Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by Daniel Matthews, a contributor at Last Word On Sports.
The NFL and RFID: A new era
Back when the twentieth century was roaring up to meet mankind, inventors were racing to harness the power of radio waves. In 1896, Gugliemo Marconi secured the first wireless telegraphy patent. Nikolai Tesla had his hat in the ring, too. The telegraph became a huge naval resource. Hard to believe, now we’ve gone from the telegraph and Morse code to RFID chips and constant streams of data, transmitting from the players on our favorite NFL teams.
RFID and big data
Did a Tesla or a Marconi ever imagine we would use radio waves this way? The RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip is a potentially controversial little piece of tech. Some worry they could be used violate privacy. The chips can be embedded just about anywhere to transmit customized data streams, including locational data.
RFID won the Internet of Things Product of the Year award, meaning these tiny chips play an important part in the world of big data, a world in which everything is supposed to collect and transmit data on user experience. A world of “exponential increase and availability of data,” because every item can generate constant data. A world of smart cars, smart roads, smart refrigerators—smart everything.
The new NFL viewing experience
Here’s one way the NFL is using RFID: attached to player shoulder-pads, the chips transmit data on player performance in real-time. This includes precise stats on the number of yards a player runs, how fast, and in what direction. Then, anyone with the free NFL 2015 app can access the “Next Gen Stats” generated by RFID chips. Also, gamers can use their Xbox One or Windows Surface tablet to interact with the stats.
This works in a number of ways. One, the app’s Next Gen Replay allows you to watch an instant replay while providing you with a video-game style interface, where each player has an avatar. The avatars simulate the play, as you view real-time stats related to whichever player you choose, on or off the field. Further, you can play a mini-game called NGS Pick ‘em, in which you predict the eight to ten players you think will have the best stats. You compete with others online to see who makes the best predictions.
Another feature lets you customize your own sports ticker: you get to choose the games and teams you want to track as you’re watching. Alerts pop up for you based on the action you want to follow, not the action ESPN or whatever network you’re watching deems important.
Other RFID uses
The RFID chips and constant streams of data create a heightened viewing experience from home. This technology creates an innovative, interactive experience you can’t get watching the game live in the stands. But at the same time, the sports world is using big data to try and lure fans to the stadium. RFID chips can get you into the game and to your seats quicker. Big data is a tool that can support both the armchair critic and the face-painting fanatic—it’s purely about how organizations use it.
For the NFL, this isn’t just for fans. The 49ers, Saints, and Lions are using the chips during practice, too. For the Saints, the monitoring goes toward minimizing soft-tissue injuries. During the off-season they used RFID to keep a close eye on the number of throws from 36 year-old quarterback Drew Brees. That way, he didn’t overdo it before the 2015 season.
The chip company, Zebra Technologies, also placed the chips in the game balls during the Pro Bowl, where they were able to track ball location up to six inches. These chips are in the down markers, they’re embedded in referees’ uniforms, and of course they’re in player pads—practically every aspect of the game now involves RFID chips.
NFL and RFID’s future
Down the line, the data could hypothetically inform everything from play calls to rulings on the field. This will all depend on how the NFL adapts to the new technology. If teams can access each other’s data, as strange as it seems, we may see the position of Data Analyst opening on coaching staffs in the future.
Bio: Daniel Matthews is a freelance writer from Boise, Idaho. You can find him on Twitter @danielmatthews0.
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