As we head in to week 6 of the NFL season, we’ve already seen some big changes in NFL technology. Debuting Week 1 on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, the 360 degree FreeD telecast provides fans an unprecedented look into recent plays.
The system uses 24 high-speed cameras to capture red-zone action from literally every angle, then stitches footage into one comprehensive view. This allows controllers to spin side-to-side around the entire play and maintain the best possible viewing angle at any given time. Aside from wowing fans with Matrix-esque footage, the long-term applications and impacts of this technology remain to be seen.
From the first televised game in 1939, technology has had a huge impact on the NFL. Ever wonder why players originally wore nameplates on the back of their jerseys? It was done so fans at home knew who was who, without having to refer to their programs. There are countless examples of technology making professional football a more enjoyable viewing experience – from HD broadcasting to yellow first down line makers and other on-screen graphics.
The on the field impact of technology has been equal, if not greater, in the NFL. Technology has changed nearly every aspect of the game. Its impact has been felt in play calling, communication, drafting, and the treatment of injured players, to name a few. From TV timeouts to auto-syncing iPad playbooks, technology is a driving force in the evolution of the National Football League. Over years of change, a handful of technologies stand out for their direct and drastic impact on professional football. Here are the top five technologies that changed the NFL forever.
5. Video Scoreboards
Great Jumbotron Impact Video (NFL.com)
Next time you watch a replay of your favorite player streaking down the sideline for a touchdown, take a look at his eyes. Chances are that he’s not looking at the field in front of him, but rather looking up at the stadium’s huge video display. It has become common practice for players to check the display – better known by the Sony-specific brand name, JumboTron – to see their pursuers without losing speed and balance by looking back. The same goes for other runners in the open field, who use the field overview provided by the scoreboard to spot running lanes. Other players will use the replays broadcast on stadium displays to instantly reflect on what went wrong and diagnose issues.
Video displays have an impact on coaches as well. Ever see a coach calling plays with a clipboard over his mouth? It’s not because he’s shy. Coaches cover their mouths to prevent opponents from reading their lips via the stadium display and thus discovering the play call.
Video displays also hold value for coaches, specifically when decided whether or not to throw the red flag. The decision to challenge a play must be made in a matter of seconds as the opposing team races to get a play off. Though coaches receive challenge advice from staff in the press box, most coaches relish the opportunity to review key replays themselves as they are posted on the video scoreboard. This second look gives the coaches on the field enough information to make their own decisions in challenge situations.
Stadium video scoreboards make the list of game-changing technologies because they are relevant to almost anybody who steps on the football field. Be it as a convenient rear-view mirror for runners or a second take for coaching staff, the stadium scoreboard is a tool that must be accounted for or utilized, depending on your perspective.
4. Artificial Playing Surfaces
NFL Films Astrotruf Impact Video (From their Top 10)
In 1966, the Houston Oilers unveiled their state of the art 125,000 square foot removable Astroturf field. The first of its kind in the NFL, the grass-like surface required very little maintenance compared to a traditional grass field. Across the NFL, teams clamored to install the low-maintenance turf in their stadium. Astroturf was far firmer surface than a traditional grass field, more akin to concrete than dirt. Compared to grass, the artificial surface was noticeably better for running. To this day, players swear AstroTurf increased the speed of the game. Skill position players became an even bigger part of the game, as their breakaway speed took center stage. In the draft, speed became a top priority in the selection process. Teams wanted players who were best suited for the attributes of their new fields.
The impact of AstroTurf also came into play when players hit the turf. The term “turf burn” arose to describe the painful scrapes caused by sliding across surfaces like AstroTurf. The surface did not have the give of traditional grass, leading to harder and more damaging falls. There were noted increases in anterior collateral ligament (ACL) tears, concussions, and ankle sprains, as well as general muscle soreness. Turf-specific conditions, such as “turf toe” – a severe jamming or bending of the big toe – also arose.
As the original AstroTurf was phased out in favor of the more forgiving FieldTurf, many of those injury complaints were quieted. The new surface was comprised of a combination of synthetic materials, including polyethylene fibers, sand, and rubber. Though increased injuries on FieldTurf were not as apparent, its impact on players remained. In a recent study of 2,680 NFL games over nine years, The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that there were 22% more knee sprains, 67% more ACL sprains, and 31% more ankle sprains on Field Turf as opposed to natural grass. The issue with the surface being that the high-friction FieldTurf does not allow the foot to naturally slide and avoid over-extension.
Artificial playing surfaces significantly changed the NFL in a couple of key ways. Artificial surfaces made the league faster – whether it was through the surface itself or the draft picks. It instilled an emphasis on speed that remains to this day; one of the first stats on a NFL scouting report is still the 40 yard dash time. Artificial surfaces lead to new and more frequent injuries, likely shortening many careers. These surfaces continues to impact teams’ seasons and players’ careers with increased over-extension of lower appendages.
3. Helmet Audio
The NFL helmet began as little more than a padded leather cap. Following World War II, the plastic helmet was introduced. Advancements continued with facemasks and later accessories, like visors. New versions were not just far safer than their earlier counterparts, they also began to take on additional roles.
