College Softball News

Are Wristbands Taking Away from the College Softball Game?

Over the past few years, there have been many new developments in the game of softball. We play a sport that is constantly evolving due to advancements in equipment technology and changes in rules and regulations, just to name a few. A few years ago the ‘signal wristbands’ made their way into the sport and they seem to have taken over.

It is very common to turn on a college softball game and see the pitcher in the circle looking into the dugout, taking the sign from the pitching coach, and then looking down at the forearm size wristband she is wearing. The wristband holds a rectangle grid of coded signals which tell the pitcher which pitch she is intended to throw. The catcher also wears a wristband with the same signals attached, so she is on the same page as to which pitch will be thrown.

The pitcher must take the signal off the wristband while standing behind the pitching rubber. That’s the written rule. Another new rule that was talked about during the 2016 NFCA Convention, to be implemented into 2017 play, was adding a two-second pause from the pitcher once they step onto the mound to deliver the pitch.

Are these signal wristbands taking away from the game? Some would argue yes for these reasons below:

  • Wristbands limit the interaction and intimacy between a pitcher and a catcher. Pitchers and catchers create their own bond by figuring out how to pitch to hitters together. The wristband is taking away from this bond because the pitching coach is telling them what to throw. There is nothing more powerful than a pitcher and catcher calling their own game and getting hitters out together.
  • When using a wristband, it’s hard for the pitcher to get into a rhythm which is extremely crucial to her game plan. Pitchers should dictate the pace of the game when her team is on defense. Wristbands also limit the pitchers mental game because she is solely focused on locating the pitch she is suppose-to throw on the chart, instead of her having an understanding and thinking about why it’s important to throw that pitch.
  • The wristbands take up too much time between pitches. This happens more frequently when a new wristband full of signals is being used. You can easily tell because the pitcher will spend a few extra seconds searching for the pitch within the number sequence on her chart. If the new two second rule is implemented in 2017, that means the pitcher will spend time getting back to the circle, then stand behind the circle and get the sign, then she will look down at her wristband, then she will step on the mound and wait two seconds to deliver her pitch. This will most likely slow down the game.

The purpose of the signal wristbands is to limit pitches being picked off by the opposing team. When a pitching coach calls a sign off the bucket, it’s within view of the opposing team. Even if signals and sequences are mixed, it’s not that difficult to figure out. By catchers not having to give the pitcher signs, when there is a runner on second base, she won’t be able to cheat a peak at the sign and tip off the hitter. Same goes for any TV camera in the outfield which most of the time has a clear view of the sign being thrown down by the catcher. Signs can still be picked when the coach holds up the numbers, but there is less of a chance because of the code and amount of numbers on the sheet. There are also multiple code sheets used by each team.

So I will ask again, are the signal wristbands taking away from the game? Or are they benefitting the sport and will they be here to stay?

 

Also see: Opinion: Wristbands Slow the Game

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