Siganals: one or two hands?

[Guest Nimrod]

An older umpire told me to use only one hand to signal the count: on say two ball, no strike.  Yet last night I saw a MLB umpire signal two ball and a fist on the 2-0 count.

What should we do for HS?  Thanks.

[LRZ]

I don't work FED, so I don't know if NFHS has an umpire manual, but if you belong to an association that mandates one or two hands, do what it requires. Otherwise, do what you wish. Every umpire--everyone!--around here uses two hands. Why do "older umpires" think it's necessary to micromanage like this?

[noumpere]

At one time, using only one hand was taught -- and maybe it was only for balls (2-0 use just the left) or only for strikes (0-2 use only the right) but not for the other.  I forget.

 

While it's not a big deal, it's easy to fix (either way).  Do what your association wants.

[Senor Azul]

Nimrod, do you have a copy of a FED rule book? If so, I direct you to the table of contents—you should find an entry shown as Official NFHS Baseball Signals.

In my copy of the 2015 NFHS Baseball Rules Book that particular section falls on pages 72-73. When you go to that section you will see drawings depicting all the umpire signals. In 2015, the drawing labeled I depicts the umpire signal for Count—it shows the umpire using both hands simultaneously to indicate the count.

[Rich Ives]

16 hours ago, Guest Nimrod said:

An older umpire told me to use only one hand to signal the count: on say two ball, no strike.  Yet last night I saw a MLB umpire signal two ball and a fist on the 2-0 count.

What should we do for HS?  Thanks.

If you are only using one hand and I look up and see you signaling something how do I know if it's ball or strike?

[umpstu]

1 hour ago, Rich Ives said:

If you are only using one hand and I look up and see you signaling something how do I know if it's ball or strike?

Ought to have a verbal with that signal as well.

[noumpere]

6 hours ago, umpstu said:

Ought to have a verbal with that signal as well.

Plus the whole RH / LH thing.

[LRZ]

Leave it to Senor Azul to provide the authoritative answer! Right on the money:

The 2017 NFHS signals can be found on-line (www.nfhs.org/media/1017816/baseball_umpires_signals_2017.pdf); there is the diagram as he describes and the caption reads, "Left hand indicates balls followed by the number of strikes thrown on the right hand. Verbally give count."

[Aging_Arbiter]

***insert amputee disclaimer here.....................

 

http://www.woundedwarriorua.org/

 

[MadMax]

On 5/5/2018 at 4:45 AM, Guest Nimrod said:

An older umpire told me to use only one hand to signal the count...

Unless, as @Aging_Arbiter alludes to, this umpire is absent either (or both) hands... then the "older umpire" telling you to do this is something far more tragic than an amputee...

 

He's lazy.

Do it right.