Electronic Equipment on Field (ASA)

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

During a game, how much do you, or any of us, ever notice what a coach is doing? If they are using their iPhone with a scoring app to stay within the strictest confines of the rule, how can we notice if they send a text or email?
If they have their scoring device out there, and it is, as Dave suggested, an iPad, are you going to know whether or not they are communicating online with anyother individual, say on the hill 200 ft away with high powered binoculars? No....to prevent any communication, it is easier just to do away with all electronic devices. Paper and pen/pencil have worked well for ages, if score keeping is all that they are interested in.

And even if they COULD communicate with someone else on the field, the latency of the network would prevent any useful information from reaching the right people in time. Granted, network latency is constantly improving, but in a game situation, even a <1ms latency isn't enough to be of any benefit. Not to mention the fact that the devices then need to process and render whatever signals have been received.

In short, using these devices as a covert means of communicating around the field is, in all honesty, quite useless and futile (at this time).

As for Mike's comment regarding the recording of plays, that's always going to exist, whether ASA prohibits video equipment in dugouts or not. There's ALWAYS going to be some (hot) mom in the stands with a camcorder who's more than willing to show you her footage.