mpire manuals, and often rules books, generally have a pictorial section devoted to illustrating the various signals used by umpires to communicate their decisions. In none of those publications is "the point" even depicted as a legitimate signal. Yet it is a safe bet that anyone who has umpired more than half a dozen games has used that gesture as a signal.

The ubiquitous point is not limited to any one situation or any particular call. Nor can it stand completely alone on its own merit. Rather, it is a modifier, albeit a very powerful modifier. Used in conjunction with other signals, it can clarify the call and stop an argument. Misused, it can humiliate and create a riot.

Shift the blame

The strength of the point is that it shifts the focus of the onlookers. When we point, people quit looking at us and look to where we are pointing. The point says, "Look! See what I see."

Continued...