View Single Post
  #5 (permalink)  
Old Wed Mar 08, 2006, 11:43pm
DG DG is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 4,022
Quote:
Originally posted by PAT THE REF
Hey everyone – My first NFHS BASEBALL game is this weekend in NJ and would like some opinions from other officials (The more responses the better) (for mechanics – please indicate your own personal mechanics for the following – plus any suggestions)

1)What is your typical strike mechanic? Some use the NFHS/ASA/ NCAA punched fist *(like an out signal) some still pointÂ…
2)What is your typical strike three (sell) mechanic? punched fist or arm up, punch or other
3)How do you signal play? (Waive emÂ’ in? point?) Do you verbalize?
4)Foul tip mechanic – The hand sweep or the arm sweep?
5)What does your pre-game duties consist of? How long do you wait until you get dressed without a partner? EtcÂ…
6)Tips/Comments on Sunglasses?
7)Tips/Comments on Mask or Hockey Helmet protector – Left hand removal?
8)Tips/Comments on one ball bag or two?
9)Tips/Comments on how you keep your lineups (do you rewrite them, etcÂ…)
10)Any additional tidbits?

Thanks
Pat
A lot to ask.
1) Fist, as if pounding on a door.
2) Right arm with a fist towards the pitcher, and then exchange with the left.
3) Point with right hand shaped like a pistol, verbalize loud enough for batter and catcher only.
4) Right hand sweep across the top of left hand.
5) Get dressed when I get there.
6) Wear them when needed, bases or plate.
7) Mask
8) Two. I keep pen, brush, car keys, small sweat rag, (small bottle of water sometimes) in the left bag, along with one or two baseballs. In the right bag I only keep baseballs (I am right handed). Start every inning with at least one in the left and two in the right. Better to have two in each.
9) I take the lineups from the coaches and then keep changes on a form I designed. The form is in the left bag with the pen.
10) Tips - ball/strike, fair/foul, safe/out. Getting these right are most important. Develop a plate stance where you track the pitch with your eyes, while not moving the rest of your body. Track it straight to your mask if necessary. A bobble head doll calling pitches is not good.

[Edited by DG on Mar 8th, 2006 at 11:48 PM]
Reply With Quote