What it’s best to learn about college football's latest helmet communication rules

Think of it as a high-stakes game of telephone.

You can have noticed that college football quarterbacks are increasingly wearing their helmets to muffle the noise within the loudest stadiums within the country. That's because coach-player helmet communication was implemented for all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision programs this season.

Thirty years after the NFL adopted the technology, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel in April approved using helmet communications (in addition to sideline tablets) for FBS teams, following a testing period in last season's bowl games.

This is how it really works.

Who has access to helmet communication and the way does it work?

One player on the sector for every team – one on offense and one on defense – can have helmet communications. On offense, this player will likely be the quarterback.

The designated player is identified by a green dot on the back of his helmet, similar to within the NFL. If the officials discover a couple of green dot per team on the sector, the team will likely be penalized a 5-yard equipment violation penalty, which can routinely trigger a conference review NCAA.

The conference review would examine whether teams intentionally allowed a second helmet with green dots in the sport at the identical time. The review would occur in the times following the sport and any further discipline can be as much as the conference, an NCAA source with knowledge of the review process said.

On the sidelines, each team is proscribed to a few coach-to-player caller radios and fanny packs. Presumably teams assign these to the top coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.

Helmet communication between coach and player will likely be interrupted on the 15-second mark of the sport clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever comes first, and can remain off throughout your complete down. When the sport clock is reset to 25 or 40 seconds, communication is restored. (The game clock is ready to 25 seconds after a penalty, team timeout, media timeout, or injury timeout for an offensive player and 40 seconds after the tip of a play or after an injury timeout for a defensive player.)

The cutoff operator is ready, assigned and managed by each conference.

During free kick games, communication between coach and player shouldn’t be effective.

Each team can use a maximum of 23 regular headsets within the team area, coach's box or coach's locker room. Each team personnel can wear one, and two additional headsets are utilized by technicians to watch the system and troubleshoot technical issues.

Is helmet communication between coach and player mandatory?

No. The technology is optional, as is using tablets to look at in-game video – including broadcast feeds, all-22 sideline and end zone angles.

A team can use helmet communication even when their opponent doesn’t. If a team chooses not to make use of the technology or to rely entirely on it, a coach can communicate with the QB using the normal methods of side signals and hand signals.

However, if one team's communications stop working, the opposing team must also stop using their helmet communications.

What happens when an FBS team plays an FCS team?

Helmet communications usually are not permitted on the Football Championship Subdivision level, but FCS teams can use the technology when playing an FBS opponent.

North Dakota State did so when it opened its season in Week 1 against Colorado. Bison offensive coordinator Jake Landry said in August that adjusting to a single game would still be “a learning curve” for the team, which fell to the Buffaloes 31-26.

“How much is too much information?” Landry said: in line with 247Sports. “How much do you want to know? What little treats can we offer?”

Important ones, in line with Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.

This offseason Georgia's QB1 said He “loves” that offensive coordinator Mike Bobo can talk in his ear, “because there might be like a little hint that he might say for a play, like, pay attention to this coverage or pay attention when they do this, do this – “just like little things.”

Advantages vs. Disadvantages

A coach can do greater than tell his QB what play to run. Helmet communications can be used for broader time, failure and situation reminders and when it’s time to take a risk or play it protected.

Another big advantage is that it may minimize sign theft.

Using electronic devices to record or “steal” opponents’ signs shouldn’t be legal in college football. The NCAA also prohibits in-person off-campus scouting of future opponents in the course of the same season. An alleged scheme at Michigan regarding the latter led to an NCAA investigation last 12 months.

However, the theft of signs on site on the pitch is permitted. Former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy estimated that “80 percent” of faculty football teams steal signs, “which is legal,” he said in January.

Go deeper

“This is as big as it gets”: How essential is it to know an opponent’s signals?

Teams haven't stopped using secondary signals. But move a few of that communication to the helmet and you possibly can prevent or at the least reduce the interception of that communication, right?

“Sign stealing happens every game,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said in March. “There’s nothing wrong with watching teams try to steal our signs. There is nothing wrong with us trying to pay attention to their signs. That’s why you should have microphones in your helmets.”

Coach Rhule addresses the sign stealing and whether he noticed it once they played against… #Michigan 👀 pic.twitter.com/NsZQDtXNY3

— 247Huskers (@247Huskers) October 23, 2023

The enemy of helmet communication between coach and player is, mockingly, noise. College games “just have a tendency” to be louder than NFL games, said Rhule, who coached the Carolina Panthers from 2020 to 2022.

“In general, the volume (of fans) in a stadium really impacts the game,” Rhule told reporters after Nebraska's Week 1 win over UTEP. “It's no longer just 'It's third, let's try to get them offside', but 'Make it really hard for them to hear the play calls and checks', because it's been difficult for us at times.”

Helmet communication is useful, but not perfect. Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said the team is preparing for alternative solutions because it heads right into a hostile road environment in Georgia on Saturday. The Tigers played their first five games of the season at home.

“We make it clear in training that they have difficulty communicating and see how they deal with it,” Freeze said. in line with AL.com. “We have alternative plans for how we do play calling or whatever it takes to make sure our kids at least have a good understanding of what’s coming next.”

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