Alabama Football Adjusting to New Coach-To-Player Helmet Communication System
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Friday, the NCAA Football Rules Committee unveiled proposed optional technology rules for the upcoming 2024 season, featuring coach-to-player communications facilitated through the helmet of a designated player on the field. The suggested change is currently awaiting approval from the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, and is set to deliberate on football proposals on April 18.
The new communication system would be applicable to games involving all FBS teams, offering each school the choice to implement this innovation. The identified player responsible for communication with the coach would be distinguished by a green dot located on the back midline of their helmet.
The proposed system would also feature an automatic cutoff, deactivating with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock or upon the initiation of the ball snap –whichever sequence occurs first.
Amidst Alabama Football's first spring practice under new head coach Kalen DeBoer on Monday, the team took a proactive approach by incorporating the freshly proposed technology into their everyday routine.
"We were doing it today," DeBoer said. "So we had it out there. With supply and demand across the country, we aren’t able to have as many as what the max would be. But we had a couple of quarterbacks with that in."
Acknowledging potential challenges, DeBoer was quick to point towards the early stages of learning within the new system.
"I haven’t heard any feedback yet, DeBoer said. "I think early on there were a couple of times it was hard to hear, one way or another. I don’t think it was too soft. I think it was actually because it was too loud. But I'm sure that will get tested in our stadium at some point."
Reflecting on the broader implications of the technology itself, DeBoer believes that it introduces a host of possibilities.
"I think there’s a lot of reasons for it you know, that I know it can be positive," DeBoer said. "I don’t know that it answers all the concerns you might have when it comes to some of the things that people will say it automatically fixes -- maybe sign-stealing and things like that. Because I think there are other ways it could go the other way, just with being intentional and trying to get a call and being able to echo it through your defensive headset. I could go on and on with that. But it was good. I think the quarterbacks were just getting used to it, I saw them a couple of times putting their hand up to their helmet and listening, but for the most part it seemed clean.”
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