What To Know About Sideline Tablets and Coach to Player Communication
The new technology makes its full debut in 2024
Coach to Player communication is the newest addition of technology coming to college football in 2024. This change comes in response to the cheating scandal Michigan has been embroiled in the past few seasons. Auburn’s equipment and video staff gave media members a thorough presentation on the rules and how Auburn is implementing them this season. Here are the highlights.
How Many Players Will Have the “Coach to Player” (C2P) Communication System Equipped in Game?
Five players will get the green “C2P” sticker on their helmets each game. However, only one player can have C2P communication on the field per play. On offense, it will certainly be the QB. It will likely be the middle linebacker on defense, like what we see in the NFL. Auburn DC DJ Durkin noted how this will make creating certain packages more difficult. Coaches and players will have to be aware of who has the C2P helmet on for each play. If more than one green dot is on the field, it will result in a penalty. This will mean some players will be forced to have multiple helmets on the sideline during games.
How Long Can Coaches Talk to Players? Which Coaches Can Talk to Players?
Coaches have until 15 seconds left on the play clock to talk to players with the green dot. When 15 seconds on the play clock hits, contractors hired by each conference will flip a switch that turns off the radio communications for each team. Each conference has hired a communications company to provide the equipment and manage the radio frequencies in-game. The communication is one-way, meaning players do not have a microphone inside their helmet that allows them to talk back to their coach. Coaches will have a button on their headset they push to get them on the same frequency as their players. Any coach can have the button, but only one coach can press it and talk at a time. For example, if the head coach is talking to the quarterback, the QB coach won’t be able to talk to the QB until the head coach releases the button.
Sideline Tablets will also be in Use in 2024
Sideline tablets make their full debut in college football in 2024. They got a cameo appearance alongside the C2P communication system for select bowl games after the 2023 season. The tablets will allow coaches and players to review game film in real-time. Play information is allowed to only be what is displayed on videoboards in stadiums. For example, down and distance, wind, etc. Tablets will be on the sidelines and in the booth, so coaches upstairs can tell their players which specific play they want them to watch and can coach them during the game. Tablets are allowed to go into locker rooms at halftime in 2024, however, film cannot be displayed on a larger screen. Players and coaches can review film with four different camera angles, like watching games on TV. The NFL has used sideline tablets for the past few seasons; the intent for college football is the same as the NFL’s.
The line between the NFL and college football continues to get blurred. The additions of Coach to Player helmet communication and sideline tablets in 2024 will make the college game look nearly identical to the pro. We might be seeing the extinction of play cards and it’s a shame. It was fun to see how creative coaches were with the symbols they would use to call different plays. However, these additions should help make the quality of play on the field increase, and that is why we all watch the games.