NFL To Introduce RFID Chips That Track Player Performance

NFL and Zebra Technologies Work to Bring ‘Next Gen Stats” in 2014 Season

According to a recent NFL press release, RFID (radio frequency identification) tracking technology will be a game changer for the National Football League this season. With the help of these RFID chips football will become a numbers game.

Image: cdn.fansided.com

The NFL will be working with Zebra Technologies, a company based out of Illinois, to integrate a technology called ‘Zebra MotionWorks Sports Tracking Solution’ which has the ability to track player running speeds, distances and patterns on the field (in real-time) by attaching RFID sensors to players’ shoulder pads. This technology will also track officials and provide location based data or “Next Gen Stats” to fans.

The new technology will be installed in 17 stadiums in the 2014 NFL season. Once the data is received, it will be compiled into a database; where the data can be observed and used to improve the overall fan experience.

Vishal Shah, NFL Vice President of Media Strategy said, “Working with Zebra will give fans, teams, coaches and players a deeper look into the game they love. Zebra’s tracking technology will help teams to evolve training, scouting and evaluation through increased knowledge of player performance, as well as provide ways for our teams and partners to enhance the fan experience.”

On the field or off, fans will be able to actively participate in real-time game player stats (even if just sitting at home playing Fantasy Football).

Zebra is no stranger to innovative technology and is known for helping businesses unleash greater business value. As stated by the company, “Zebra’s legacy of providing visibility solutions to a variety of industries gives us extensive knowledge in how to collect important real-time data that helps organizations make smarter decisions – we call this enterprise intelligence. It’s exciting to partner with an innovator like the NFL…”

Since technology is everywhere, it only makes sense to “amp it up” in the sports arena and ensure that it is better than ever before. The NFL isn’t the first to incorporate new technology this year; during the 2014 World Cup we also saw a new technology emerge, the goal-line tracking system. These technologies help teams and fans partake in an interactive game experience.

The NFL is smart to notice that consumers have a constant need to actively participate during the game and to engage in technology activities, and now they can.