How to Create and Give Signs

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Creating signs does not have to be complicated. Most coaches use an indicator
sign which alerts the player that a sign will be put on after that. For instance,
the indicator may be touching the bill of the cap or the left elbow. The sign that
comes directly after the indicator is touched is what the coach wants to put on.

Another simple way to create signs is to use a counting system and an indicator.
After the indicator is touched, the player counts the amount of touches by the
coach and the sign that corresponds to that amount of touches is the sign. For
instance, if the coach hits the indicator, then touches left arm, left hand, right
chest. Player counts three touches and whatever 3 corresponds to is the sign.
In certain situations, you can even use verbal signs such as calling out a color or
a numbering system.

How many signs? Keep it simple. What are the most frequent plays that a coach
can use in that situation? Offensively, there is bunt, steal, hit and run, take.
Can you get into bunt and run, fake bunt and run, bunt for a hit? Yes. Are they
necessary? Maybe. Just don’t want to have so many signs that the kids can’t
remember them all or trying to remember them all takes their focus away from
their main objective, to hit the ball.

Defensively, there are many more opportunities to use signs. First and third
defense, bunt defense, pickoff plays. You need to have signs for all these and
within each category there are several different plays that can occur depending
on the situation in the game.

The amount of signs can add up quickly. Pick out the one, two or three main
plays and go with those that you will use the majority of the time. Remember, it’s
all about getting an out. If you get an out, you have done your job, regardless of
where that out occurs. You can’t account for every situation in the game, that’s
what practice is for.