Baseball coaches who run an
aggressive offense-- squeeze, hit and run, and double steal-- obviously have need of a
sign system that will enable them to communicate with the players and adapt to changing
situations and personnel quickly and efficiently.
A good sign system will include
all or most of the following:
-
"Indicators" that
alert the players that a "live" sign may be on its way.
-
"Wipe-offs" that negate every live sign that has been flashed to that
point.
-
"Activators" that tell the player to proceed with the designated play
(a green light).
-
"Decoys"
- meaningless signs, at least in the context of the sequence in which they appear.
Perhaps the most common way of
flashing a sign is through touching a particular part of the body or uniform, e.g., an ear
or the bill of the cap. Coaches from youth to semi-pro ball often use a simple system in
which the first letter of the object touched matches the first letter of the corresponding
sign. For example, a touch of the hat will call for the "hit & run", a touch
of the belt for "bunt", and a touch of the sleeve for "steal".
Another popular sign system
emphasizes the number of touches or taps rather than the location of the touch. For
example, 1 tap will call for a take, 2 taps for a bunt, 3 taps for a hit & run, and 4
taps for a steal. The coach will flash an indicator to have the players start counting and
another indicator to signal them to stop. The number of relevant taps in between specifies
the play.
Still other methods of transmitting signs involve the coach’s position in the
coach’s box (front, middle, or rear), the number of times he claps his hands, the
number of fingers he holds up, whistling, and calling out colors, names, or numbers.
Regardless of how the coach
delivers the signs, his system must be
easy to comprehend and remember.
Tips on Making Signs Easy to
Recall Under Game Conditions:
-
Use a single indicator immediately followed by the live sign. Even
with a wipe-off included, a player must interpret a maximum
of three signs per sequence.
-
The first or second sign flashed is live (with no indicator). An
activator and/or a wipe-off can be added to
confuse the opponents.
-
The last sign flashed is live (with no indicator). This is effective
since players tend to look away once they’ve seen the
live sign, but before the coach is finished flashing decoys.
Some coaches "release" the
players’ attention by concluding every sequence with a simple gesture, like
clapping the hands.
-
The only sign flashed twice in a set of signs is live.
-
Designate either hand as the "hot" hand. The first sign flashed
with that hand is live. Logical Patterns. If the signs
consist of taps to specific locations on
your body or uniform, arrange the locations in a logical order. For
example, begin with a closed fist as the
first sign in a set and ascend up the arm with taps to the wrist, elbow, shoulder, and chest.
Another option is to divide the chest into
quadrants and arrange the signs in a box pattern.
Memory
Devices.
When numbers
represent the plays, it will be helpful to train the players to memorize the plays in
sequential order. A mnemonic can turn the plays into a memorable phrase. For example, the
players can remember Take, Bunt, Hit & run, Steal as "Thomas Baker High
School!".
When you flash the number "3", the players can run through the mnemonic phrase
and notice that the third word is High, which means Hit & run".
You can use any kind of memory device that will help the players recall signs when the
pressure is on and the game is on the line.
Groups of Two.
In systems that
incorporate multiple variations of the basic plays, you may split the live signs into two
groups whenever possible, e.g., running plays (straight steal, delayed steal, early break)
vs. bunting plays (straight bunt, slash, squeeze).
Likewise, the body or uniform can be divided into two sections-- left
side/right side, upper body/lower body, skin/cloth, or school
colors, e.g., blue/gray.
Signs consisting of numbers, as
well as innings, automatically fall into
two groups - odd vs. even.
Systems based on "two’s" break down into bite-size pieces that will
improve the players’ retention and provide a ready-made way to
accomplish the other important goals of a flashing system-- to catch
the opposition off guard and prevent them from decoding the signs.
Following are Suggestions for
Camouflaging Live Signs:
Change or Rotate
Periodically.
Change the indicator before every game, each time you face the same opponent, or during a
game based on the inning or count.
The "Hot Spot" system
uses a floating indicator which changes with
every sequence of flashes. The first spot touched becomes the
indicator for that sequence. You can flash the live sign anytime after
returning to the hot spot.
The other option is to hold the
indicator constant and rotate the live
signs. When using the "first (second) sign" method, make the first
sign live in odd innings and the second sign live in even innings. When
using two distinct groups of signs or two halves of the body, alternate between the two.
For example, in odd-numbered innings put the hitting/bunting signs
on the left arm and running signs on the right arm. In even-numbered innings, simply
switch sides.
The use of uniform colors can
make a system difficult for the defense to crack, especially if you use home and away
jerseys and change the signs according to the location of the colors on your body.
