have world class sign stealers)
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by coachjwb » Tue Apr 15, 2014 12:03 pm

Again, I respect your opinion and don't intend to keep this going, but just a quick response to your points ...

* I first tried this with a 12-U team ... we worked with getting them used to them maybe an hour total over two practices, and by the second game we used them, they had it down pat. If the 3 number signal they get from the coach says "BUNT" on the card, there's no thinking they have to do vs. wondering whether the coach was touching his nose, or just itching himself

* Most teams have (or would like to have) anywhere from 10-18 different signal combinations ... most common for offense are take, bunt, steal, decoy (i.e., no sign on), squeeze, drag, delay steal, hit and run, fake bunt and steal, take and steal, slap, fake bunt, "sneaky" bunt, green light, etc. ... for pitch-calling and defense, there's each of the different pitches, pitchouts, pickoffs, and the various first and third options

* In MLB, the guys coaching 3B are absolutely masters at giving signs no doubt and the adult players are used to it ... in youth ball, most coaches and players aren't
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