New Jersey is set to become the first state to use instant replay for regular season high school football.
After receiving the consent of the National Federation of High Schools, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association approved a voluntary replay system last month for schools using Hudl Sideline, a tech platform that syncs live video across multiple devices for quick review on sidelines. Replays are available in less than five seconds.
Jack DuBois, assistant director of the NJSIAA, told CBS radio affiliate KYW that consideration for replay came at the behest of coaches and officials and its implementation would be “very minimal — probably score, no score; fumble, no fumble, that type of thing.”
“The technology is available, so why not try it?” he told the Washington Post. “This was actually generated from some coaches and officials who said the time is now to try to implement it and prevent some wrong calls.”
Minnesota became the first state to use instant replay in high school football last fall but only for its state tournament semifinals and finals games played at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Vikings. That pilot program permits reviews only for scoring plays, turnovers and a few instances in the final two minutes of each half. Alabama and Arizona reportedly have also asked the NFHS for permission to use replay in high school football games.
“We feel like if we’re ever going to use it for the playoffs,” DuBois told the Press of Atlantic City, “we have to use it during the regular season to give people experience with it.”
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SportTechie Takeaway:
The proliferation of replay to the high school level was only a matter of time, given the democratization of video technology through products like Hudl that uses a portable router to link several iOS cameras over a private wireless network.
While mid-game video review is prohibited on NFL and NCAA sidelines, the NFHS has permitted a coaching staff to look at replays on such systems as Hudl since 2013. Other state federations will undoubtedly monitor the performance of New Jersey’s system this fall before adopting similar programs.
Suggested further reading:
Hudl Provides US Soccer With Performance Analysis Video Tools
How Hudl’s Analytics Helped Lincoln City Make FA Cup History
A Technological Arms Race In High School Football Is Already Underway