Foul Tip Signal

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I agree that it's generally not needed. I stopped using it several years ago and only restarted because of "negative feedback".

It is needed it the swing isn't obvious -- I ended a play in a D-3 game last week when a batter may have swung, but was also trying to get out of the way of an inside pitch -- but it didn't matter because the ball hit the bat and went sharply and directly to F2's mitt and was caught. So, here I gave the foul tip signal and then the strike signal.

Finally, it's different from the "not closely guarded" signal -- without it, the coach doesn't know whether you're not watching the play or are watchinbut judging the difference to be greater than 6' (3' in NCAAW). S/he doesn't know whether to discuss your mechanics or your judgment.

Bob:

Your baseball explaination made a lot of sense, and your example is a good one.

But, I have been officiating women's college basketball since 1974 and men's since 1993 and every time a coach asks about a closely guarded situation and why I do not have my arms spread out, I respond with the following statement: "If I am swinging my arm, then I have a closely guarded situation and if I am not swinging my arm, I do not have a closely guarded situation." And the response I get almost 100% of the time is: "Gee, I never thought of it like that." Therefore, if my arm ain't swinging, it means I ain't counting, and if I ain't counting it means that I do not have a closely guarded situation.

MTD, Sr.