By Anson Yeganegi and Song Li, InvenSense

Sensors can improve player safety and performance through data collection.

Both soccer and American football have embraced advanced technologies to varying degrees, including the use of sensors to elevate tracking and data collection in both games. The first sensor-enabled game ball using Connected Ball Technology, for instance, was used in the 2022 World Cup. Connected Ball Technology embeds sensors in game balls, and several metrics can be collected. Video assistant referees (VARs) also provide real-time access to precise ball data to support fast and accurate offside calls.

Now, American football is also embracing sensor technology at scale to deliver precise real-time data during games. There are two routes of adoption the National Football League utilizes for sensor technology. The teams can collect data for their own use, while the league has the same opportunity for in-game calls and fan engagement. We refer to that as team-level and competition-level data collection.

Team level: the future of sensors for training and practices

Football training and practices are already integrating advanced sensors embedded in a host of equipment and hardware. The data collected can be used to help mitigate injuries and provide in-depth data analysis for decision-making and tactical insights. These are separated into five key points.

1. 1. 

      Wearable sensor integration for player tracking. Wearable sensors integrated into pads, helmets, and other gear are at the forefront, prioritizing athletes’ health and performance. Figure 1 shows a helmet sensor. These devices can capture a wealth of data, including player movements, speed, and impact forces. The integration of sensors into the materials of the player’s equipment offers a comprehensive understanding of their physical exertion and performance during practices and workouts.

   2. Injury prevention and player safety. Wearable sensors play a crucial role in injury prevention and ensuring player safety. Continuously monitoring biometric data and impact allows sensors to provide real-time insight into players’ physical condition. Coaches and medical staff can leverage the information to identify various health metrics such as fatigue, and then adjust training regimens and intervene to prevent injuries during practice and games.
   3. Tactical insight and training optimization. The data garnered by wearable sensors can also provide insights that can significantly influence strategies for individual athletes. Understanding player movements, patterns, work rates and physical stress allows strength and conditioning coaches to modify training sessions. The data garnered from sensors ensures players train more efficiently, focusing on suboptimal areas and de-emphasizing already optimal areas regarding overall performance.
   4. Influencing decision-making based on sensor data analytics. An athletic organization, like a football team, can take sensors and the data generated to unlimited lengths. In a practice setting, the integration of sensor data analytics provides patterns and data that influence real-time decision-making during actual gameplay. If used correctly, there are competitive edges to mine. Coaches can receive immediate feedback on player performance, allowing them to see strategies or other potential operational advantages. They can also enhance the overall team dynamic as a data-driven organization rather than relying on old-school and potentially outdated methods.
   5. Sensors integrated into footballs for positioning data and in-flight characteristics. Beyond player gear, sensors can be integrated into footballs (Figure 2). The NFL experimented with this in 2016, extending the partnership into 2025. While the scope of these sensors is directed at “innovative player and ball tracking solution, helping to enable a new era of football data and analytics,” it is seemingly limited to game-day competition. Still, we can safely assume that teams use these technologies at their own facilities.

Analyzing data from a football can provide a deeper understanding of, for example, a quarterback’s arm strength, spin, and touch to improve passing accuracy.

A specific example of what the NFL is doing today is placing RFID tags on both sides of players’ shoulder pads. Tracking these tags provides precise position and speed. Some players use mouthguards with embedded sensors to detect all impacts involving players’ heads.

These sensor-driven innovations not only enhance performance on an individual and team scale but also contribute to increased safety in a game plagued with injuries from concussions, broken bones, torn muscles, and ligaments. As sensor technologies advance, more information and adaptations using data-driven approaches will fundamentally change how the sport is played and coached.

Competition-level: the future of sensors and their impact on the experience and outcomes

In the ever-evolving football landscape, sensors are pivotal to transforming the fan experience by stadiums and leagues utilizing cutting-edge technologies and deploying forward-thinking infrastructure. To that end, there are four key areas where sensors and wireless technologies have a consumer impact:

1. Immersive stadium experience. Sensors have ushered in a new era of engagement that fans couldn’t have imagined decades ago. Smartphones and tablets allow fans to keep track of players and their statistics on the field, and fantasy football rosters are updated in real time. Off-the-field partnerships have led to an upgraded food and beverage experience, alerting consumers to nearby concession stands (even restrooms) with the shortest lines. Outside of sensors, stadiums can wirelessly offer seat upgrades and provide various services, from merchandise to valet parking. Apps and digital infrastructure can support weather reports, game information, and critical emergency communications for first responders.
2. Incorporating sensor data into broadcasts. Stadium technology investments must keep up with the luxuries of the home viewing experience. To that end, sensor data and metrics have also been integrated into broadcasts, enriching the viewer experience without braving the elements. Metrics such as players’ speed in miles per hour, distances covered, and ball tracing allow for more insightful commentary. In-game graphics, also driven by sensor data, provide a visual overview of the action, enhancing game details and analysis for spectators. That data isn’t just for broadcasts, as post-game commentators can utilize the information for discussions and press conference questions.
3. Real-time data as a trust mechanism. A future state of a data-driven environment (competition) enhances the understanding of the game. It strengthens the collective fan’s trust with accurate judgment calls based on sensor data officials might not see. Today, in professional football, spotting the football is rather prehistoric (and subjective), and video replays are limited or hampered by line-of-sight interference. The good news: sensor technology is here to assist in outcomes based on information from data and sensors, providing accuracy for players, coaches, in-person fans, and viewers from home.
4. Infrastructure is needed to integrate additional sensors. Stadium infrastructure can be made more technologically robust. In-stadium communications technology, notably 5G systems, are apt to need upgrades to keep up with the increasing amounts of data produced and consumed by fans. Advanced HD cameras and even LiDAR systems will also help drive the need for efficient data transmission, ensuring that the influx of data can operate smoothly without latency issues.

What do sensors mean to football? A lot.

Advancements in wearable technologies provide significant insights and will continue to provide increased safety to players with the most relevant metrics that coaches can use to enhance performance. Tactical strategies are and will continue to be finely tuned, maximizing player and organizational potential.

Instantaneous data analysis bolstered by AI will enrich real-time data for the field of play. The convergence of sensor technology has revolutionized how the game is played and will continue to elevate fans’ experiences and engagement, creating a dynamic and interconnected ecosystem.

NFL fans have experienced unexpected bounces (the Immaculate Reception), suspected chicanery (Deflategate), novel strategies (the Brotherly Shove), and confusing calls (the Tuck Rule Game). How will sensors be integrated into team strategy and even upcoming scandals? This is another open question

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