Glossary

Wipe-off sign

A wipe-off is a sign that cancels every sign given before it, so a coach can take a play off or bury the real call in a string of decoys.

The wipe-off is often a swipe of the hand across the chest or down the arm. Whatever came before it in the string is gone. A coach who gave the steal and then saw the pitcher check the runner twice can wipe it off before the pitch, and a coach who wants to throw off the other dugout can give a steal, wipe it off, and give the real sign after.

Players need to know whether the wipe-off clears the whole string or only the sign before it. Most teams use the first: once the wipe-off is given, the batter and runner start reading again from scratch, watching for the indicator. A wipe-off given last means nothing is on.

It is also the sign players miss most often. A batter who sees the bunt but not the swipe after it squares around on a pitch the coach wanted swung at. So many coaches give the wipe-off big and slow, then repeat the whole string if the batter looks unsure. A wristband needs no wipe-off. To take a call back, the coach calls another number, usually a take or a swing-away cell.

When to call it

The runner is held close after the steal was given: wipe it off before the pitcher comes set.
Steal, wipe-off, then the real sign, to mislead a dugout that is reading the coach.
Ending a string with the wipe-off on purpose, so nothing is on.

Put it on a card: Baseball and softball signs.

Sample wristband and cheat sheet

Sample wipe-off sign wristband card in a wristband: a numbered grid of signs with the Take and Hit and Run signs highlighted — A wristband card with the Take and Hit and Run signs in color. The coach calls a row and a number, and the player reads the play in that cell.

Sample wipe-off sign cheat sheet in a wristband: the key to the wristband's abbreviations, including Take and Hit and Run — The cheat sheet for the same wristband: what each abbreviation on the card means.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a wipe-off in baseball signs?

A sign that cancels the signs before it, such as a swipe across the chest. After a wipe-off, players start reading the string again from the beginning.

What should a player do if they are not sure a sign was wiped off?

Ask for it again before the pitch. Most teams have a sign for this, such as the batter stepping out and touching the helmet, and the coach repeats the whole string.

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