Touchdown Tech: How iPads Are Revolutionizing College Football Strategies

iPad Pro with M4 chip offers a nano-texture display and also supports Apple Pencil Pro — On the sideline, it becomes an important assistant for coaches and players

Excited fans sip jambalaya, a breeze flutters a banner reading “Geaux Tigers,” and the bleachers begin to fill with excited college students. iPad Pro The game is being played in Baton Rouge today, so he’s already waiting on the field.

Pregame festivities and Cajun food are a long-standing tradition at Tiger Stadium, but iPads haven’t been seen on the sidelines for a while. In January of this year, the NCAA approved a rule that allows college football teams to have up to 18 active tablets for use on the sidelines, coaches’ booths, and locker rooms during games. Three conferences are already using the new rules: the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten. The iPad is useful for both coaches and players on game day, as it allows you to film me directly from the sideline or end zone. You also have access to all your submissions.

“The new iPad Pro with its nano-textured display is really cool,” says Doug Aucoin, director of video recording at Louisiana State University. “Without the new iPad Pro and its nano-textured display, it would be virtually impossible to watch the pitch without the glare from the sun.”

A major problem for staff in the College Football League was battling inclement weather, especially glare. The technology the NFL routinely uses to control sideline action can’t stand up to it, so a new solution had to be devised. During NFL games, teams only have access to still images, not video. iPad Pro’s new nano-textured display is great at diffusing ambient light while maintaining image quality and contrast, reducing unwanted light rays reflecting off the display surface.

Dubbed the “Godfather of SEC Video Coordinators,” Doug Aucoin is inducted into the College Sports Video Association’s Sports Film and Video Hall of Fame in 2022. That’s how he witnessed the advancement of technology in college football leagues. He recalls that when he arrived at LSU in 1997, one of the clerks in the football office still had a typewriter on his desk. He now oversees a sophisticated system that combines an iPad with sports software to allow coaches to review video just seconds after a break.

Catapult is a sports analytics company that provides software to every SEC team. During the match video work will be done as follows: Each team will have their own videographer who will film the endzone and sideline, and will also have access to a live stream. A designated team member then tags each player in the video and adds notes such as downs, distances, offenses, defenses, kickoff phases, running actions, passes, and more. This data can later be used to analyze video recordings.

“While they’re marking, we’re editing video clips in the background, syncing them, and sending video packages to the coach’s box or iPad on the sideline,” said Matt, Catapult’s chief product officer. Bairos says.

Videos can be studied so players can find ways to improve their game in their next match.

The ACC and Big Ten have partnered with DVSport to videotape their games. In these conferences, a central replay technician records plays and the home team records angles on the sidelines and end zones.

“DVSport’s collaboration with Apple is a great example of how the combination of new hardware and software can deliver a solution everyone will welcome on the playing field,” said Brian Lowe, President and CEO of DVSport. states. I have to say that using Apple’s latest iPad Pro and iPad Air is really simple and elegant. ”

“Having an iPad on the sideline makes coaching during the game more efficient,” said Mike Saffell, tight ends coach at the University of California, Berkeley. “Instant feedback allows players and coaches to quickly adjust match tactics. Additionally, both teams have the potential to improve their games from match day, making the atmosphere even more intense.”

UC’s starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza also nodded in agreement. “Before, you could only dissect a game after it was over. Now you can do more on the sideline, which is great. When you get on the field, you play like you always do. But even when you’re off the field, you can consult with your coaches, adjust your game strategy, and get back into the game. This is very helpful, especially for young players who are learning the game.” he continues.

When it comes to integrating new technology, Bairos, like many other coaches, boasts that there are no obstacles to the process since virtually anyone can use an iPad. “It’s easy to use and anyone can use it, so you don’t have to learn anything new,” says Bairos. “If we put an iPad with our software in the hands of a coach, they can handle it themselves. He knows how to operate it and understands the touch elements.”

Ole Miss team general manager Billy Glasscock highlights the fact that another benefit of using iPads is the possibility of using them. Apple Pencil Pro. “If you want to design a strategy based on match footage, the Catapult app also doubles as a coaching chart, which you can use with your Apple Pencil Pro or your finger. Similarly, you can draw on video footage.” he continues.

The players adapted well to the iPad because they had been able to use it for so long. “They grew up with iPads in their hands,” said University of Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal.

Alex Mirabal said the iPad was especially useful during a thrilling game against Cal in March. The Hurricanes were losing by 30 points, but managed to come back and ultimately won by 20 points. “We didn’t get the sack on the second play of the game. After the event, I showed the defensive line exactly what we did wrong,” Mirabal recalled. “If a situation like that happens again, we know how to deal with it. Later in the game, they tried the exact same blitz and boom, but we quickly realized where the wind was coming from. “The iPad really helps us a lot, especially during halftime when the players reach for it,” Mirabal said.

“Where is the iPad?” Where is the iPad? ‘I start looking for them as soon as I get off the field,” admitted Miami wide receiver Isaiah Horton. Horton points out that the iPad has not only made coaches’ jobs more efficient, but also made coordination between players more efficient. “Having something visual at hand makes a big difference. It’s just, ‘Look, I saw this, but I don’t know what you saw, because the quarterback is on one side of the field. ‘Because I’m looking at one side and I’m looking at the other.’

In the long run, Horton believes the use of iPads during games will be a plus. Players and coaches have access to the same information. Mendoza approaches the game strategically, while Glasscock tries to eradicate individual elements of the game. At the same time, teams are well aware that they can use new game strategies only once, as their opponents have the opportunity to quickly learn from their mistakes. According to Mirabal, this will take American football to a whole new level.

“As a coach, it’s important to not be afraid and embrace technology as part of the game,” Mirabal said. “I am completely of courseThe use of iPads on the sideline has a major impact on the game. There’s no doubt about that. There’s not a single coach in America who wouldn’t dare say he’s a bad influence on the game. ”

For Doug Aucoin, using an iPad on the sideline has a deeper meaning. His father, Irbie Aucoin, joined the New Orleans Saints in 1967 and became the NFL’s first full-time film director. He was something of a pioneer in game review, as he devised a system in which he would take Polaroid photos from the coach’s booth and then move them along a wire to the sideline for review.

“It started with Polaroid, then thermal printers came out… and now you can watch video footage of matches on your iPad,” Aucoin says. “But my dad first came up with it many years ago and I’m really proud of his accomplishment. It’s amazing to see how much technology has advanced since then. .”