In 1994, the NFL introduced in-helmet radio receivers for quarterbacks. The QB could now receive the play directly from his head coach or offensive coordinator; offenses no longer had to rely on signaling or runners to get the play to the huddle. By NFL rules, the receivers are shut off for the last 15 seconds of every play clock and during plays. Given a standard 40-second play clock, this means coaches have 25 seconds to call a play and point out key features of the defense.
Despite complaints about the quality of early in-helmet reception, these systems still amounted to a big advantage for offenses. Helmet audio completely revolutionized the hurry-up offense. Plays could be quickly and accurately called without a huddle, keeping the defense on their heels and denying them a chance to catch their breath.
Defense didn’t catch up on helmet audio until 2008. By this time, heavily-encrypted digital receivers had replaced their analog forebears. The upgraded technology delivered safer, more reliable, and higher quality communication. Though defensive adaptation of helmet audio didn’t put an end to the devastating effectiveness of the no-huddle, it did give defenses a better shot at organizing resistance. It’s an edge they highly value. For example, the Tennessee Titans spent the entire 2013 training camp practicing a complicated signal system to fill in during the few times the helmet audio was unavailable.
Helmet audio makes this list because it has a direct impact on just about every play. It drastically improved the hurry-up offense, a strategy that’s still highly popular today. No matter which side of the ball, helmet audio changed how you plan for and play the game of football.
2. Arthroscopic Surgery and Recovery Techniques
It was not long ago that the words “Torn ACL” meant the afflicted player’s season was effectively over. Damage to the tissues around the joints almost always required season-ending surgery. Worse yet, a return to a similar level of play was anything but guaranteed.
Things changed with the introduction of arthroscopic surgery. The surgery gets its name from two Greek word: arthro, meaning joint, and skopein, meaing to look. The minimally invasive procedure requires only a series of pencil-sized incisions, as opposed to the traditional method of fully opening the joint. Arthroscopic surgery uses a small camera, called an Arthroscope, to view inside the skin. Using the Arthroscope to see, doctors perform the surgery with miniature instruments through the incision points.
The key benefit of Arthroscopic Surgery is reduced recovery time. Previously, the average recovery time for an ACL tear was one to two years. Players can be back on the field after Arthroscopic surgery in nine months or less. Additionally, this method can increase surgical success rates by causing less trauma to the connective tissues. This surgery often couples with advanced physical therapy techniques that strengthen surrounding muscles to take pressure off an injured joint. The culmination of the process is athletes back on the field faster and closer to performing at 100%.
Possibly the most famous example of Arthroscopic success is Adrian Peterson. Peterson tore his ACL and MCL on December 24, 2011 against the Redskins. He had Arthroscopic surgery six days later. Peterson triumphantly returned on September 9, 2012 with 84 yards rushing and two touchdowns. A similar case occurred with former Ravens star, Ed Reed. Reed tore his hip in early May, only to return after successful surgery in Week 3.
Arthroscopic surgery is a technology that changed the NFL because it helped to reduce the impact of common injuries. Every year, key injures play a huge role in what teams advance along the road to the Super Bowl. For years, medical journals dubbed ACL tears “the most common cause of the ex-athlete.” Arthroscopic surgery has made ACL tears and similar joint injures much less daunting.
1. Instant Replay
It may come as a surprise, but NFL officials are not infallible. Though the officials get the call right a vast majority of the time, they can be wrong. As replay technologies reached fans at home, these mistakes by referees were highlighted for all to see. This prompted the league to try video review of plays in 1986. Unfortunately, the technology at the time was cumbersome and significantly delayed the game. Instant replay was scrapped in 1992. As new and improved video technologies became available, instant replay returned in 1999 and has been a facet of the NFL since.
From 1998 to 2008, there were 2,780 replay reviews in only 2,536 games. That’s about 1.1 reviews every game. Of those almost three thousand total reviews, the call on the field was reversed 916 times. In a sport where victory and defeat can be separated by the outcome of a single play, that number is huge. The type of plays that are typically taken to review are those with major impact on the outcome of the game, like turnovers, touchdowns, and key ball spots. Instant replay became an even bigger part of the game in 2012, when turnovers and touchdowns became automatically reviewed.
Instant replay also has impact beyond video review. Team doctors are now joining referees under the video review hood. Doctors are using the high definition, multi-angle, and slow motion features of instant replay to help diagnose exactly how an injury occurred. Players often have a hard time filling medical staff in on what’s wrong and what happened. Replay has been helpful in filling in the blanks, especially in hard to diagnose injuries like concussions. It has also proved an invaluable resource for trainers who may have been distracted with another player when the injury occurred. Instant replay is a go-to source for on the field footage due to strict rules on sideline technology.
Instant replay is number one on the list of technologies that changed the NFL forever because it created a new standard for accuracy in the NFL. Instant replay leads to changes, for better or worse, on over a hundred key plays every season. It has even evolved to help better treat players. Instant replay has been a major part of some the greatest moments in NFL history – from the birth of the Tuck Rule to the Music City Miracle to the David Tyree Helmet Catch. Any way you slice it, instant replay has made an undeniable impact on the NFL.
That concludes the list of the top five technologies that forever changed the NFL. These technologies and many like them have been major factors in shaping professional football as we know it today. What do you think about the significance of technologies listed above? Know of other impactful technologies? See parallels in other sports? Let us know in the comments section.