Communication Breakthrough

Thirty years after its debut in the NFL, helmet communication is appearing in college football for the first time this fall. 

The NCAA approved a rule change in April to allow all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools to have one player on each side of the ball with a radio in their helmet — signaled to officials by a green dot — to communicate plays efficiently. Communication will be shut off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever comes first. The rule change occurred after years of pushback, but its implementation will significantly change college football.

The technology was first introduced to the NFL in 1994. Despite not having the technology at the collegiate level, most programs have strayed away from the traditional huddle and communicated plays from the sidelines via hand signals and picture boards.

All 134 FBS programs have the option of using coach-to-player communication. Maryland football is one team that will exercise this rule. The Terps utilized it, as well as tablets, for the first time in their 31-13 win over Auburn in the 2023 TransPerfect Music City Bowl. Overall, six 2023-24 NCAA football bowl games utilized both technologies. 

Quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. and Cameron Edge utilized coach-to-player communication in the bowl game. Edwards finished the game with 126 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. Edge completed 4-of-6 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. 

“We were fortunate to use it in a bowl game,” offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said. “It was a tremendous asset for me to get two quarterbacks who didn’t play as much during the regular season ready for that game. We felt really comfortable about their preparation, which obviously led to their success.”

The Terps also used the feature against the Tigers with a center, linebacker and safety. However, the communication had no cut-off time. 

Head coach Michael Locksley was quoted after the game as saying, “I would definitely think you need to have a cut-off. … It becomes a nuance, an advantage.” However, now that the cut-off has been established, Gattis believes it serves a benefit. 

“There are going to be some slight adjustments that we need to make from a practice preparation standpoint,” he said. But what it does is allow us to communicate clearly to the quarterback. You still kind of have a mechanism to communicate to your skill players, but it does allow you to alert them to any type of information that you need to give to them early on in the play.”

Maryland is among the many FBS teams that have already utilized a no-huddle offense. Running no-huddle concepts with helmet communication allows teams to be even more efficient. However, some teams may opt to slow down the game and move toward the huddle to enable them to increase the complexity of play design and, in return, become more challenging to defend. 

According to an article published by CBS, Power Five teams averaged 26.1 seconds per play in 2023. Nineteen teams sat under 25 seconds per snap, meaning their average snap took place before the play clock struck 15 seconds, which will be the cutoff time for incoming radio calls. However, 14 teams cleared 28 seconds per snap. Interestingly, no team that finished in last season's final top 10 AP rankings averaged a snap count within 25 seconds. 

The integration of helmet communication also impacts defenses. However, many in college football, including Maryland's defensive coordinator Brian Williams, are skeptical that it will be a primary play-calling tool for defenses. 

“It helps out the guys who are responsible for communicating, helping them see things a little faster,” Williams said. “We can't really rely on it because the tempo of the offenses won't allow you to do that. We try to take the perks of it and utilize them to help us, but it won't really be a wholesale change.”

Ruben Hyppolite II, a 2023 All-Big Ten linebacker and team captain, will be one of Maryland’s signal-callers with the green dot in 2024. Although he agrees that nothing significant changes schematically, he views the overall utilization of technology as positive. 

“If anything, it makes it easier for me,” Hyppolite said. “I have one of the best position coaches in the country, Lance Thompson. Having him on the mic while I'm on the field, during the game, or whatever the case is, is going to help me be more effective on the field. … I think technology is a good thing, and it's being used the right way.”