A Sign System Your Players Can't Miss
How wristband signs work in baseball and softball, and how to build your own team's cards in a few minutes for free.
Three ways to give a sign
A coach can send a play or a pitch to the field three ways: a sequence of hand signals the players have to memorize and the other dugout tries to read, an electronic system with a transmitter and earpieces, or a numbered card in a wristband. Most youth, travel, high school and college programs that have switched went to the wristband, because it is the simplest of the three to teach and the hardest to steal.
What a wristband sign system is
It has three parts:
- The wristband or arm band the player wears, with a clear pocket.
- The sign card inside the pocket: a numbered grid where every cell is a pitch, a play or a defensive call.
- The coaches sheet: the same signs with their numbers, which is what the coach calls from.
How players read a three-digit call
The coach calls a number such as 021. The first two digits pick the column, the third picks the row, and the cell where they meet holds the sign. Every player looks at their own card, so the whole team gets the call at once and nobody on the other bench can decode it without the card.
Why coaches switch
- Players learn the system once, not a new set of hand signals every season.
- The signs cannot be picked; reshuffle the numbers and the old card is useless.
- A card holds dozens of signs where a hand-signal set holds a handful.
- Pitchers and catchers can share a card, so nothing passes between the mound and the plate.
- Players arriving at the next level already know how the system works.
The full version of this explainer, with pictures of every part, is in Baseball and Softball Wristband Signs: The Ultimate Guide.
Make your own wristband signs
Start from a template for your level, add your signs, and print the cards, the coaches sheet and a cheat sheet for every player from one free account.
Fully customizable. You determine the number of grids and their dimensions.
Cut-to-fit dimensions. Customize the height and width to fit your team's wristbands.
Personalize. Print your players' names/numbers on their card.
Mobile-friendly. Our software is designed to work on phones, tablets and desktops.
11 ready-made templates included
- Blank
- 12U/14U Offense
- 12U/14U Pitching Baseball
- 12U/14U Pitching Softball
- 16U/18U Offense
- 16U/18U Pitching Baseball
- 16U/18U Pitching Softball
- College Offense
- College Pitching Baseball
- College Pitching Softball
- Standard Defense
No credit card required. Free plan available.
Are wristband signs allowed?
Youth, travel, high school and college programs use them, and NCAA teams have for more than a decade. Check your league's rules if you are unsure; they are a printed card, not an electronic device.
What goes on the card?
Whatever you call: offensive plays, defensive alignments, pitches with locations. Each kind can be its own card in the same wristband.
How long does it take to teach?
One practice. Players learn to find a column and a row; the signs themselves are the abbreviations you already use.
What does the free plan include?
One team, one wristband set with up to a 3 x 3 grid (54 signs), 8 card colors and the preset offensive, defensive and pitching signs, plus one of each other document type. Paid plans start at $2.50 a month billed annually and add bigger grids, custom signs and unlimited documents.