How do the play-calling signs in college football work? | Just Curious

College football fans have likely noticed large signs held up by assistant coaches and filled with symbols, images and memes. Sam Borden dives in to figure out how this trend began and how, exactly, it all leads to effective play-calling.
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[@DerrickW30]

The first time a couple of the ESPN hosts saw their faces on those cards, they had a good laugh about it on SportsCenter.

[@nahhfam7678]

If you wanted to get unnecessarily fancy here’s another; Center wears a visor which allows the coaching staff to use a laser from a tripod to beam the reverse image to the player. For the player, the image would be flipped when it hits the surface of the visor, protects the players eyes and makes it impossible for opposition to see the information.The visor would not go on QB due to preference of QB being more in important that other players. Pay me again.

[@zakarysouza465]

College: "Run Beyonce here." NFL: "Alright we're gonna run 'twins right switch left 37 banana flip wildcat x2 x2 on 3 ready break"

[@waviiboiitrey6]

Zakary Souza yooo facts 😂💯

[@OscarMike-ns5ub]

Or twins right 380 Rita Slime Darrell 450 turn Viking Power Jet Doubles wanda 2 base 22 x Option y turbo z trouble .. In otherwords Danny Woodhead

[@kelvintate1609]

sorry to be offtopic but does anyone know of a tool to log back into an instagram account?? I was dumb forgot the account password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me!

[@martinjackson558]

@Kelvin Tate instablaster :)

[@kelvintate1609]

@Martin Jackson Thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@nahhfam7678]

Here’s another; an enigma style principal where the each message uses a unique cypher for each message. The problems with signs being that need for decoys or other trickery, this alleviates that issue and can constantly change, meaning any effort to read the calls a meaningless exercise. An example would be based around an agreed upon key number that can change at any point in the game. This key number dictates to the players which number they should actually read for the play. This bit of easy mathematics also means that playsheets dropped by players are not readable as without the key there is no way to know what is coming. A simple example of it in action would be; Say you have 100 plays, every 20 plays is a new formation for 5 formations total. Each play is allotted a number that is convenient for the players to remember ie the 60s are all Trips formation plays. The key number changes at what point a player reads. So you could even have a single number such as 42 being shown which would be figured out once you show the same number again. However the key number is never spoken on the field and is only relayed on sidelines or in timeouts. In this incident the key number could be +20, meaning the actual play would be 62 which as we know is a Trips formation play. A single stage cypher is difficult enough to figure out and impossible to predict due to its ability to change at anytime, but you could easily add another layer which is what is usually employed ie another group of numbers being held up where the players would know ahead of time. Its a system used to make codes more difficult to break and would not be too taxing on the players to learn.

[@fudhater8592]

"This bit of easy mathematics" LOL you just confused 99% of all football players

[@nahhfam7678]

@@fudhater8592 this is the system we used at a professional rugby club so I think you can manage an easier version.

[@fudhater8592]

​@@nahhfam7678 Somehow you mistakenly got the impression I'm defending football players

[@giantkiller56]

0:29 The Detroit Lions logo calls for the play where the team collectively decides to suck, lose the game, and break the hearts of millions of fans. Set, hike!

[@nahhfam7678]

Board with angled slits with lights around the edge. You can have the actual play written down which only a huddled offence can see from the field, look any further to the side or more distance and the light would obscure the view/render photography useless with glare. Pay me.

[@17rbrendan]

works well for huddle offenses, what about no-huddle?

[@ItsTimeSportsShow]

I'm only here because of the University of Michigan scandal.....

[@Lex-gc9zs]

Bellichek would never put on a vr headset he does his stuff old school

[@bassfishingfreak6602]

Yeah it's called cheating.

[@chrisrose4769]

No wonder qbs struggle when they get to the NFL lmao

[@slickrick7455]

Not the pac 12 qbs

[@DuragAllDay]

​@@slickrick7455Jets, wait. Panthers, wait. 49ers & USC Legend Sam Darnold.

[@quileutewolf2867]

Did you know that Ronan high school was doing this before any college

[@ambitionzazaridah4363]

That picture in thumbnail only tells the truth about me

[@MrGenexxx]

I don't even know where this meme came from. Were you crying for real in that photo?

[@KxngKUDA]

@@MrGenexxx that was I think when he lost his first finals

[@damionbennett8372]

King Kuda it when he won his first ring with the heat

[@KxngKUDA]

@@damionbennett8372 right, my bad

[@HN5023-j7p]

@@MrGenexxx It's said that LeBron cried after Miami lost to the Bulls on 2011-3-7. Heat were swept by the Bulls in the regular season that year.

[@KNG1000]

What this Does mean? Lol

[@markramos307]

Let me yell at the clouds: try a huddle. College football broadcasts by the big media conglomerates are painful to watch as it is. I watch games on my DVR, skipping commercials and halftime shows. For me, it's the best way to watch games on TV.

[@HN5023-j7p]

I love the video picture of this video.

[@juanguevara4231]

the underdog

[@SuicideStarboyy]

So does college football not have coordinators sitting in the booth up top then like in the NFL?

[@DrewCaughtem]

Yup they do

[@OscarMike-ns5ub]

Uhhhh billion dollar business (college football) can't put radios in the helmets 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@matt8749]

Any one to start a colab KZbin channel

[@matt8749]

Yes or no

[@DrewCaughtem]

Yea

[@Antbeast23]

Man sign stealing is bs like every team does it allow helmet communication

[@joesmith-or3wx]

College football sign. ???

[@morefiction3264]

Lame questions. ESPN sucks.