The stadium where the Super Bowl will be played is one of the most technologically advanced in the NFL. The Super Bowl LVII will be played on 12th February 2023, and it will be played in the State Farm Stadium located in Glendale, Arizona.
The game, which defines the champion of the American football league, will take place with various technological innovations to help participants and home and stadium viewers get the best experience.
The Importance of Advanced Technology in NFL
For many, American football is a sport where a bunch of tall, strong players pound each other non-stop while shouting battle cries. From time to time, moreover, they are interrupted by commercials.
But those who like this sport’s discipline see in it a game similar to chess, where strategy and the time invested in making decisions represent the difference between victory and defeat. The National Football League (NFL) of the United States ensures that these strategies and the plays they generate become a reality. One of your main allies to make sure that happens is technology. American football is the sport that uses the most technological innovations in the world.
How the League Looks For Innovation and Prepares Advanced Technology
We will introduce you to a series of technologies that make the sport of touchdowns more precise for Super Bowl odds accuracy and visually appealing for fans.
Wireless Communication
When watching a football game, it’s common to see coaches wearing headphones that they never take off (unless they lose and drop them on the ground). The purpose of these headphones is to allow the head coach to communicate with the offensive and defensive coordinators, one of whom watches the game from the heights of the stadium and has a better view of the field.
It also allows coaches to give the team’s quarterback instructions up to 15 seconds before he has to call the play. If the communications equipment fails, NFL rules stipulate that opponents can’t use theirs either until it’s fixed.
Play Planning
American football coaches and players spend hours watching videos of the rival team, identifying their flaws to plan their strategy during the game.
In American football, each player and each “hole” in the opponent’s line usually has a number (just like it happens on a chessboard) that is used to call plays such as 3-2, or the runner will go for the center of the line.
All this is planned with the help of technological devices, particularly interactive whiteboards, that allow the simulation of the development of a play.
Instant Replay
American football gives coaches the option of throwing a red handkerchief onto the field to demand – up to three times – that the referees review a controversial play.
The officials have 60 seconds to review the play through the images captured by dozens of cameras in the stadium.
The game changes if the images provide enough evidence to show they were wrong. If the material is inconclusive, then the decision stands, and the team that challenged it loses a timeout (very important in the strategy of this sport).
Stadiums
Most modern stadiums for this sport have a strong technological infrastructure to provide spectators with a wide visual experience.
Some, like the Super Bowl arena in Arlington, Texas, or New York’s new Meadowlands stadium, have plenty of big, high-definition screens, stereo sound, and wireless Internet access.
In the latter, investment in technology exceeded US$100 million. Others offer their fans -in exchange for US$200 —a device called FanVision in which they can see the game from different angles and receive information and statistics.
Sensors for the Ball
For the more controversial plays involving the ball — such as those that determine whether a portion of the ball crossed the goal line — the NFL considers using sensors on the ball.
Integrated into NFL balls since 2016, the sensor can work wirelessly, giving referees the ball’s position.
Helmet Safety
In addition to being a game of strategy, American football is a contact sport, so players are sometimes seriously injured.
One of the conditions the NFL is most concerned about is concussions caused by blows to the head.
To do this, some companies are developing a “smart helmet” that has sensors that assess the impact of the blow so doctors on the ground can assess the possibility of a concussion.
Another technology uses “air cells” that absorb the impact of blows players receive to the head and is increasingly used by NFL athletes.
Conclusion
NFL has incorporated various innovative technologies into the league and is used during the Super Bowl and other league matches. Some of these new advanced technologies were introduced during the Superbowl, arguably the biggest game event in the United States.
