The Future of Football Practice?

[blantyr]

CNN and the Bleacher Report are reporting on a Dartmouth practice approach that prohibits tackling during practice. Dartmouth players don't tackle other Dartmouth players. This doesn't mean they don't practice tackling. They are way into tackling dummies. They might be doing tackle drills more often than other teams as they are less apt to hurt each other doing it.

The centerpiece is a 180 pound tacking dummy / remote control drone that can move pretty good for a dummy. It's apparently a big deal in practice to avoid letting the dummy make you look like the dummy. Happens to everybody, though. Still, robo dummy is just one element of a much larger change of focus.

Injuries are way down, not just on the practice field, but they are getting better tackling techniques that avoid game injuries as well. More starters are staying on the field longer.

The kicker? They won the Ivy League last year. They have been doing significantly better in terms of wins and points per game allowed on defense as well as keeping their best players on the field and far fewer concussions.

This might not be the answer to all Football's woes, but anyone looking for a way to help the players and the game might want to take a good long look at what Dartmouth is doing.

 

[BostonTim]

CNN and the Bleacher Report are reporting on a Dartmouth practice approach that prohibits tackling during practice. Dartmouth players don't tackle other Dartmouth players. This doesn't mean they don't practice tackling. They are way into tackling dummies. They might be doing tackle drills more often than other teams as they are less apt to hurt each other doing it.

The centerpiece is a 180 pound tacking dummy / remote control drone that can move pretty good for a dummy. It's apparently a big deal in practice to avoid letting the dummy make you look like the dummy. Happens to everybody, though. Still, robo dummy is just one element of a much larger change of focus.

Injuries are way down, not just on the practice field, but they are getting better tackling techniques that avoid game injuries as well. More starters are staying on the field longer.

The kicker? They won the Ivy League last year. They have been doing significantly better in terms of wins and points per game allowed on defense as well as keeping their best players on the field and far fewer concussions.

This might not be the answer to all Football's woes, but anyone looking for a way to help the players and the game might want to take a good long look at what Dartmouth is doing.

That's fascinating. And seems to make sense on it's face. Be interesting watching this to see how it progresses. Thanks (and do you have a cite btw?).

Also, this is another look at an up and coming sea change. Robotics may change the world in the same way as the wheel and the computer.

Cheers, BostonTim

 

[PatsFan09]

Didn't the Steelers use something like this during OTAs?

 

[blantyr]

Do you have a cite btw?).

Just the Bleacher Report article, though it goes into quite a bit of detail.

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

The robots/drones are going to us all in...we're screwed.

 

[patfan64]

The robots/drones are going to us all in...we're screwed.

Yep.

 

[Undertaker #59*]

There was an arcade game I used to play back in the day that was basically football with robots. Eventually the robots would get hit too much and blowup (usually causing a fumble). Loved that game. Anyone else remember it?

 

[HarpoonIPA]

There was an arcade game I used to play back in the day that was basically football with robots. Eventually the robots would get hit too much and blowup (usually causing a fumble). Loved that game. Anyone else remember it?

Yup played it quite often called cyberball https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OBdiD-MuujQ

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

Yep.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3042540/...obots-will-take-your-job-and-kill-the-economy