UIL Approves Play-Calling Tech for 2025 Texas High School Football Season
In a groundbreaking move for Texas high school football, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) has approved the use of wearable play-calling technology set to take effect in the 2025 season. Coaches will now be able to communicate plays to players using wristband-like devices, enhancing real-time play-calling and potentially curbing sign-stealing issues that emerged during recent state championships.
The UIL clarified that this new technology is a one-way communication system, prohibiting helmet communications and audio messaging. Instead, coaches will relay messages via text from either the coaching booth or press box, allowing for direct in-game communication without risking sign theft. “Coach-to-player communication will be allowed through one-way wearable technologies in UIL football games,” the UIL stated in an email.
This initiative comes in response to concerns regarding sign stealing, a prominent issue that saw disruptions at the UIL 2024 state championships. Joe Martin, Executive Director of the Texas High School Coaches Association, noted the urgency among coaches seeking this technological advancement.
Some teams, like those coached by Antonio Wiley of Coppell High School, are considering the integration of this technology with mixed feelings. Wiley expressed uncertainty about its implementation, especially since adequate training during the spring football period was missed.
In a statement praising the UIL’s decision, Drew Robinson, Chief Partnerships Officer at GoRout, the firm behind the technology, highlighted Texas’s role as an innovator in football. He stated, “We’re thrilled that Texas coaches recognize the value of wearables and understand that this is where the game is headed.”
As excitement builds toward the 2025 season, fans can look forward to the transformation of play-calling in Texas high school football and its implications for tactics and strategy on the field.
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