In sporting terminology, to telegraph is to unintentionally alert an opponent to one's immediate situation or intentions. The sporting use of the term ''telegraph'' draws a direct comparison with the communication device of the same name. "Telegraphing" always refers to a reflexive physical action rather than a protracted or intentional give-away. For example, a boxer rotating his shoulders to throw a

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

would be telegraphing. A rugby team betraying its line-out plays by using an easily decoded

line-out code {{Unreferenced, date=April 2008 A line-out code is a coded piece of information, used to communicate intentions about a line-out within one team in a rugby union match without giving information away to the other team. A line-out is a manoeuvre use ...

is ''not'' telegraphing. While telegraphing is a hazard for any sporting event, it is particularly risky at upper levels of competition where talented players are better able to anticipate and react to telegraphed actions. The ability to suppress telegraphing, and pick up on the telegraphing of other players, is often a hallmark of elite athletes.

Use in various sports

Martial arts and combat sports

The most widespread telegraph in all

unarmed combat Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Huns ...

is to look directly at an intended target on the opponent's body. This is one of the reasons that competitors are encouraged to look their opponents in the eyes or shoulders when engaged in combat. The term ''telegraph'' is arguably used most often in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

. This will usually take the form of boxers moving their shoulders in a specific manner before throwing a punch. This can also refer to boxers whose overall movement is so slow that it can be anticipated by an opponent. In

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

that utilise legs as well as arms for striking, telegraphing often involves hip movements used to shift bodyweight.

Wing chun Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...

is one martial art that attempts to avoid this pitfall by using uncommitted techniques.

Ice hockey

Hockey players tend to telegraph larger, more forceful actions such as slap shots or body checks. Telegraphing is not avoided as it is hoped that the forcefulness of the action is great enough to overcome its predictability.

Baseball

Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

s can telegraph their selected pitch by allowing the batter to see their finger position. It is considered a basic skill to keep the pitching hand hidden in the glove as long as possible during a pitch. If the pitcher is failing to do this, he is said to be "tipping his pitches". The

split-finger fastball A split-finger fastball or splitter is an off-speed pitch in baseball that looks to the batter like a fastball until it drops suddenly. Derived from the forkball, it is so named because the pitcher puts the index and middle finger on different ...

is one pitch that draws its success mainly by falsely telegraphing a straight fastball to the batter.

Cricket

Bowlers ( spin bowlers even more so than fast or seam bowlers) can telegraph the trajectory and expected landing position of the

ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...

, the likely direction of deviation after pitching, the amount of bounce etc. by allowing the

batsman In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the ball with a bat to score runs and prevent the loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since September 2021, officially referred to as a batter (historically, the ...

to see their finger position and the seam position of the ball at the time of

release Release may refer to: * Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song * Legal release, a legal instrument * News release, a communication directed at the news media * Release (ISUP), a code to ident ...

American Football

The quarterback in American Football can telegraph where he is going to throw by following a certain receiver with his eyes. He can also telegraph when he is about to throw the ball by changing his grip on the ball.

Basketball

Basketball players can telegraph their passes if they continuously look at the intended teammate. This often results in a steal.

Poker

Poker is one of the few non-sporting events to frequently use the term. This is because those players who do betray their intentions, do so when they fail to suppress physical reflexes (such as blinking nervously when dealt a bad hand). ''Telegraph'' in poker is usually abbreviated (and confounded) to tell.

External links

''Dictionary.com'' entry for 'telegraph'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Telegraphing (Sports) Sports terminology