I know that conventional baseball signs by catcher, 3b coach, manager, etc (for instance: steal, bunt, pitchcalling, etc) are traditionally given by a series of hand gestures.
My question is:
Are the rules that prohibit a coach or catcher from calling out signals similar to the way a quarterback would in football?
Or is it just a question of ettiquette? If it is ettiquette, would you personally frown on this type of signalling and maybe even ask the team to stop doing it? or do you see nothing wrong with it so long as the team feels they can communicate what they want effectively without tipping the other team off?
I'm specifically asking about JV baseball, but would be curious as to whether your answer would be any different for younger players or, for that matter, HSvarsity and even college and the pros.
I realize it would be highly unconventional, but i see some advantages compared to the traditional systems. (obviously, one would need a backup plan in case crowd noise or other factors made the audible signals difficult to hear)
Thanks
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