Coach-to-Catcher Communication
Getting the Call From the Dugout to the Catcher
Faster than signs. Harder to steal than a wristband card.
Every pitch starts with the same problem: the coach knows what to throw, and the catcher needs to know it before the pitcher steps on the rubber. Here's how teams solve it, and why more of them now use one-way electronic devices.
Three Ways to Call Pitches
| Method | Speed | Can be stolen? |
|---|---|---|
|
Hand signs Coach signals the catcher, catcher signals the pitcher. |
Slow | Yes, often |
|
Wristband cards Coach calls a number, the players look it up on a card. |
Medium | If the cards are cracked |
|
One-way electronic device Coach sends the call, the catcher sees it on the wrist. |
Instant | No signs to see |
What a Catcher Communication Device Should Do
Be one-way
Rules that allow electronic calling almost always require coach-to-player only. The catcher's device should receive, not transmit.
Show pitch and location
Not just a number to decode, but the actual pitch and where it should go.
Be quick to read
A glance between pitches, with a clear screen the catcher can read in a crouch.
Reach more than the catcher
The same call can go to the pitcher and the infield, so defensive plays are on everyone's wrist at once.
How Pitch Signal Does It
The coach chooses the pitch and location in the Pitch Signal app on an iPhone, iPad or Android device. The Pitch Signal Base in the dugout relays it over truly one-way RF to the Pitch Signal Watch on the catcher's wrist, and to any other player wearing one. The watches only receive.
Because the call is already in the app, recording what happened takes two taps. Over a season, your staff builds a pitch-by-pitch history of every pitcher and every opposing hitter. See the Pitch Signal difference.
Is It Allowed?
USA Softball, USSSA, NSA and NFHS all have rules that permit one-way coach-to-player devices, each with its own conditions. Some limit it to the defense, and some say exactly who may wear a receiver. Check our one-way communication rulebook and confirm with your league before game day.
The Pitch Signal Game Day Kit · $549
- 1 Pitch Signal Base and 2 Pitch Signal Watches
- 2 protective watch guards, charging cables and a 4-port USB charger
- A case that holds up to 6 watches
- 1 year of Pitch Signal PRO included
Questions
Does the catcher still give signs to the pitcher?
If only the catcher wears a watch, yes. Many teams put a watch on the pitcher too, so both see the same call and the catcher doesn't have to relay it.
Can the coach call from the third-base box?
Where it's allowed. Some rules let coaches transmit from the coach's box on offense but only from the dugout on defense. Check the rulebook for your organization.
Get the Call to the Catcher Instantly
One-way calls to the wrist, plus pitch tracking in the same app.