Rob Stern was coaching his NJ Pride team in Colorado last week at one of the country’s top summer softball showcases.
The players on the team he was competing against kept checking their watches during the game.
“I’m like, what is this, group text deciding where they’re going for dinner?” quipped Stern.
After the game, Stern talked to the opposing coach about the communication devices, which Stern noted had been showing up in softball tournaments this summer. A few days later, Stern - also the head coach of North Jersey Non-Public A champion Mount St. Dominic - found out electronic devices will be a part of high school softball next season as well.
On Monday, the NFHS announced high school softball coaches will be able to use electronic devices in the dugout for one-way communication to the catcher while the team is on defense beginning in 2025, mirroring the rule that was put into place for baseball this past spring.
“This change is the result of analysis of current data, state association experimentation and a positive response from the membership,” said Sandy Searcy, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee, in the statement announcing the rules changes. “The committee has made these changes to support the use of emerging technology within the sport of softball. Being a permissive rule, the use of this one-way electronic communication will allow those who choose to embrace the technology an additional option to communicate with the catcher while on defense. It will also maintain the ability for those who prefer a more traditional approach to communicate using signals or a playbook/playcard to continue that approach.”
“The NFHS’s update to their 2024-2025 softball rules, follow a similar update to their 2023-2024 baseball rules,” said NJSIAA spokesperson Mike Cherenson. “Based on informal feedback, we’ve seen sporadic usage of one-way communication in baseball here in New Jersey.”
Stern said he was intrigued by the idea of the communication device but wasn’t necessarily sold on it. He’ll do some more research as the summer goes on.
“The coach I talked to was pushing a button on the phone, and he would give the kid the pitch. ... Curveball, inside, outside and the catcher had a watch on her hand,” said Stern “I never used one myself, but you know listen, like all advanced technology I’d like to see a little more. I see it being good but constant communication it could be too much.
“We’re so close (sitting) on the buckets to the catcher, we can say what we want to say. With the communication device, would I have to move further away? I’m a little bit of a dinosaur. I’ve been doing it all these years without it. I see some coaches with all these signals with sideline wristbands, and I’m thinking what are you telling them? I was talking to (Morris Knolls coach) Keith Heinemann the other night and he said you know, I was never worried somebody was stealing my signs.”
Gloucester coach Megan Mason, who was named NJ.com Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to the state Group 2 title this season, agreed she doesn’t have a problem with using finger signals the pitcher and catcher can both see. With the electronic device, the catcher becomes the middle man.
“I’m old-school so I wouldn’t use it until I can see a benefit,” said Mason. “I’m telling the catcher what the pitch is (with an electronic device) and now the catcher still has to give the sign. A lot of coaches use the wristbands and code words, colors, numbers. I’ve been fine giving signals.
“I’ll probably get on the phone with our baseball coach and ask did it help you? What were the positives? What were the negatives? I’ll see if I can put it into my game plan and see how it works. Will it help with sign stealing? Right now, I can’t think of anything where I would use it where I couldn’t just call time and go out and talk about it.”
Communication devices have also recently been approved in college softball with the NCAA Softball Rules Committee approving the change prior to the 2024 season.
Stern will be headed to Chicago on the next stop of his summer softball tour, and he is fulling expecting a complement of sales representatives to be waiting for him and the other coaches when he arrives after the approval of the new rule.
Stern noted cost would be an a big issue. He said the watches he saw at the tournament were about $250 each and 12 players were wearing them.
The one-way communication devices used by most high school coaches wouldn’t be quite so expensive. The GoRout device favored by many baseball coaches runs around $700 but others could be found for several hundred dollars less or a monthly service that utilizes a cell phone and wireless earplugs.
“Like any other training item, what’s it cost? How does it work? What’s the value?” said Stern. “If it’s going to make us better, I’ll look into it.”
Stern thought beyond than one-way communication he would like a device that maintained data from the pitches he is calling.
“I’d love if it told me on 200 batters we threw curveball 19 times on first pitch or in the first five innings, we were behind in the count 72 percent of the time,” he said.
Mason could see more value in the electronic communication if every player could have a device.
“First and third, fake throws, you don’t have to stand up and say here’s the play, and then if you have to say it a second time, they’re probably going to know what you’re doing,” said Mason. “If everybody could have one, I would be more in favor of that.”
Stern also noted, “I think I’d like to get into the umpire’s ear.”
Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @bybillevans.
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