Welcome to a new era of play-calling
Texas high school football just took a high-tech leap. A new rule from the UIL will allow every player on the field to wear tech for real-time play-calling—signaling the possible end of traditional huddles and hinting at the sport’s next evolution.
The days of belting out “LENSE TO DUECE RIGHT CLAW Z SHORT LANDER Z STRONG X REVO Z LOCKBACK CAN 2 JET X MONDAY ASTRO READ ALERT MONEY DEACON FLOW F PANAMA ON THE OMAHA” in the huddle could soon be over.
The University Interscholastic League's football rules committee, which oversees high school football in Texas, recently approved a rule change for the upcoming season that allows all players on the field to sport wearable tech for the purpose of play-calling.
Why it matters: Friday nights in the Lone Star State have long been a testing ground for new stages of the game. The spread offense, as well as the pass-happy “Air Raid” scheme, were both popularized at Texas high schools before trickling up to the pros, per the Wall Street Journal.
“The democratization of play calling”...as pitch decks showcasing the tech probably position it, involves coach-to-player communication via these wearable devices. Think: screen-forward QB wristbands, but worn by everyone on the field.
- The tech has been compared to the PitchCom system—implemented by Major League Baseball following the Astros sign-stealing scandal—which allows pitchers and catchers to communicate digitally instead of using signals.
Big picture: GoRout, a main player in this space, won a prize from the NFL in 2017 for its on-field wearable technology, and now works with 1k+ schools across the country, including major college football programs who use its product during practice.
