Glossary

1. the only trade journal designed exclusively for the football professional. 2. the one-stop place for all football coaches to go to obtain up-to-the-minute information on everything from xs & os to sports nutrition that will help their program. 3. the magazine found on the desk of every successful coach in the nation.

Analog- a process whereby the recorded video image information is a continuous equivalent of the original scene. Spatial, brightness and color information are represented by signals that can have any value within the dynamic range of the recording process.

Antivirus software- a computer program that provides protection from VIRUSES by making checks of the integrity of the operating system. No antivirus software can offer total protection against viruses.

Application- the process of getting information into a computer and having that information returned in a more useable format (report, form, letter, etc.).

Attachment- a file transmitted as part of a piece of e-mail.

Backup copy- a copy of current programs and files that can be used to restore lost or damaged programs and files. You should always have a full backup copy of your files on zip disk, diskettes or tapes.

Bookmark- a saved address on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Web browsers normally let you record the addresses of websites in order to go directly to them without typing in the address.

Byte- the amount of memory space needed to store one character, which is normally 8 bits.

Category- Individual sequences are organized into named groupings - such as the general categories: offense, defense, and special teams. Categories can also be very specific, such as the group of sequences showing all occurrences of one particular play during a game. More commonly in football, for example, a category might be all offensive pass plays in mid-field. Those sequences that could be used in a season highlight tape also constitute a useful category.

CD-Rom (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory)- a disk like an audio compact disk, but containing computer data.

Compression- Because of the very large amount of information needed to produce final images with sufficient resolution, it is necessary to compress digital images to conserve storage space. Compression results in a loss of resolution in the final image. Various compression schemes (e.g.: JPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, etc.) provide a compromise between loss of resolution and amount of storage space saved. Compression schemes that are used for other applications are not necessarily adequate for sports video use.

Computer- a machine that can electronically store, perform calculations, and reformat information.

Cut-ups- Individual game-action image sequences (such as the series of frames showing a particular Red Zone pass play or a base line defensive action). This terminology comes from the process of literally cutting up game film into individual strips. Each filmstrip contains a particular play or game sequence of interest.

Cyberspace- the part of culture and society that exists in networked computer systems rather than in any physical location.

Database- a collection of data stored on a computer that can be used for more than one purpose. For example, a coach that maintains a database containing information on his players will be able to use the same data for game and practice statistics, rosters, injury progress, academic reports, and other purposes.

Desktop- the entire computer screen, representing your workspace. You manipulate objects (ICONS) with the mouse in much the same way that you work with papers and other objects on your physical desktop.

Digital- A newer image technology where the image information is limited to discreet values that can be represented numerically with integer values. (A brightness level can be, for example, 6 or 7, but not something in between 6 and 7.) Recent technology has given us devices that utilize sufficient numeric range that the viewed image appears to be analog in quality.

Caution: Do not confuse linear with analog, or digital with non-linear. Digital cameras, for example, commonly record their images on digital tape (a linear medium).

Digital Video- a process of storing and viewing video images using a computer.

Digitizing- In order to utilize digital technology for processing and editing images acquired with analog cameras it is necessary to convert the analog image frames into digital frames. This is a linear process whereby each image on the analog tape is scanned and reproduced as a digital frame.

Disk- a device used to store computer data. There are three main kinds of disks: Diskettes, Hard Disks, and CD-ROMS.

Disk Drive- a device that allows a computer to read data on disks. Computers usually contain one hard disk drive, one CD-ROM drive, and one diskette drive.

Document- a file containing text or other pieces of work that is being edited or printed using the computer.

Download- to transmit a file or program from a central computer to a smaller computer.

Editing- The process of organizing and splicing together cut-ups from the individual categories to create efficient working copies for review, scouting, teaching, or other use.

E-mail (electronic mail)- the transmission of messages by computer from one person to another. E-mail has been quickly accepted because it is more convenient than ordinary mail. E-mail arrives immediately and does not require the recipient to be present.

Export- to save a file in a format other than the application's original format. Many word processing programs have the ability to export to many different formats.

File- a block of information stored on disk or similar media. A file may contain a program, a document, or a collection of data.

Frame- At present all sports image 'movies' are actually a series of snapshots. If the snapshots are taken at a sufficiently high rate (24 to 30 per second) they will appear as continuous movies when replayed. Each individual snapshot is called a frame.

Gigabyte- approximately one billion bytes.

Graphics card- a video card that displays graphics as well as text.

Hard disk- have much greater storage capacity than diskettes.

Hardware- the physical components of a computer system; the computer equipment as opposed to the programs or information stored in the machine.

Host computer- a computer that provides services to other computers that are linked to it by a network.

