What’s the Deal with the Colored Tape on Catchers’ Chest Protectors?

[Ken Krause]

If you were watching the Women’s College World Series in 2023 and/or 2024 you no doubt noticed that Oklahoma’s catchers had a piece of blue or red tape affixed to their chest protectors. I have heard some interesting explanations as to what it might be. One is that it’s some sort of enlarged target for […]

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[MidwestFastpitchDad]

I saw a thing about this somewhere. Supposedly they use different colors as a method to calm the pitcher. So blue is a a calming color. Red or orange might be a different thing. Some psychology to it I’m sure.


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[Ken Krause]

I saw a thing about this somewhere. Supposedly they use different colors as a method to calm the pitcher. So blue is a a calming color. Red or orange might be a different thing. Some psychology to it I’m sure.


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I think there is a little more to it than that but TBH I'm not 100% sure how it works at this point. Hoping to learn more when I take the live class, where they go into it in more detail. I do know it relates to the rods and cones, not just psychology, but haven't heard a true scientific explanation of why only red and blue and how they relate to an athlete's motor preferences.

 

[MidwestFastpitchDad]

I think there is a little more to it than that but TBH I'm not 100% sure how it works at this point. Hoping to learn more when I take the live class, where they go into it in more detail. I do know it relates to the rods and cones, not just psychology, but haven't heard a true scientific explanation of why only red and blue and how they relate to an athlete's motor preferences.

Report back! I want to try it out for my girls!


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[dogpatch]

My guess is its a conjured-up attention-getter that will have a psychological effect for a while. Good coaches are always looking for little gimmics that give their athletes any possible advantage. In this case, it yields a positive effect on the team that dreamed it up and a negative effect on opponents who now think they are at a disadvantage because they are not doing it!

 

[The Man In Blue]

I’m with @dogpatch .

Anything has a short term psychological effect when attention is called to it. Breathing in means one color calms you and breathing out means another, so a certain color piece of tape is going to make you play better … sounds like snake oil to me.

I used to try to drink an Orange Minute Maid soda before every game. The games when I didn’t, I didn’t play as well. Or so my brain told me. Bring back Orange Minute Maid soda so your power hitters can bang and your catchers can gun the run!