Rule Change in the NFL? (1 Viewer)

[greenf7cat]

I was watching the Chefs/SD game yesterday at my house with a friend of mine who mentioned the fact that the league (NFL) wants to change a rule in the near future... I wasn't sure what that lime green dot is on the back of each QB's helmet.. he stated that this sticker goes on the back of the helmet of the player who receives the play calls via radio.

He then said something very disturbing.... the NFL may think of allowing all offensive players the ability to have this chip in their helmet so they can hear the plays????? That completely takes away from the game of football, along with any home field advantage...

I, for one, would veto this idea ASAP. Any thoughts?

I apologize if this has been discussed already.

 

[DspSphinx]

I haven't heard of other offensive players being able to have a radio in their helmets but I have heard of the possibility to allow a defensive player to have a radio.

 

[BeachBums]

I was watching the Chefs/SD game yesterday at my house with a friend of mine who mentioned the fact that the league (NFL) wants to change a rule in the near future... I wasn't sure what that lime green dot is on the back of each QB's helmet.. he stated that this sticker goes on the back of the helmet of the player who receives the play calls via radio. He then said something very disturbing.... the NFL may think of allowing all offensive players the ability to have this chip in their helmet so they can hear the plays????? That completely takes away from the game of football, along with any home field advantage...I, for one, would veto this idea ASAP. Any thoughts?I apologize if this has been discussed already.

The green dot is for the QB who can receive communication from the sideline. The discussion going on now - especially in the wake of CameraGate - is that one defensive player also be able to also receive signals from the sidelines, eliminating the hand signals. The problem is that there is a lot of substitution on the defensive side and the competition committee does not want more than one defensive player to be able to receive communication or to cause problems with substitutions because a guy can't find a helmet with/without communications. I think your friend is confused about all O players being able to receive communications.ETA that the rule to allow (require?) one defensive player to have sideline communication failed in the competition committee last year with 21 of the necessary 24 votes.

 

[SR388]

I haven't heard of other offensive players being able to have a radio in their helmets but I have heard of the possibility to allow a defensive player to have a radio.

This is what I have heard as well. The reason for the green dot is so the NFL can keep track of the QB's helmet. There have been rumors of defensive players "borrowing" the QB's helmet.

 

[greenf7cat]

thanks fellas... that helps.. i heard about the 1 defensive player being able to have the radio as well, but not about what my friend had mentioned.

 

[The Shizzle]

While technology is advancing and making it enjoyable to see all stats for games, it is in my opinion hindering the game was meant to be played.

Too much turf, too many play sheets taped to QB's arms, too many cameras on the field, too many papers printed out during gametime.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

It's a great idea. Think of it like playing a video game. Do you want your play options on the TV screen so your opponent can see them, or on your controller so only you can see them?

 

[JohnnyU]

Whatever happened to when QBs were real men and called their own plays?

 

[videoguy505]

I, for one, would veto this idea ASAP. Any thoughts?

...and how much weight does your veto carry? Is it binding? How many league owners are required to overrule it?Anyway, I feel this is just a natural evolution of the game. If the offense can have them and eliminate some of the homefield advantage when they're trying to get a play in on the road, I guess I don't see a problem with defense being able to do the same.The only reason they haven't yet is that the fans like scoring and all the rules are made to benefit the offense first.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Whatever happened to when QBs were real men and called their own plays?

 

[QuizGuy66]

I don't like the green dot, I think they should've used this instead:

-QG

 

[massraider]

Whatever happened to when QBs were real men and called their own plays?

It'd be nice, but I gotta say, my enjoyment of football hasn't been diminished even a little bit by the knowledge that the coaches are calling the plays.

 

[Chaka]

Florio has bandied about the idea of OTs and WRs getting helmet receivers but I had not heard anything about the NFL adopting this.

 

[Keysersoze666]

Technology is an ongoing, never-stop part of every day life, it will NEVER be eliminated as a factor in the evolution of the game.

Instant replay, better helmets, better over-all equipment, better medical procedures AND facilities, radio communications with the booth AND the QB, better cameras for us to watch the game, the list goes on and will never stop growing. I would agree that applying it with a measured touch to the game on the field is appropriate.

The QB loses communication with the sideline with 10 seconds to go on the play clock. It's also ONE-WAY communications only (I admit I don't know what the Patriots use! ). If you did let all the players have ComHelmets then the "hurry-up" game would receive a boost since transmitting the plays to the entire team would be easier. IMO, this would not affect home filed advantage much since it's the snap count and audibles at the line that are affected by the crowd noise, NOT the calling of the play. Those would still be subject to interruption. I think a defensive solution using ComHelmets is only a matter of time.

