PRO FOOTBALL: INSIDE THE N.F.L.; Some Coaches Reading Lips to Steal Plays (Published 2001) (2024)

FAQs

Why do coaches cover their mouths during NFL games? ›

Coaches cover their mouth when they talk to players so opposing players and coaches cannot lip read what they are saying. Same holds true in baseball during meetings on the mound between pitcher and catcher.

Who decides which play to run? The play may be chosen by the head coach, by an assistant coach (the offensive coordinator), or by the quarterback on the field. How is the choice sent onto the field? In the NFL, a player is in radio contact with the sidelines for a defined interval before each play.

Who are these coaches talking to, and why are they wearing the headset? Football coaches wear headsets to talk to other coaches in a higher position, such as a booth or in the stands. These coaches relay information to the coaches on the field, as they have a better vantage point of the game.

From a strictly tactical perspective, players and coaches don't want to give away information about what they are planning to do in a game situation. Baseball players have been covering their mouths for years when there is a meeting on the mound to discuss strategy.

So a lot of teams might have a camera pointed on them. that could get some information quickly. and relay it to their team. So they'll cover their mouth with the sheet, whether be a play call sheet. or even their hands, to try to hide what they're saying.

To prevent such practices, players and coaches began shielding their mouths during games, starting with Major League Baseball players in the '90s talking into their gloves during confabs on the mound, etc. By the turn of the century it spread to NFL coaches on sidelines, reading off plays behind a large play sheet.

Per NFL guidelines, the players wearing the radio headset are only allowed to use one-way radios, meaning they receive information from their coaches, but they cannot respond or contact them at any other point.

In the NFL, coaches are allowed to communicate with quarterbacks and call plays using audio equipment built into the player's helmet. Quarterbacks are allowed to hear, but not talk to, their coaches until there are fifteen seconds left on the play clock.

Here's why he's confident he'll do well. Roughly one-third of NFL coaches call their teams' offensive plays.

The helmets of quarterbacks are typically fitted with speakers on both sides of their ears so that they can hear what play the coach is calling. Although many experienced players have said that a lot of background noise, especially the crowd noise makes it harder to hear, the communication still remains quite clear.

How do NFL quarterbacks know what play to call? ›

Most of the time, the head coach or offensive coordinator calls the plays. But IF a veteran quarterback sees something in the defense that he thinks he can exploit, he's allowed to “audibilize” (change the play at the line of scrimmage). He does that by barking out new signals.

Unlike batting helmets, head safety gear is not mandatory for MLB pitchers. They may wear any device they want as long as it isn't deemed to interfere with play or conflict with licensing agreements. Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com.

One of the least controversial and exciting reasons players cover their mouths midgame is also the most obvious: They want to protect their strategies and schemes. During timeouts and midgame, teammates cover their mouths to discuss both offensive and defensive strategies.

Firstly, footballers cover their mouth when they are discussing strategy on the field with other team mates and coach. In fact, to give a tactical signal to let others know about a specific type of attack or a specific type of defense, depending on the game play.

It's not only football,happens in many team sports. They cover their mouth to prevent the opponents from knowing what they are discussing,more so nowadays to prevent the media from knowing. It's not only football,happens in many team sports.

So even if a football player employs one as decor, he still has to use one the way it's meant to be used, too. The NFL, however, has not made mouth guards mandatory, citing the lack of significant scientific evidence showing they prevent concussions in football.

NFL quarterbacks are not permitted to have a microphone in their helmet as the league only allows a one way communication from a sideline coach to the player on the field and not vice-versa.