The Ball That Could Transform The NFL

September 8, 2014 in Daily Bulletin

For all the technology being used in this year’s NFL season, the process used to determine the position of the ball hasn’t changed since 1907 writes Joseph Stromberg. This could change:

  • Most other sports use high resolution cameras to track the location of the ball. This isn’t an option at the NFL where the ball is often blocked by players’ bodies.
  • Now researchers are experimenting with using radio waves to track the ball. This system is superior to GPS or NFC because it’ll be able to track its position even in the case of a 22 man pile up.
  • Aficionados might be concerned that the transmitter will affect the balance of the ball, but given that each ball is handmade anyway, there is considerable variation, and the extra weight from the transmitter will be within the bounds of the natural variation.
  • The technology could also be used to help coaches track data such as a quarterback’s throwing speed for each pass.

Read about the technology, see how it’s put into a ball, hurdles to adoption, and more over here.

Source: Vox