Safe Sign
 

When signaling "safe"...palms down or fists ?

"Open hands", palms facing down.

JM

I dont' think i've ever seen fists anywhere before while giving the safe sign...


palms down 100%

I have never seen in a mechanics definition where it said either way. Mostly, the arm motion is discussed.

I have been to a few clinics taught by ex-Evans instructors. Never have I heard "palms down".

Perhaps the instructors took for granted that the class knew one of the most basic signals an umpire uses.


Tim.

I've seen it done both ways in MiLB and MLB. But from NCAA and down, if you don't do it correctly (palms open and down), you are not going to get good marks from your observers.

Alas, if you are LL, it doesn't matter anyway!

Huh? Since when?

LL is pretty far down on Ozzy's list of favorite things.

OTH,

Many officials use one or the other and some use both. Contrary to what some will tell you as fact, I feel that it is a style thing and is for the most part not addressed by UIC’s, Crew Chiefs, Observers, Group Leaders, or Coordinators. The emphasis is and should be on did you get it right versus, were your hands open or closed.

I for one use both and did so many times last night. Personally, my subconscious automatically opens my palms on hard safe sells, and closes them on more routine calls, such as check swings, pickoffs, plays on the bases, and balls near DBT.

I have never had anyone tell me that they were marking me down for hand mechanics.

Furthermore, the schools do an excellent job of mass teaching, so they teach standing very tall with arms fully extended and palms open. It is almost military precision, but if you were to watch, I will be bold enough to say every instructor from every school, not one of them uses this type of safe call on a number of their plays. It is more stylistic, and I feel it should be.

I use fists, just like the way it looks I don't have a problem with either fists or palms down, just get the call right.

The arms as wide apart as possible, yes. But never has anybody mentioned anything about the hands.

Truthfully, I have never noticed what people do. I have never heard it mentioned in an evaluation. Never read "palms down" in any mechanics book.

I don't think it really matters. People are looking for your arm motion!

NFHS umpire manual 2007/2008- page 36 shows palms/hands open and facing down.
On page 35, note (17) says " palms parallel to the ground"

Like Durham, I use both palms down and closed fists, depending on the situation.

On bangers, I use a crisp, parallel signal with open hands facing down.

On pickoffs that are not close enough to sell, but are close enough to warrant a basic safe signal, I use a casual safe signal with closed fists. The same goes for routine checked swing calls, to convey to everyone that it really wasn't close to anything resembling a swing.

So, that at least makes it official if you are using NFHS mechanics (Oregon does not).

Somebody must have the MLB umpire mechanics manual around eh?

Data point:

The current CCA manual specifies palms open and downward (p.246).

NCAA, check.

A-freakin'-men! :)

Quite a few of the umpires in our association use the fists.

Personally, I use open hands, palms down (textbook).

I don't like the way the fists look. But if the calls are good, why complain ?

Did I accidentally stumble on the ASA Softball umpire board?

My 'old' CCA Umpires manual shows palms down (parallel to the ground) in the Signals Chart. I've always seen it demonstrated in clinics as palms down.

In our association we ARE critiqued on our mechanics (including hand signals)

Tim in Canada we have One National body, One Provincial body and one set of standards with 5 levels. Levels 1-3 are provincially run, Level 4 national and Level 5 International.

In the US I feel as though if USA Baseball got together with NFHS, Little League and the NCAA and came up with a universial system for all organizations it would go a long way in the development of young umpires in the US.

I have attached a link to the Baseball Canada Umpire Operations Manual. http://66.241.210.162/files/Operatio...Version1.5.pdf

WOWIE!!!! All he did was make a little joke and you go postal on him. Chill out dude.:cool:

Maybe more guys should be called out on making "a little joke". I have been here for all of a week or so, and it seems that is all it takes here to turn a perfectly legitimate thread into a full on flame war!

I'm just saying............

Well, I rather see someone make a joke rather than see some elitist jerk sneer at whole bunch of his fellow umpires just because they supposedly haven't attained his lofty level.

I'm just saying.......

Feel free to post your resume as a rebuttal.

I rest my case....:rolleyes:

I don't believe it's the intitial joke, but rather the over-the-top over reactive response that moves threads out of the bar and into the alley.

If we were sitting in our favorite watering and somehow, I can't imainge why, were having this a palm-up or palm-down debate and it wasn't about self abuse and Rich wandered in and made his comment; we'd have a laugh and someone would say "Ahhhhh, f@#$ you, Rich." He'd sit down and we'd continue our agenda.

But here, Rich wanders in and makes his comment somone wants to take him outside.

I wonder how some of these paper thin skinned umpires survive a game.

I wonder how some of these paper thin skinned umpires survive a game.


I'd bet the coaches have a more difficult time lasting out the game. :D

Have you noticed that the "skin" is getting thinner every year? Forget our HS coaches, I'd love to get some of these guys into some of the LL's around here. Those guys would eat them for dinner!

Listen people, if you are going to be umpires and you can't take the pressure here, turn in your equipment because you'll never make it!

Peace!

Well, the defense will shred your case, as you did not make it very convincingly.;)

As long as you don't make remarks of a personal nature in a mean spirited manner, jokes and barbs between officials are welcome. You can normally tell when one is joking or simply needling somebody. That is different from saying things to intentionally inflict pain.

Saying that he must have stepped into an ASA Softball umpire board was meant as a sarcastic joke, which should in no way offend anyone.

On the other hand, coming off as arrogant is never appreciated. I know, because I have been incorrectly diagnosed as arrogant or braggadocio. Well, I guess I deserved what I got, because I should have known that that's how it looked to everyone but me. Just like you seem to be bragging to the rest of us. You might not think so, but that's how it appears to the rest of the board.

So, did you get your answer? :p

Isn't it kind of, hmm, well, uh, arrogant to assume one speaks for "the rest of the board?"

I just couldn't resist the irony.

OK then, correctly diagnosed!:D

I was really just going by the comments I've read on the subject so far.