Hold your non-dominant hand flat in front of you with the palm facing down to represent a surface. Form your dominant hand into a 'C' shape, as if you are holding a ball. Bring your dominant hand down to tap the back of your non-dominant hand, then move it upward and outward in an arc, mimicking a ball bouncing off the ground.
Sign 'ball', then use the sign for 'bounce'. To show that the bounce is particularly high, you can exaggerate the upward arc of your dominant hand, bringing it higher than usual to visually demonstrate the height.
After signing 'ball', you can modify the 'bounce' sign to show direction. Instead of one big arc, make multiple smaller, descending arcs moving downward and away from you to visually represent the ball bouncing down a flight of steps.
Sign 'house' and 'not', then sign 'bounce'. When signing 'bounce' in a negative command like this, use a firm, clear movement and a serious facial expression to emphasize that bouncing the ball indoors is against the rules.
Sign 'ball', then use the sign for 'bounce'. To show that the bounce is particularly high, you can exaggerate the upward arc of your dominant hand, bringing it higher than usual to visually demonstrate the height.
After signing 'ball', you can modify the 'bounce' sign to show direction. Instead of one big arc, make multiple smaller, descending arcs moving downward and away from you to visually represent the ball bouncing down a flight of steps.
Sign 'house' and 'not', then sign 'bounce'. When signing 'bounce' in a negative command like this, use a firm, clear movement and a serious facial expression to emphasize that bouncing the ball indoors is against the rules.
No, this sign is specifically for the physical action of a round object bouncing off a surface. For a bounced check, you would use a different sign related to banking, such as the sign for 'returned' or 'insufficient funds', because the meaning is financial rather than physical.
Yes! ASL is very visual. To show a ball bouncing multiple times, simply repeat the arcing motion of your dominant hand several times. You can move it slightly forward or to the side with each 'bounce' to show the continuous, traveling action of the ball.
Yes, tapping the back of your non-dominant hand is important because it clearly establishes the physical surface the object is bouncing off of. Without making that contact, the visual story is incomplete, and the meaning of the sign might be unclear to the person watching.
