Generation X\'s and O\'s

by: Richard Scott
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Game Simulation Technology Allows you to Teach From the Field Level in Real Game Situations

When Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid missed significant practice snaps last fall and quarterbacks coach Larry Fedora was forced to prepare junior Al Pena for his first start, Fedora turned to technology. Fedora put a state-of-the-art football simulator produced by GridIron Technology, Inc. in the hands of his quarterbacks, allowing Reid a chance to stay mentally sharp and giving Pena more mental reps as he prepared for Saturday.

    With the entire Oklahoma State offense and the opponent’s defense programmed into the simulator, the quarterback used a joystick to make their reads and decisions. Instead of playing a video game such as Madden 2006 or NCAA Football 2006, the quarterbacks focused on real-life situations likely to arise in the next game.

    “The simulator is the best teaching tool I’ve ever seen,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “There’s nothing that can replace playing in practice and games, but this is a tremendous advantage.”

    Football simulators are no longer fantasies resembling popular football video games. They are the latest reality in the game of football and coaches at all levels would be smart to learn them and use them.

    Simulators are still relatively new and being used mostly by Division I programs, but it’s just a matter of time before the technology catches on and becomes more accessible to other levels of football.

    “We try to create the best-in-class teaching tools that enhance sports at all levels by increasing coach-to-player communication,” says Jason Sada, President of GridIron Technology, Inc. “I think that’s the key to our simulators, in the coach-to-player communication. We’ve created a way for coaches to be able to game plan, prepare strategy and put in plays with certain designs and then be able to export those out into a way that allows the players to interact with them.”

    GridIron’s simulators allow a coach to put together a playbook, whether it’s offense or defense against air or offense against defense and defense against offense. The coaches can create those situations, based on their real game plans and the scouting reports on their opponents, and save them to a simulation.     

    Both teammates and opposing players can be programmed to match their real-life attributes. For example, this might force a quarterback to work with his best “possession” receiver against an All-American cornerback in the next game, or force a running back to recognize and pick up the blitz of a speedy oncoming linebacker.

    “At that point, the players can actually be immersed in the play,” Sada says. “Not only being immersed in it, but being able to react and participate in the play and have the simulation software actually track their performance.”

    The prime example of this technology is often the quarterback, but it can be used with any position player on both sides of the ball.

    “You’ll have 21 players on the simulator who do exactly what they’re told and coached to do,” Sada says. “If you’re using the simulator, you’re only in control of yourself and you have to make the right choice or make a mistake.

    “For example, if you’re a quarterback facing a certain defense you expect to see on Saturday, you’ll face several different looks the defense will be showing and you’ll have a multitude of offensive plays to run against it. You can still use check-offs and line calls and the simulator can track those decisions and everything the quarterback does pre-snap and post-snap.”

    While a simulator can never replace everything that comes with actual live practice, it can go a long way toward improving one of the most important aspects of the game. “It’s essentially mental repetitions,” Sada says, “and you can do these repetitions from the field level. The game looks a lot different from the field level, behind the center, than it does from the sidelines or 100 feet up or from the end zone or any of the angles video offers.”



Simulation technology can be utlized throughout the year – in-season, spring and summer workouts – giving starters and back-ups the opportunities to gain the real-time knowledge and experience to win games.  In this image, a quarterback is getting experience recognizing the defense and making adjustments prior to the snap.


Simulation software lets your players get extra snaps outside of practice and games. Here a quarterback (from his view) is practicing his post-snap progression reads gaining valuable, real-time decision making experience (also known as mental reps).


Every position – both offense and defense – gets real-time decision making experience using simulation technology. In this image, a left tackle is able to work on his pre-snap reads outside of practice time. 


Most defenses will face many different offensive fronts throughout a season. Simulation software gives defenses the advantage to recognize offensive fronts, tendencies, and other important scouting information from each specific position.  Here, the safety is getting real-time decision making expe


In addition to providing real-time experience for each specific position, simulation software can also be used to outline both offensive and defensive plays.  In this image a defensive play is outlined illustrating the responsibility of each player.
  
 By involving the correct assignments of every player, the participant can also gain from constant and repetitive mental challenges presented by the simulator.”Let’s say the quarterback makes the correct hot read 90 percent of the time, and let’s say the receivers make the right hot read 90 percent of the time,” Sada says. “The real challenge is making sure those 90 percents come on the same play. If the quarterback gets it right and the receivers don’t, it’s not going to work. The simulator can test all of the offensive players on their assignments.

    “It’s a really powerful tool when you consider how many reps you’re going to get or not get during practice. A redshirting freshman isn’t going to get many reps with the scout team and a second-string guy isn’t going to get as many reps as the starter and this can help them gain valuable experience running the plays you want them to learn. None of this is going to change a guy’s speed or arm strength but it can still make him a better player. It might even help him preserve some of his arm strength if he’s injured or getting beat up on the field.”

    Using simulators allows a coach and player to work together one on one or in groups, but it also allows a player to work on his own, either at home, the football complex or on the road. It can be used during the season as game preparation or for teaching younger players who don’t get enough reps in practice. It can also be used throughout the offseason.

    Put a DVD in a player’s hands and tell him to study and he might get something out of it. Put a laptop and a game controller in his hands and he’s likely to put more time, effort and enthusiasm into his work. “The players are familiar with this type of technology and they’re drawn to it,” Sada says. “They simply step up, play with it, interact with it and learn.”

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