Using flip boards to call no huddle-Legal?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

I'd say a flip board is about as lo-tech as you can get, unless you want to write it on poster board with a Sharpie.

Exactly. Or shall we ban hand signals, too? Hands are communication devices...

[ajmc]

This sounds like an example of why basic common sense and logic are such important qualities needed in officials

Originally Posted by mbyron

Exactly. Or shall we ban hand signals, too? Hands are communication devices...

Exactly, hands are communication devices. Banning hand signals would handicap the teams from the schools for the deaf.

BTW, flipcharts were my favorite "steals" when I was working on a college coaching staff when I was in school. One team was using colored charts and hand signals, and by observing them and the plays they ran on the first drive or two, I had their entire scheme figured out. Our defense clamped down on them, but our offense couldn't capitalize. We lost by 2 after missing a field goal late in the game.

[umpirebob71]

Isn't the object pictured a scoreboard?

[bigjohn]

It is a scoreboard but it is being used as a communication/coaching aid by many spread-no huddle teams.

[umpirebob71]

To tell them what...the score? As usual, you bring a knife to a gunfight.

[bigjohn]

Whatever. I could care less. The rule is poorly written, bottom line.

[RMR]

Originally Posted by umpirebob71

To tell them what...the score? As usual, you bring a knife to a gunfight.

It doesn't take too much imagination to see how one could use such a thing to signal in plays using numbers to send in plays using that "scoreboard" and QB wristbands (each player gets their own).

I've seen at least a couple teams use this exact method - a couple of managers flip the numbers to the play the coach wants called - the players look for the corresponding play on their wristband and off they go.