OT: Coaches, do you use Hudl Sideline/Assist?

Submitted by Magnus on

For the high school coaches out there, do you use Hudl Sideline and/or Hudl Assist? We're considering getting one or both for next season, and I'm curious to know how well it works and whether it's worth the money. We already have a standard Hudl account and Play Tools.

We are back

December 7th, 2017 at 8:39 AM ^

We have them all, sideline is good you just need the proper recording equipment, assist is amazing and a huge time saver it breaks the tape down for you, I wouldn’t use it as gospel but it helps for busy coaches.

Qmatic

December 7th, 2017 at 9:07 AM ^

Yes the team I coach (Class A school in Metro Detroit) uses it. It is awesome. Instead of fliming on a camera and uploading it to Hudl, you record the game on an IPad and it loads automatically. The plays are then available on the sideline to look at with lineman, and also at halftime.

BlueWing

December 7th, 2017 at 9:29 AM ^

I've ran our program's Sideline system for 2 years now. It is great for in-game corrections, primarily on the OL and the D's front 7.

We have the Sideline Plus package (camera stream from the endzone, iPad/iPhone recording in the press box). I recommend paying the extra $300 and getting both angles to stream from cameras. The Apple devices are getting better cameras, but still aren't up to basic camcorder quality.

Assist is quite expensive for what it is, and as "We are back" has said, isn't fool proof. If you can designate someone in your program to the breakdowns for you (also me), it's much more valuable.

I have SO much more input and lessons learned if you have specific questions on Sideline.

Mick53

December 7th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^

We use both in the program I coach in.

Sideline is very usefull, especially if you have an end zone angle. It really has allowed us to make more effective in game adjustments. 

Assist is useless and for us was actually counterproductive. The breakdown data takes 24 hours to be returned, which would be fine if it were always accurate. I personally like to use some of the reports and breakdown data to inform what I install into my defensive gameplan, that being said I have to trust that data being accurate by the time we meet as a staff to finalize the gameplan so that we are all on the same page come monday practice. With assist I found myself taking gameplaning time away to correct their data entry, then I did not have all of the information that I like to have by the time we meet as a staff. 

Conclusion: Sideline = YES

Assist = No

michfan84

December 7th, 2017 at 10:54 AM ^

I am in my first year as a girls basketball coach, and we have Hudl Assist.  The first report we got back I knew there was a mistake.  It said one of our girls was 3/3 FG, and I specifically remember her taking and missing a jumper late in the game.  It makes me question the validity of their breakdowns.

Magnus

December 7th, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^

That's my question about Hudl Assist. I just wonder who's doing the breakdowns, how much time they devote to them, etc. I mean, people make mistakes, but if it's more than just one or two, then it could really screw you up.

Blue Ballers

December 7th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^

We use Hudl sideline and it is awesome, worth every penny.  We got a 55 inch weather proof tv for the sideline, and the kids come off the field and watch that series on it with the coaches.  You just connect your Ipad to the TV and use it as a remote.  Alot of D1 teams in Ohio have the sideline TV's, and I just read about a team that has 2, one for endzone and one for the sideline view.

 

As far as assist, we do not have it.  I am assist.  I label all the opposing teams offenses for our D staff.  I guess if I ever get tired of doing it, we would consider it.  Part of my problem is that I label so many different things, and depending on the teams I call it different things, so I am not sure if assist would work for us right now.

 

Just my 2 cents, def get sideline, and I would invest in an endzone cam if possible.  Its a huge tool being able to splice together the endzone and wide views of game film

Blue Ballers

December 7th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^

We use Hudl sideline and it is awesome, worth every penny.  We got a 55 inch weather proof tv for the sideline, and the kids come off the field and watch that series on it with the coaches.  You just connect your Ipad to the TV and use it as a remote.  Alot of D1 teams in Ohio have the sideline TV's, and I just read about a team that has 2, one for endzone and one for the sideline view.

 

As far as assist, we do not have it.  I am assist.  I label all the opposing teams offenses for our D staff.  I guess if I ever get tired of doing it, we would consider it.  Part of my problem is that I label so many different things, and depending on the teams I call it different things, so I am not sure if assist would work for us right now.

 

Just my 2 cents, def get sideline, and I would invest in an endzone cam if possible.  Its a huge tool being able to splice together the endzone and wide views of game film

Blue Ballers

December 7th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^

We use Hudl sideline and it is awesome, worth every penny.  We got a 55 inch weather proof tv for the sideline, and the kids come off the field and watch that series on it with the coaches.  You just connect your Ipad to the TV and use it as a remote.  Alot of D1 teams in Ohio have the sideline TV's, and I just read about a team that has 2, one for endzone and one for the sideline view.

 

As far as assist, we do not have it.  I am assist.  I label all the opposing teams offenses for our D staff.  I guess if I ever get tired of doing it, we would consider it.  Part of my problem is that I label so many different things, and depending on the teams I call it different things, so I am not sure if assist would work for us right now.

 

Just my 2 cents, def get sideline, and I would invest in an endzone cam if possible.  Its a huge tool being able to splice together the endzone and wide views of game film

BleedMznBlue

December 7th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^

We used the standard Hudl Sideline package this year (only the pressbox angle). Worked out really well for us. We had 3 iPads down on the field, 1 was connected to a flat screen TV that my OL coach would use after offensive series, 1 I had on me at all times, and 1 was for the DC. Loved it and will definitely use in the future.

As for Hudl Assist, we used the trials a few times but I didn't feel the costs justified what we could do ourselves. I had a coach that spent his entire Saturday breaking down all the film and loved doing it.