NFL Teams Adopt iPads, Despite Computer Ban

Teams in the National Football League are experimenting with iPads to substitute unwieldy playbooks, even though they are forced to turn them off before taking to the field because of NFL rules.

The Baltimore Ravens, for example, have sidelined their old school three-ring binders with iPads. Team organizers bought 120 of them to give players better access to a wealth of info – film sessions, nutrition guides and team calendars.

In the U.S., professional basketball teams have also embraced Apple’s tablet for much the same reasons: the small, lightweight device packs a winning combination of information and portability.

However, NFL rules aimed to promote fair play prohibit the use of computers and any device that can record or play video in pregame preparations or the game itself.

So those magical devices used by the Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get sidelined and shut off come game time. In accordance with the computer ban, players dissect the plays from Polaroid photos during breaks and wait as officials measure out first downs using sticks attached to chains.

The iPad may yet bring about a reverse in the “no computer” rule.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy says he can’t fathom the difference between using an iPad and analog workarounds that coaches currently use to call plays with.

“The sheets of paper, for one, should be some kind of tablet,” McCarthy told the New York Times. “It’s the year 2011 — why aren’t we working with technology companies to come up with ways to come up with some kind of handheld device?”

Via New York Times

Nicole Martinelli

Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco freelance writer who heads up Cult of Mac Magazine, our weekly publication available on iTunes. You can find her on Twitter and Google+. If you’re doing something new, cool and Apple-related, email her.