The National Football League has gone to new lengths to ensure that players and coaches are well prepared ahead of any upcoming games which can include several new technological devices being fitting into the clothing and gear of every player that represents one of the 32 different franchises when stepping out on the gridiron.
Technology has become an integral part of the NFL which has since stemmed from media coverage through to the protection and utilization of players ahead of an impending game.
At first glance, most NFL attires may often appear to simply be players suiting up with a jersey, helmet, padding, game pants and cleats on the players feet, yet there is so much more preparation and underlining additions that go into a players gameday clothing.
Some of the more recent additions to NFL clothing include several pieces of technological devices that are fitted onto the players gear in an effort to collect various forms of data surrounding their performance on the field which can be used for a variety of reasons.
These such analytics are often used to measure certain aspects of a player’s performance and their conditioning which can include health, timing and communication which are all key aspects of the continued longevity of any NFL player.
There are now multiple individual aspects of technology that are utilized for the players needs throughout games which, if used correctly, can greatly impact a team’s success on the field. Knowing when players are at risk of injury and withdrawing them or analyzing where an opponent is weak can be the difference between glory and defeat. Analysis is key in today’s game, the current favorites to win the Vince Lombardi trophy in the latest Super Bowl odds are the SF 49ers, they have a huge backroom team who spend hours preparing before each game. Peyton Greve is just one part of the team, he makes use of the data to give the 49ers the best possible chance of winning.
Monitoring a Player’s Health Status
The supplements of technology for NFL attire has been mainly used to gather data surrounding a player’s current health status and any underlying predicaments that may likely materialize.
In a majority of NFL training camps and sessions, players are now fitted with an array of devices such as GPS trackers, heart rate monitors and accelerometers which provide a much more valuable insight into the players movement, distance covered and acceleration which is key for players when devising whether there is any developing anomaly from prior results which could hinder at a potential injury worry.
Coaches and medical staff can compile all the data collected and discuss whether there is any looming threats that could affect a players’ health, which gives them the opportunity to act on a developing injury and treat the affected area without further aggravating this issue by participating in further drills or in active NFL games.
Technology has given coaches and medical staff a heads-up warning surrounding whether a player is amassing any string of worrying health concerns which has allowed players to perform at their pinnacle best for a prolonged period of time, which has also helped decrease the risk of injuries and has kept the NFL product at an all-time high when it comes to entertainment value and health monitoring.
Analysis and Performance Breakdowns
NFL coaching staff have benefited greatly from the addition of wearable pieces of technology when it comes to providing a post-game analysis of each player’s performance and further highlighting the pros and cons of their prior outing.
The addition of VR (Virtual Reality) in the NFL is now being used by many teams as a means to breakdown performances and layout game plans, as well as allowing players to experience very realistic simulations to real-life NFL games, which can allow players to test routes and plays that they could utilize in an actual contest.
The introduction of VR into the NFL landscape can allow players to replicate real-life scenarios without the risk of gaining any sort of injuries as well as improving their decision-making abilities and reaction time to any such situation, which of course could be implemented into any real-life game.
There is also the addition of biomechanics and data analytics that can help teams use technology as a way of breaking down their performances and in-game mechanics as well as further inputs into their opponents shortcomings which they can further aim to use to their advantage on gameday, giving them a competitive advantage against any team in the league.
There are other notable forms of technology that is now being fitted into the gear for NFL players which can include improved helmet speakers for communication with coaches on the sidelines during games, as well as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that are fitted into certain pieces of equipment and collect certain frequencies of data that has amassed from that specified part of the body where it has been placed, such as how many times it was struck during a game.
The league has taken great strides to introduce various ingenious pieces of technology and data collection to help further improve the safekeeping of players and staff alike, as well as allowing teams to utilize different methods as a means of analyzing different games for a much more competitive outing ahead of any NFL gameday.
