Inside College Football Helmets: How Coaches Handle Restricted Communication
NCAA regulations allow just 23 headsets for coaches, posing critical challenges for in-game decision-making and strategy.
In the 2024 NCAA Football Rulebook, strict regulations govern the use of communication devices by coaching staffs in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
According to these rules, a maximum of 23 headsets can be used by each team during a game, with specific categories of usage for these headsets to maintain fairness and organization.
Here’s a breakdown of how these 23 headsets are allocated and the limitations imposed on their use:
- 15 headsets are designated for countable coaches and graduate assistants to facilitate in-game coaching.
- 3 headsets are allocated as “listen-only” devices in the coaches’ booth. These are strictly for individuals who are either full-time undergraduate students or within 10 years of their eligibility exhaustion or college graduation. Only countable coaches, graduate assistants, and these 3 individuals are allowed in the booth, except for one communication technician.
- 4 headsets may be used by squad members or designated full-time undergraduate students, ensuring that coaching input is carefully regulated.
- 1 headset is reserved for use on the field for non-coaching activities, ensuring operational needs are met without exceeding the 23-device limit.
You may be questioning this rule when watching the sidelines during a game. You probably have noticed a lot more headsets than the 23 limit and may worry your opponent is breaking the rules.
Like all rules, there are exemptions. Before you get too worked up, here’s what you need to know about the exemptions.
Exemptions: Headsets used by medical personnel, game operations staff, and security teams are not included in this 23-headset count as long as their communication systems remain separate from the coaching devices.
These limitations are designed to promote fairness and consistency across teams, preventing any side from gaining an undue advantage through communication technologies.
With these rules in place, the focus remains on the skill and strategy executed on the field rather than external technological support.
If you found this article interesting, you should read about how NCAA Officials can now change their calls on the field without the help of instant replay!
Source: NCAA Football Playbook 2024