NCAA approves helmet communication coach to player for upcoming football season

NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved helmet communication for Football Bowl Subdivision games plus two-minute timeouts at the end of the half and other changes.

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The changes were approved for the 2024 season on Thursday, the NCAA said.

“Each school will have the option to use coach-to-player communications through the helmet to one player on the field. That player will be identified by having a green dot on the back midline of the player’s helmet,” according to the NCAA.

The decision came after a sign-stealing scandal surrounding Michigan’s 2023 championship run, The Associated Press reported.

The coach-to-player decision was a recommendation that was made just last month. It would allow Division I’s highest-tier teams to use radio technology during games, the AP reported. It’s a technology similar to that used by the NFL.

The rule is that only a single player for each time will be able to communicate with coaches while they are on the field, the AP reported.

The communication will be cut off with either 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is taken, according to ESPN.

In addition to the new technology, there will be automatic timeouts with two minutes left in the half or the second and fourth quarters, according to ESPN. This is expected to allow for conferences to have collaborative replay reviews.

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