Helmet communications and the unseen war of play-call signals
College football is adding helmet communications for the 2024 season...what will that mean for college football tactics?
In 2024, college football is finally going to have helmet communications for players like they do in the NFL. It’s a relatively simple feature to include, you put a radio in the helmet of a player or multiple players, and the coaches can directly communicate directions and play-calls into their ears.
The reason it’s finally happening in 2024 is because of one of the biggest stories of the 2023 football season, the sign-stealing scandal surrounding the eventual National Champion Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan was caught using a radicalized staffer to advance scout opposing teams with a camera and get video of their sideline signals so the Wolverines could discern opposing signs and steal the opposing team’s play call.
Obviously it’s extremely valuable to know what the offense or defense across from you plans to do after the ball is snapped. Virtually every quarterback in football can be lethal when he’s dropping back already knowing where he’s going with the ball and can set his feet or move his eyes in a way to manipulate the defense and set up an anticipated throw.
The difference between a quarterback dropping back knowing what he’s going to do and setting it up vs a quarterback dropping back and having to make choices amidst the violence and chaos is considerable.
So, sign-stealing is a really big deal. You gain a massive advantage when you either know the opponent’s signals OR you can prevent them from having your signals. The under told story of 2023 was actually Michigan drawing level with their competition in the war of intelligence and counterintelligence that is occurring beneath the surface of college football.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are NOTORIOUS sign-stealers. When you know the defensive play-call before the snap it’s not terribly difficult to draw up the perfect coverage beater and position future NFL wideouts and quarterbacks to just line up and execute it. Michigan had to catch up with Ohio State espionage to finally start defeating them.
In turn, Ohio State’s counter-intelligence operations against Brent Venables and Clemson’s sign-stealing in the 2020 playoff semi-final was also an important story. Sign stealing isn’t illegal, what Michigan was busted for was breaking rules about in-person scouting, it’s a part of the game.
Much of the college world was introduced to this world of subterfuge for the first time as a result of the Michigan scandal. Helmet communications will change the world of play-calling and sign stealing. Today I’ll help explain how the world of military intelligence in America’s War Game will change with these new rules.
