Signaling in plays

IARai8er

Well-Known Member
Could someone explain how the "wig wag" of plays in works? Does each "pose" or sign indicate a number or letter? Cuz after they get the sign then in some cases they look at the crib sheet on their forearm. Thanks, just never did know how that actually works.
 


It depends. Some teams equate a signal with a play. Other teams equate a signal with a number. I believe the Hawks equate a signal with a play. They also have three guys giving the signals (only one 'live') so it's more difficult for the other teams to pick them.
 


If somebody could explain it to you then they need to be on the sidelines somewhere. My only assumption is that each motion means something that correlates on the chart on their forearm.
 


Thanks, I was thinking about this the other day and thought it would be kinda funny to look at the crib sheet with a bunch of pictures of a guy in various signal poses on it. I would guess then it would be like the third sign is the "live" one or something of that nature...again thanks..
 


It depends. Some teams equate a signal with a play. Other teams equate a signal with a number. I believe the Hawks equate a signal with a play. They also have three guys giving the signals (only one 'live') so it's more difficult for the other teams to pick them.

This is pretty accurate. Signals pertain to words or numbers that correlate to the same word or number on the wristband. Other teams that don't use wristbands have the signals actually pertain to the play. Most every school who use signalers to call in plays will utilize multiple people to avoid having their signs stolen.
 




I have read the wristbands provide formation used for the plays called. No idea how Iowa uses it.
 


Once I was listening to the Hawkeye Huddle on AM 600 out of Cedar Rapids. Eric Thigpen gave an example of a name of a play that sounded really confusing, which I can't remember at all, but it was something like Foxtrot, 54, Upside, Gamma, Dogbite. The words he used were actually more complex than that, I simply can't remember. But he said each part of the call had to do with a different assignment. I think he said it was a defensive call, so the first part might be for the lineman, the second for the linebackers, etc. I would think it would be similar for the offense.

I've also noticed that wide receivers break huddle earlier than everybody else, so they must only need to know the first half of the call, and obviously don't need to know the snap count, since they just watch when the ball is snapped.
 


Once I was listening to the Hawkeye Huddle on AM 600 out of Cedar Rapids. Eric Thigpen gave an example of a name of a play that sounded really confusing, which I can't remember at all, but it was something like Foxtrot, 54, Upside, Gamma, Dogbite. The words he used were actually more complex than that, I simply can't remember. But he said each part of the call had to do with a different assignment. I think he said it was a defensive call, so the first part might be for the lineman, the second for the linebackers, etc. I would think it would be similar for the offense.

I've also noticed that wide receivers break huddle earlier than everybody else, so they must only need to know the first half of the call, and obviously don't need to know the snap count, since they just watch when the ball is snapped.

I've noticed something relating to that.....if you watch the huddle and if the receivers leave early, it's a running play almost every time. If they stay in longer, it's a pass play. It's seems to me like an inadvertent "tell" by our offense.
 




Top