Glossary

Return sign

A return sign, or answer sign, is the signal a batter or runner sends back to the coach to say a sign was seen, so the coach knows a play is on before the pitch.

A missed sign usually costs more than a stolen one. A runner who misses the hit and run leaves the batter swinging with nobody moving, and a batter who misses the squeeze leaves the runner hung out between third and home. The return sign closes that gap. After the coach gives the sign, the player answers, often with a touch of the helmet or a tug on the jersey, and the coach knows the play is on.

Some teams answer every sign, and others answer only the plays where both players have to act, such as the squeeze, the hit and run and the steal. If no answer comes, the coach gives the signs again or takes the play off. The other team should not be able to tell an answer from a player's usual habits, so the answer is often something the player does anyway, such as adjusting batting gloves.

Pitchers and catchers use the same idea: a fielder answers a pickoff sign so the catcher knows the base will be covered. With wristbands the coach calls a number, and the player can repeat the number by hand or just nod, which tells the coach the right cell was read.

When to call it

A safety or suicide squeeze, where the batter and the runner on third must both know the play.
A hit and run, where a missed sign leaves the runner out at second on a pitch the batter takes.
A pickoff sign from the catcher, answered by the fielder who will cover the base.

Put it on a card: Baseball and softball signs.

Sample wristband and cheat sheet

Sample return sign wristband card in a wristband: a numbered grid of signs with the Safety Squeeze and Suicide Squeeze signs highlighted — A wristband card with the Safety Squeeze and Suicide Squeeze signs in color. The coach calls a row and a number, and the player reads the play in that cell.

Sample return sign cheat sheet in a wristband: the key to the wristband's abbreviations, including Safety Squeeze and Suicide Squeeze — The cheat sheet for the same wristband: what each abbreviation on the card means.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the coach does not get a return sign?

The play is not on. The coach gives the signs again, or calls time, or takes the play off and lets the batter swing away. A play only one player knows about is worse than no play.

Does every sign need a return sign?

No. Many teams answer only the plays that need two players to act together, like the squeeze and the hit and run. Answering every sign gives the other dugout more to watch.

Start free. Upgrade when your season needs it.

The free plan includes one team and one of each document type, with no license fee and no credit card. Paid plans start at $2.50 a month billed annually, cancel anytime.

See Pricing

No credit card required. Free plan available.