I don’t know why this never occurred to me before. so quarterbacks have headsets in their helmets so they can communicate with the coaching staff. I was always under the impression that they only used it before the play, just to prevent using a runner, but is the coach ever on the microphone during the play? maybe telling the quarterback where somebody is open if he can’t see it
The headsets are active between plays, and have one way communication with one player on each side. Typically this is the quarterback on offense and a team captain/play caller on defense. These players wear special helmets typically marked with a green dot on the back.
The refs or other officials cut off communication when the play clock reaches 15 seconds, preventing the kind of real-time communication you suggest.
To clarify, the helmet comms are cut off after 15 seconds every play (i.e. after the first 15 seconds of the play clock have elapsed)
False.
Section 3, article 3: SPEAKERS IN HELMETS
The Coach-to-Player system allows a member of the coaching staff in the bench area or the coaches’ booth to communicate to a designated offensive or defensive player with a speaker in his helmet. The communication begins once a game official has signaled a down to be over and is cut off when the play clock reaches 15 seconds or the ball is snapped, whichever occurs first.
No. The headsets are disabled when the play starts or when the play clock goes below 15 seconds.
No, there’s a rule that the coach can’t talk to the qb something like 10 seconds before any given play.
Here’s a really good podcast episode that includes that question:
