Espn Article on the use of GPS monitors in football
I apologize if this has already been discussed, but I was intrigued by Hoke mentioning a few times during fall camp videos that they're now using GPS. I found an article on the Bristol website that talks about Florida State's use of the technology to help manage things like the pace of practice, obvious measurables (a player's running speed for example), etc. The article talks about a reduction in the number of soft tissue injuries that players suffered due to use of GPS. I think Hoke talked about Jake Butt for example and how he is favoring his injured knee less and less as he continues the rehab process. Hopefully the football team will be able to put this data to good use as it relates to performance on Saturday afternoons.
August 15th, 2014 at 1:17 AM ^
August 15th, 2014 at 9:48 AM ^
NFL getting in on the action as well with RFID technology in 15-20 stadiums (can't remember which ones). They'll be doing this on top of the teams GPS technology from what I understand. The Zebra RFID chips will be used, at least in part, to provide fans advanced information on players from games.
This is similar to the SportVU technology used in the NBA (except NBA doesn't use RFID). The knowledge and charting that's come out of the NBA the last few years with SportVU are awesome.
August 15th, 2014 at 1:38 AM ^
I did hear Hoke mention this in a presser and found it interesting. I never really thought about the possibility of them using that kind of stuff, but I can see how it'd be valuable. It was very interesting when watching the world cup when they discussed the distance traveled by players and I was curious how they measured that. I would imagine it's the same kind of thing. Should be cool to see how this type of technology evolves as it is used more.
August 15th, 2014 at 2:02 AM ^
The telemetry was showing that his left leg was compensating for his right and that's what caused his hammy last week. I'm guessing they just started using the system, cetainly he's never mentioned it before this camp and it sounds like they've completely bought into it. Or as much as they can at this point.
Perhaps when Hoke spoke about holding a player out for a day (Funchess didn't scrimmage, Countess with a "little" groin) it was because of GPS data. It rather seems that's the implication.
August 15th, 2014 at 7:50 AM ^
August 15th, 2014 at 8:20 AM ^
It doesn't go into any real detail.
Here's the website for the device, it goes into more detail. http://gpsports.com/
August 15th, 2014 at 8:42 AM ^
Also interesting, kind of like some people use the "fit bits" at work, to see who are the most active and inactive and why. Gives a new kind of ammo to coaches and trainers to detect "loafing". I guess the eye in the sky is always watching anyway at UM.
August 15th, 2014 at 1:51 AM ^
August 15th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^
August 15th, 2014 at 4:48 AM ^
August 15th, 2014 at 5:36 AM ^
will be downloading your generated data too. as our youngest says, while he points alternately at his own eyes and then at you, 'i'm watching you....'
August 15th, 2014 at 5:59 AM ^
If the players see the monitoring system mostly as a souped-up speedometer, Florida State's coaching staff knows better. For the coaches, it's the technology that has undercut conventional wisdom by providing immediate feedback on every facet of a player's exertion on the field, opening the door to a new way of running practice and designing a program.
To me, there's tremendous value in all this, and even keeping historic data on your players could clue you into potential issues if you see performance dips beyond certain levels on a day-to-day basis. I would if the software can do that actually, because it would be another way to mitigate issues before they become major problems for a player.
August 15th, 2014 at 7:06 AM ^
Perhaps FSU should keep this device on Jameis for off the field activities also, particularly when he has a hankering for crab legs.
Interesting technology which will no doubt quickly proliferate through all of the major athletic programs.
August 15th, 2014 at 7:20 AM ^
I'm picturing the conversation where a trainer has to explain to Hoke how this works, and why it is smaller than the lcd screen in your car, and no there is not a British woman's voice. Oh to be a fly on the wall.
August 15th, 2014 at 8:12 AM ^
they'd have GPS on the players before they put GPS in the ball. I still find it almost silly how we just sort of accept the fact that the ref, after unraveling 5 guys from on top of a running back who was completely obscured, placed the ball in precisely the right spot and, 'lo and behold, he got that first down by half an inch! cumong.
All the preperation it takes to play this game precisely and so often it comes down to a dude in a striped shirt going "uh, yeah, I think the ball got to... I dunno, right about, uhhhhh, like here or so."
August 15th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^
Certainly GPS technology could have avoided simply making goal posts higher.
I wonder when the NFL will start to use drones to get another angle on replays (even better than the cameras on cables).
August 15th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^
I'm not sure that satellite based GPS would be accurate enough to spot a football. A stadium based system might be able to get down to the last few inches though…
August 15th, 2014 at 10:57 PM ^
http://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/performance/accuracy/
Evidently the official military units account for variations in the atmosphere enhancing the accuracy. Interestingly it is possible to locally enhance that accurace according to this government site.
August 15th, 2014 at 8:43 AM ^
August 15th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
This is really, really good stuff. Would love more info on how Michigan football is progressing on the use of this technology. Ideally they'd have a few people from the engineering school on top of this.
Hopefully the long term effect of this is not only improving the perofmrance of the team, but reducing the plauge of ACL injuries we've seen since in the last few years.
August 16th, 2014 at 4:33 AM ^
Actually way too many thoughts, but after typing them down I tried to minimize and check on spatial relationships, etc., and how they've always played a part in the game and how us mere mortal coaches had to look around the huddle to see who had tank left and who was depleted. Of course it was always the same people just because people are born faster or slower and with greater or less endurance than their teammate with all else equal. But to be able to monitor optimum performance at each point in the game allows a coach now to decide whether using his backup in the third quarter will enhance his starters performance in the fourth simply blows me away. It changes the pace of the game, of course, allows you the edge on knowing who to set out, when and why and on and on. I can imagine all the fun they had with this and are still having.
Seems like it was only two, three years ago DCs around the country were trying to figure out how to slow down the spread. At about the two minute mark in last year's championship game, I looked around the bar and said, "they scored too early," in regard to Auburn's late fourth qtr TD. Little did I know the FSU staff was totally aware of that and what the optimum time would be to be the last team into the end zone. This was really a nice read, especially with the already great buzz got going.
August 15th, 2014 at 1:34 PM ^
They keep calling the people in charge on analyzing the data "sports scientists". I can only imagine that the coaches regularly get reports like
"Jabrill Peppers can run 40 yards in 4.4 seconds. That's faster than a gazelle running from a lion"
"Ondre Pipkins can bull rush with a force of 800 pounds. That's as much force as a bullet impacting a kevlar vest"