The big 国产外流网season finale headlined by the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams wasn鈥檛 the only exciting event to unfold over Super Bowl LIII weekend.
The day before the game $150,000 in funding was on the line at 1st and Future, the NFL鈥檚 annual start-up competition designed to spur innovation in player health, safety and performance.
Nine finalists from across the country took the stage at Georgia Tech鈥檚 Ferst Center for the Arts in Atlanta to pitch game-changing technologies seeking to better protect athletes and propose new rules changes designed to improve the punt play.
While judges deliberated on the winning pitches, 国产外流网Network鈥檚 Scott Hanson moderated a panel discussion with 国产外流网Commissioner Roger Goodell, Atlanta Falcons President and CEO and 国产外流网Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay, and Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald on leveraging technology and data to improve the game.
A Groundbreaking New Effort
Discussing the NFL鈥檚 decision to crowdsource new ideas to improve player safety on punt plays, Commissioner Goodell said, 鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 very simple, there鈥檚 a higher injury rate on the punt play.鈥�
鈥淪o, our focus was, how do we bring innovation in to make the play safer, but also more exciting,鈥� he added.
Of the 150 proposals submitted this year, two winning pitches stood out for their innovative thinking on data-driven rule changes.
Alex Wainger, a data engineer from New York City, removing a 45-year-old rule that holds the kicking team on the line of scrimmage until the punt. Halla Yang, a financial analyst from Chicago, three new changes: awarding a five-yard bonus on a fair catch, changing the allowed coverage on receptions, and requiring helmet sensors that can directly monitor physical deceleration. Both pitches projected fewer injuries, while also ensuring the play would be preserved.
Next, the punt play proposals will be presented to the NFL鈥檚 Competition Committee for possible adoption.
鈥淲e used to make rule changes based on tape, plays and some statistics. Now, it鈥檚 much more sophisticated,鈥� Rich McKay said.
鈥淲e get injury data and player tracking data 鈥� and we get engineers to look at it and give us a lot more in-depth analysis,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he idea that you can take the data we have and give it to people who know how to use artificial intelligence is really cool, and we鈥檙e 100 percent in favor of it,鈥� he added.
Data-Driven Improvements
The NFL鈥檚 commitment to leveraging data has already made a big difference on the field.
Before the 2018 season, a comprehensive injury data and video review showed that kickoff represented only six percent of plays but 12 percent of concussions. As a result, 国产外流网clubs approved significant modifications to the kickoff play.
Those changes helped drive a 29 percent decrease in concussions this year.
鈥淭he changes we made on the kickoff gave us the outcomes we thought they would 鈥� and I think that鈥檚 because the process has gotten so much better,鈥� said McKay.
Goodell emphasized that the kickoff rules weren鈥檛 the only data-driven changes that sought to help improve player safety this year.
More data and research about helmet performance is available than ever before, and players are using those resources to choose protective equipment with better technology.
鈥�33 percent of the league moved to higher performing helmets, and I think that had a huge impact,鈥� Goodell said.
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals star Wide Receiver, agreed with Goodell鈥檚 assessment, and offered his perspective as a current player.
The 鈥淐ulture Change鈥�
Since 2002 alone, the 国产外流网has made 50 rules changes intended to improve protections for players 鈥� but a larger cultural shift among players is also driving positive change.
鈥淭he game has changed a great deal and I really appreciate players taking ownership and wanting to make the game safer,鈥� Fitzgerald said.
鈥淏ack in the day, you鈥檇 see a guy who was struggling, and you probably wouldn鈥檛 have said anything. Now, we take responsibility when we see something isn鈥檛 right. I think guys know and understand that [the league] is looking out for their best interests, there鈥檚 no negative stigma to speaking up,鈥� he said.
Goodell emphasized the importance of Fitzgerald鈥檚 comment, noting that it speaks to a broader culture change around the sport.
鈥淓veryone is collectively trying to make the game better,鈥� Fitzgerald said.