As for QB's calling their own plays, most of the good ones sorta do. Manning, Brady, Favre and others check in and out of plays all the time. If Unitas, Starr, Staubach and the others from those early eras could have benefited from "eye-in-the-sky" coaches in the box who can communicate freely and use reams of computer data dealing with probabilities and such, I think they would have wanted it, as long as they had some control on the field to audible. Just my opinion.

 

[pinda]

Charlie Casserley on his weekly CBS segment said the NFL is thinking of putting it in all offensive players. He also called that an insult to the paying fans.

They make their stadium noisy for a reason. They make it difficult for the opposing team to come in and call plays and they should have that right.

 

[mrspree15]

via deadspin:

http://www.foulballs.net/2007/09/hey-goode...oooooooooo.html

 

[mwaldo13]

ETA that the rule to allow (require?) one defensive player to have sideline communication failed in the competition committee last year with 21 of the necessary 24 votes.

It failed because some teams believe that their should be a radio for each part of the defense (line, backers, secondary). Since the proposal was for only ONE radio, not everyone wanted to pass it. They still want to push for more than one because they have different play calls for different parts of the defense.

 

[Keysersoze666]

Whatever happened to when QBs were real men and called their own plays?

I understand the sentiment that you are both expressing here but the differences between eras is so WIDE. This is really a data management issue. In the "old" days, this could be accomplished by the QB/Field General in a way that led to success. But in today's NFL, with 300-400 page playbooks standard (and then there's Al Saunders ), multiple formations and personnel groups that are mind-boggling compared to even 20 years ago, utilizing a hive-mind approach is just more efficient. Multiple processors, properly directed, ARE better.This doesn't even begin to address the QBs need to read and react to defenses that are also light-years more sophisticated than they used to be. If your QB can read and recognize, make subtle adjustments and then still EXECUTE the play, he's in the top ten in the league now. He acts as the sensor, while the other resources on the team, offensive coordinator/head coach/ QB coach, act as the central processor. It's still a nervous system, it's just distributed. To me, this is neither good or bad, it just IS. A reflection of life in the 21st century.

 

[Couch Potato]

The discussion going on now - especially in the wake of CameraGate - is that one defensive player also be able to also receive signals from the sidelines, eliminating the hand signals.

There will be a mysterious gray van with heavily tinted windows parked near the entry tunnel of Patriots home games, and inside will be a guy wearing a Patriots cap and headphones, and it'll have lots of electronic equipment designed to pick up radio waves. Almost no one will know why that van is there... but Bill will know...

 

[Swampy]

Whatever happened to when QBs were real men and called their own plays?

I understand the sentiment that you are both expressing here but the differences between eras is so WIDE. This is really a data management issue. In the "old" days, this could be accomplished by the QB/Field General in a way that led to success. But in today's NFL, with 300-400 page playbooks standard (and then there's Al Saunders ), multiple formations and personnel groups that are mind-boggling compared to even 20 years ago, utilizing a hive-mind approach is just more efficient. Multiple processors, properly directed, ARE better.This doesn't even begin to address the QBs need to read and react to defenses that are also light-years more sophisticated than they used to be. If your QB can read and recognize, make subtle adjustments and then still EXECUTE the play, he's in the top ten in the league now. He acts as the sensor, while the other resources on the team, offensive coordinator/head coach/ QB coach, act as the central processor. It's still a nervous system, it's just distributed. To me, this is neither good or bad, it just IS. A reflection of life in the 21st century.

right on, exactly. Thats one of the reasons P. Manning is who he is. One of the few that can actually disect a defense right on the spot.

 

[BroadwayG]

Whatever happened to when QBs were real men and called their own plays?

Electricity

 

[Couch Potato]

Whatever happened to when QBs were real men and called their own plays?

Geez, what a 'back in the day' old fart. (Rumor has it JohnnyU still makes his wife clean his underwear using the washboard in the back of the covered wagon.)

 

[BeachBums]

The discussion going on now - especially in the wake of CameraGate - is that one defensive player also be able to also receive signals from the sidelines, eliminating the hand signals.

There will be a mysterious gray van with heavily tinted windows parked near the entry tunnel of Patriots home games, and inside will be a guy wearing a Patriots cap and headphones, and it'll have lots of electronic equipment designed to pick up radio waves. Almost no one will know why that van is there... but Bill will know...