March 3, 2025
Nonverbal Cues: How Do Different Sports Use Them?
The world of sports is full of nonverbal cues and language, which are often used in basketball, hockey, baseball, and rugby. But how are they used and what do they look like? Each of these sports have their own respective methods of nonverbally communicating key aspects of their game between players. Not every sport mentioned will get coverage here. However, of the two that do, the hope is that the language will become more understandable, both in terms of what it looks like and how it’s used in the game.
Baseball has always been a sport that doesn’t allow for much verbal communication. Therefore, players and coaches must utilize nonverbal cues to communicate. For instance, a catcher may discreetly hold out a signal of one, two, three, and so on, while his hand is behind the batter. This is meant to tell the pitcher what type of pitch to throw (e.g., one for a fastball, two for a curveball, etc.). Coaches can also give subtle instructions to players through the use of predetermined motions such as touching different parts on their bodies (e.g., the brim of a hat, belt, or nose). There are many other nonverbal signals used in baseball; however, to keep things short and sweet, this is all we’ll be able to cover on the sport for now.
Ice hockey is another sport that doesn’t allow for much verbal communication during a game due to its fast-paced nature. Therefore, players and coaches implement a number of their own nonverbal cues in-game to keep everyone on the same page. For example, you may see coaches waving their hands towards the boards that separate players from spectators. This is done as a way to signal to a player that they should move to that area to cover an opponent. In other cases, you may see them pointing to the middle of the ice. This is meant to show a player that they need to move to the center position (center ice) when on defense. Coaches may also perform a “chopping” motion with their hands, which is meant to signal a quick pass of the puck.
In the players’ case, quickly tapping a teammate’s hockey stick with another, while neither has the puck, is meant to indicate that they should be more alert and ready to receive the puck; a more forceful tap is meant to convey urgency. Lastly, if a player is across from a teamate with the puck and rapidly taps his stick on the ice, he’s trying to tell his teammate to pass the puck.
Sports can be very interesting when you know what to look for, so the next time you’re watching a favorite sporting event, keep an eye out for the nonverbal communication and ques that keep the games running smoothly
—Seth VanEss, Sports Editor