Denver Broncos to use Apple's iPad as playbook for 2012 NFL season
The 120 players, coaches and other staff of the National Football League's Denver Broncos will each be equipped with Apple's iPad to use as a digital playbook for the 2012 season.
The iPad will be used to replace traditional, bulky playbooks that can grow as large as 500 pages, according to the Denver Post. The iPads provided to the team will be equipped with plays, scouting reports, video clips and more.
The Broncos will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were the first to equip its players with iPads at the start of last season. The Baltimore Ravens have also ditched printed playbooks in favor of Apple's touchscreen tablet.
"The advantage is that when they leave the building, they can take everything home with them very easily and watch tape at night and review the game plan installation," said Broncos general manager Brian Xanders. "This is their full-time job ? to prepare and do whatever they can to help us win each week."
The NFL does not allow electronic devices, like tablets, on the sideline during games. But players are free to use their iPads to prepare for the gridiron, and starting this season will even be able to use devices in the locker room up until kickoff.
Players will be provided Apple's top-of-the-line 4G LTE Verizon iPad, with 64 gigabytes of capacity. They sell for $829 each, but the organization still expects to save money, as it will no longer need to print tens of thousands of playbook pages each season.

The Denver Broncos will use Apple's iPad as a playbook for the 2012 season. Photo via the Denver Post.
The iPads provided to members of the Broncos will utilize playbook software built by PlayerLync. Using the software, players and coaches can write notes and highlight plays, and the data is remotely stored in the cloud.
The iPad may soon be coming to more NFL teams beyond the three that currently use Apple's tablet, as PlayerLync indicated it is in talks with a handful of other organizations about providing its services.
The iPad will be used to replace traditional, bulky playbooks that can grow as large as 500 pages, according to the Denver Post. The iPads provided to the team will be equipped with plays, scouting reports, video clips and more.
The Broncos will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were the first to equip its players with iPads at the start of last season. The Baltimore Ravens have also ditched printed playbooks in favor of Apple's touchscreen tablet.
"The advantage is that when they leave the building, they can take everything home with them very easily and watch tape at night and review the game plan installation," said Broncos general manager Brian Xanders. "This is their full-time job ? to prepare and do whatever they can to help us win each week."
The NFL does not allow electronic devices, like tablets, on the sideline during games. But players are free to use their iPads to prepare for the gridiron, and starting this season will even be able to use devices in the locker room up until kickoff.
Players will be provided Apple's top-of-the-line 4G LTE Verizon iPad, with 64 gigabytes of capacity. They sell for $829 each, but the organization still expects to save money, as it will no longer need to print tens of thousands of playbook pages each season.

The Denver Broncos will use Apple's iPad as a playbook for the 2012 season. Photo via the Denver Post.
The iPads provided to members of the Broncos will utilize playbook software built by PlayerLync. Using the software, players and coaches can write notes and highlight plays, and the data is remotely stored in the cloud.
The iPad may soon be coming to more NFL teams beyond the three that currently use Apple's tablet, as PlayerLync indicated it is in talks with a handful of other organizations about providing its services.
Comments
They're still going 9-7. If they're lucky.
Belichick has it hacked already.
Ironic that they adopt the Jesus Tablet after trading Tebow
So that they can watch "tape"? I hate when news anchors do this and they're likely asking for a digital file to be played instead of actual tape. "Tape" and iPad sound crazy haha.
This is just the beginning. Many more teams will follow suit and other sports leagues will copy this trend.
I find it odd that electronic devices can't be used on the sidelines. Guess issues of espionage may be the reasoning.
Why is this news? As the article itself mentions, at least two other NFL teams adopted this last season.
NBA teams have been using them for a while too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deepkid
So that they can watch "tape"? I hate when news anchors do this and they're likely asking for a digital file to be played instead of actual tape. "Tape" and iPad sound crazy haha.
I guess old habit die hard...
No wonder Payton went to the Broncos. And Jim could listen to his brother, too.
I think they can simplify the playbook GUI with one button.
Play selection:
" Peyton throw the ball!"
Is there a legit reason why electronic devices cannot be used on the sidelines?!
Using the iPad is a great idea, even better when it gets allowed on the sidelines...
So how many of the players are going to jailbreak them? lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by libertyforall
So how many of the players are going to jailbreak them? lol
Considering the average intellect I'd say close to 0.
Quote:
Originally Posted by libertyforall
Is there a legit reason why electronic devices cannot be used on the sidelines?!
Using the iPad is a great idea, even better when it gets allowed on the sidelines...
Legit? Depends on what you mean. Although various teams use a system from XOS to record and edit videos of practices, recording and playback of video on the sidelines are strictly verboten during a game. This is why you see QBs and assistant coaches studying *satellite* photos rather than videos during a game. This will change soon, I imagine. But there's another consideration against adoption of iPads during a game - NFL has an exclusive deal with Motorola for the latter to be the supplier of "on-field technology" during games. I am sure Motorola would be happy to provide the Xoom. But given that the NFL teams are adopting the iPad for non-game purposes, this will be an interesting development.
Yeah, but who wants to carry 500 iPads around?
(joke)
Will the Philadelphia Eagles be allowed to play "Angry Birds"?
(worse joke)
Is the contract with Motorola Mobility or Motorola Solutions?
The former makes xooms. The latter doesn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by quinney
Is the contract with Motorola Mobility or Motorola Solutions?
The former makes xooms. The latter doesn't.
Good question. The deal with NFL, I believe, predates the splitting of Motorola. So I don't know which Moto ended up with the deal. Logically, it would be Motorola Solutions but I don't see them selling iPads to NFL either.
Awesome.....but I still hate the Broncos.
I find it ironic that RIM made a tablet called a "playbook" that was supposed to be used by enterprise customers. While Apple makes an iPad that is being used by everyone including teams using it as a playbook.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macky the Macky
I find it ironic that RIM made a tablet called a "playbook" that was supposed to be used by enterprise customers. While Apple makes an iPad that is being used by everyone including teams using it as a playbook.
True that.
Didn't RIM use the tagline "Play time is over"?