When using the "four quadrants of the chest" in your sign system, you may rotate
the quadrants periodically. A mnemonic device can again help the players memorize the
signs. In using the "Thomas Baker High School" mnemonic, for example, the player
need only know which quadrant is the Take (Thomas) sign in any particular inning to figure
out which quadrants represent Bunt, Hit & run, and Steal.
Divert the Defense’s
Attention.
You may have two people flashing signs - a decoy whose signs are visible and
obvious, and a play caller whose signs are much less visible and simpler, e.g., arms
crossed or hands in the back pockets. This technique works great when all signs emanate
from the bench and the two flashers are clearly visible to the players.
Another way to divert the
attention of potential sign stealers is by
using the sign not given as the live sign. The opponents may be so
focused on what you are touching that they won’t notice what you’re
not touching. In short, you may flash all but that one sign in your
sequence - which will make it the play. For added deception, add an
activator and wipe-off.
The most important rule
when devising a system
is to keep it simple.
A very basic set of signs can be highly effective with just
one or two wrinkles thrown in.
Simple Ways to Frustrate the
Opponents:
-
Give the same meaning to two
different signs. Have two bunt or two steal signs. You can also have a sign that means "repeat the
same play called on the previous pitch".
-
Use an "activator
only" in pre-arranged situations. If you want particular plays executed in certain game situations or when
certain personnel are at bat or on the bases, discuss this strategy ahead of time. You can then flash decoy signs and just
an activator to set the play in motion.
-
At the very beginning of an
at-bat, flash a play you want executed on a specific count, e.g., suicide squeeze on 2-0. When that count
arrives and the defense sees you standing motionless, it won’t expect anything.
-
Flash a sign when the defense
is not watching. For example, to the next batter while he’s still in the on deck circle. Use simple,
"one syllable" gestures immediately after a play and before the defense
settles into their positions for the next pitch.
-
Give a
"green
light" for players to steal, swing away, or bunt at their own discretion. Then flash only a "red light" sign if
you want them to hold their position.
Final Points About Maintaining
an Effective System:
Flash live signs, but omit the
indicator or activator so that
the live signs appear to be meaningless.
Intersperse a series of live
signs with a few decoy signs. For
example, if "steal" consists of four taps to the face, touch
the face twice, then tap the leg and chest before completing
the final two taps to the face.
Practice in front of a mirror to
develop a smooth delivery.
Flash decoy signs with as much
emphasis as live ones, and live
signs with as much casualness as decoys.
Also, spend five minutes every
day reviewing signs and running
through scenarios with the players.
Use signs during inter-squad
games and offensive drills to
mimic game conditions. Since players are more likely to
understand and remember a system they help create, encourage
them to participate in designing the system.
(Author’s note: We’d
like to express our gratitude to all the high
school and college coaches who contributed to this article and
whose names are not disclosed to protect the secrecy of their
flashing systems.)
A note from the editor:
Brian's article is written with
high school baseball athletes in mind. My own belief is that kids need to be at least 9 or
10 years old to understand any sort of complicated signing system. Even at that age it is
easier to yell directions at them since the defense is unlikely to know what to do even if
they understand what you are telling your player. But more importantly, signing at an
early age gives your players the feeling that they are playing upper level baseball.
Mentally it ties them to what they see on television. The coaches I have worked with have
tried to use a very simple signing system at the age of seven or eight just for that
effect. It can be as simple as starting out the season showing the signs and then
re-inforcing them by calling out what the sign means. It is just one part of making the
kids understand just what baseball is all about. And never underestimate what your players
are capable of... they just might surprise you.
I first noticed Brian's articles
on Jeff Brabant's The Baseball Coaches
Corner . This is an excellent site for baseball drills
and tips. We have included links to Jeff's baseball drills and tips on our Baseball
Links Page. Please visit his site and print out copies of his
drills and tips for your own use. You can use your back arrow to return to our site if you
get lost. His actual website address is http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/2407/
.
Ken Gamble
About
Brian Priebe:
Brian Priebe is
the Head Freshman Coach at Monte Vista H. S. in San Diego, California. He has written
several articles on coaching baseball. He has allowed us to reprint three of his articles
on our website here. After you finish reading the article below, "Signing"
On (and Off) , check out his other articles on our website: "The
Pitcher's Second Shift" and "Rundowns". In
the article "Signing" On (and Off) Brian tells you everything you ever wanted to
know about baseball signs.
We would like to thank Brian for allowing
us to reprint those articles. He has graciously offered to notify us when he publishes
more articles. We certainly look forward to them. If you have questions or comments you
can e-mail Brian at Brian Priebe .
Brian can be reached at:
6724 Monte Verde Drive
San Diego, CA 92119
(619) 265 - 1946
CoachPrieb@aol.com
This article was originally
published in
Coach & Athletic Director Magazine (January 1997)