All Important Coaching Signs for Base Runners

Friday Base Running Tips Learning Coaching Signs

Coaches must know the correct coaching signs to help base runners and win games.

It is good baseball coaching to teach base runners to learn to make most of their own decisions on the base paths, even at the young ages of baseball. However, that is a lot to ask of inexperienced players, to only rely on their own decisions, as running fast and knowing where the ball is at any given moment takes a great deal of experience. Additionally, coaches often have a better view of the situation and greater knowledge of the opposing fielder's capabilities.

coaching signs

For those times when base runners need to rely on the base coaches, they and coaches must know the sign language to use.

Main Base Running Coaching Signs

1. Arm waving, or the point in the next base direction, indicates player is to keep going to the next base.
2. Both arms up in a stop position means player is to hold up and not advance, however they can round the base before stopping.
3. The point at the base with one hand and the arm raised in the stop position means the base runner is to stop directly on the bag, as the throw is coming to that base.
4. The two hands dropping from a high to low position indicates the runner is to slide, and the coach may even indicate which direction to slide with the hands going to a certain side of the base.

 


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Base runners must also practice when to look at the coach, when to look for the ball and when to look at the base, along with knowing the coaching signs.