Inkjet printer- a printer that prints characters and images by shooting small droplets of ink at the paper. Advantages of the inkjet printer include speed, high resolution, and quiet operation.

Input- information that is entered into a computer; the act of entering information into a computer.

Internet- an organized message-forwarding system linking computer networks all over the world. Users of the Internet can exchange electronic mail, participate in electronic discussion forums and send files from computer to computer.

Intranet- opposite of the INTERNET; a network confined to one organization or institution. Intranets are often set up as web pages, so a web browser can be used to view the content. This makes the intranet appear just the same as the World Wide Web; the difference is that the intranet is not accessible to computers outside the organization or institution.

Jaz drive- a 1-gigabyte removable-cartridge disk drive.

Laptop- see "Notebook."

Linear- Think tape. The idea here is that access to a specific image sequence is accomplished by moving along a video storage tape until the desired image is reached. The time required depends on where the image is stored along the tape, the present (starting) position, and the speed of tape movement. (e.g.: normal, fast-forward, fast-play,fast-reverse, etc.). Movie reels and audio tapes are also linear storage devices.

Log on- to identify yourself as an authorized user of a computer or a network.

Logging- The manual process of identifying the beginning and end of each video sequence, and then recording the locations and labeling the sequence with an appropriate category name or number. In the days before sports video, logging consisted of grouping the cut movie film strips onto individual clip boards labeled with the names of the categories.

Megabyte- an amount of computer memory; one megabyte can store more than one million characters.

Memory- space within a computer where information is stored.

Microsoft Office Suite, Professional Edition[TM]- a group of computer applications designed by the Microsoft Corporation to meet the comprehensive needs of a person within a business environment.

Network- multiple computers connected together.

Non-linear- An image storage method whereby a specific image sequence can be accessed directly if its location is known. Old fashioned audio recordings (records or platters) are nonlinear devices because a specific song can be accessed by simply moving the pick-up arm so that the needle is positioned at the beginning of the song. Computer hard-drives and CD-ROMS are also non-linear storage devices. If the desired image location is known, access can be almost immediate.

Notebook Computer- also referred to as "Laptop Computer", a computer designed to be portable and operational for short amounts of time (2-4 hours) without an additional electrical power source.

Personal computer- a computer designed to be used by only one person, either at home or office.

RAM (Random-Access Memory)- the computer's RAM, measured in megabytes, is the main working memory. The amount of RAM is a direct indicator of the capacity of the computer.

Resolution- just as the 'smoothness' of the perceived motion of a movie or video depends on the number of frames per second used to create the sequence, the visual quality of each image frame when replayed depends on the amount of information contained in each frame. In sports video applications the requirement is that the coach and players be able to clearly see and identify individual players and their actions with good visual quality. Because resolution is often degraded during processing and copying (e.g.: generation loss when copying an analog video tape) it is necessary that the original image frames be acquired with higher resolution than would be required if they were not to be processed.

Sequence- The series of image frames covering each play or action during a game or practice.

Technology- the application of science to create or change something in order to improve a situation.

Technical Support- a source for assistance in operating a computer or other item, usually a trained engineer reached via telephone who can assist in solving problems (recommended part of any computer purchase).

Upload- to transmit a file to a central computer from a smaller computer.

Video card- a plug-in circuit board that enables a computer to display information on a specific type of monitor.

Virtual reality- the simulation of a person's entire environment by computer.

Virus- a computer program that automatically copies itself; therefore, "infecting" other disks or programs without the user's knowledge, causing potential damage or disruption of computer operation.

Voice recognition- the recognition of audio or spoken words by a computer.

Web- WORLD WIDE WEB.

Web address- a set of characters that identifies a file on the WORLD WIDE WEB.

Web page- a viewable file of information made available on the WORLD WIDE WEB and seen by the user as information on the screen.

Web site- a viewable file available on the WORLD WIDE WEB.

Whiteboard- a simulated panel on which several people can write or diagram at the same time, with the results visible to participants. Whiteboards are used by coaches to diagram plays on the Internet.

Wireless communication- the transfer of electromagnetic signals from one location to another without cables, often using infrared light or radio waves.

Word processing- the process of using a computer to prepare written documents.

World Wide Web- an organized set of sites that publish information that anyone can access via the Internet.

Zip drive- is often used to transfer files that are too large to fit on diskettes. What YOU said
AFM asked its readers to participate in an online survey at www.americanfootballmonthly.com to get your thoughts on football and technology.

In what way will advanced technology impact football coaching the most during the 21st century?

The introduction of high-tech play-diagramming software and its video applications as a teaching tool: 44%

The ability to gather, store and analyze statistical and scouting information with computers: 39%

The amount of time saved: 17%