Would you support a "smart" football?

[jmbeck]

With all of the bitching about the officiating, do you think we'll move to a point where we utilize a football that has imbedded electronics that will allow an official to determine the exact position of a ball? I know something like this has to be developed. There's probably already 10 patents on it.

Obviously, we have that technology. It would be a matter of fitting it to a ball without altering the "feel" and flight.

My question is, would you support this?

For one, it would eliminate bad spots, questionable goal line stands, OOB placement, etc.

Even with the guaranteed accuracy, I'm not sure I'm for it. There are just some things you don't screw with. This seems like one of them.

 

[FlabLoser]

Some 85 years after the invention of the television, we haven't figured out how to use it to get in-game officiating correct.

 

[RebelBruiser]

It would be a matter of fitting it to a ball without altering the "feel" and flight.

I think this is your ultimate problem. I would have no problem taking the "spot" out of the official's hands. The other main problem I'd see is how you get the spot without delaying the game to spot it correctly. I'd imagine it would take a decent process to relay the exact spot to the officials.

 

[jmbeck]

Even if you only set it for two locations on each play, first down and goal line, it would be an improvement over what we have now. Those could be indicated on field using lights.

I'm warming to the idea.

As was stated, I think implementing it on the football without messing with feel is the hurdle.

 

[FlabLoser]

I think this is your ultimate problem. I would have no problem taking the "spot" out of the official's hands. The other main problem I'd see is how you get the spot without delaying the game to spot it correctly. I'd imagine it would take a decent process to relay the exact spot to the officials.

...and this is no problem. The guts of this thing might weigh as much as a postage stamp.

The system of antennas and stuff around the field might have to be customized for each field. It would be doable.

But seriously....we can't perfect a damn instant replay. I don't see anybody, myself included, trusting the NCAA or a conference with using advanced technology to work a football game.

 

[AndyMSU]

This kind of technology already exists in sports. Remember the FOX NHL footage that had a little tail that changed color depending on how fast the puck was moving. They just could never get the puck to "behave" correctly, many players complained that the puck "bounced" a little too much.

 

[jmbeck]

Could the signal be hacked? And, if the on field official says it does not cross, and the computer says it does, then what? I guess that's when you look to Chuck Norris.

 

[NutherT]

You still have the judgement call of where the ball is when the ball carrier is down. Unless the replay officials are able to correlate a moment in the replay video to the position of the ball at that instant, spotting the ball will remain a judgement call. That same issue is true in almost every instance that involves the position of the ball because the ball's position only matters if you know a lot of other variables, such as the location of the ball-carrier's feet and whether the ball carrier has control of the ball.

That said, if you could accurately determine the position of the ball at a certain instant during a video replay, you could really improve accuracy. I also think that a laser system could easily point to the proper location for a ball's spot if calibrated properly to account for the curvature of the field, etc.

 

[AssEndDawg]

You still have the judgement call of where the ball is when the ball carrier is down. Unless the replay officials are able to correlate a moment in the replay video to the position of the ball at that instant, spotting the ball will remain a judgement call. That same issue is true in almost every instance that involves the position of the ball because the ball's position only matters if you know a lot of other variables, such as the location of the ball-carrier's feet and whether the ball carrier has control of the ball.

That said, if you could accurately determine the position of the ball at a certain instant during a video replay, you could really improve accuracy. I also think that a laser system could easily point to the proper location for a ball's spot if calibrated properly to account for the curvature of the field, etc.

Using the same technology as the "yellow line" you could easily tie that data into a replay. If you know the coordinates of the ball with an exact time stamp then you have done the hard part.

 

[RebelBruiser]

That's the other thing. I would only want this used on replay if it were possible simply because I still feel like all the variable in play like when the runner's knee is down, when the whistle blows, etc. are too vast to be able to use it on every down.

 

[thunderclap]

.

 

[Jack At Shelter]

And that's a problem. It has nothing to do with whether or not there is a "smart" replay guy. With the current system, it is impossible to correctly place the ball.

 

[WestCoastBulldog]

Why not just use RF signals that run in a straight line from one corner of the goal line to the next... break the plane with the ball and it sounds a horn or a red light or something.

 

[jacksonreb1]

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