April 2020 - 6

TECHNOLOGY
CAPTURES METRICS
OF ATHLETES
Zebra MotionWorks Sports tracks
players and ball information
Ohio State University's
football team uses Zebra
Technologies and its tracking
platform, Zebra MotionWorks Sport. John Pollard, Vice
President, Business Development, Zebra Sports talked to
Training & Conditioning about the system.
What can the technology track?
The Zebra MotionWorks Sport tracking system captures
metrics such as player speed, distance traveled, orientation
and proximity, and acceleration/deceleration. It can also
use RFID tags in footballs to capture velocity, rotational
information (RPMs) and can derive height for passes and
kicks.
How many NFL teams and then college football
teams are using this technology? And what other
sports can it be used for?
Currently, about one-third of the NFL is using Zebra's
practice tracking solution to capture player and ball
tracking information for each of their practice sessions
throughout the season. While the technology is being used
for American football at this time, there are potential
applications for many other sports such as soccer, rugby,
basketball and lacrosse. We are currently evaluating
expansion opportunities into additional sports. We are
also engaging a number of top NCAA football programs
regarding the potential use of our system at their facilities.
Also, 2020 marked the third year that Zebra was the
Official Player Tracking Technology partner of the Reese's
Senior Bowl. At the Senior Bowl, we track all practice
6 | 2020 Tech Guide
sessions and the game itself
and make that information
available to NFL teams
to support their player
evaluation efforts in preparation for the NFL Draft.
Where are sensors located and how do they work?
The RFID chips are embedded inside footballs, applied
to the players' shoulder pads and sewn into their practice
shirts and compression gear for non-padded practices.
During the course of a game, data is transmitted by a
signal sent from the player and ball tags to receivers
installed around the perimeter of all stadiums where the
NFL plays their games, including those in the UK and in
Mexico City. We install a similar system infrastructure
at our team clients' practice facilities including at their
outdoor and indoor fields.
What is tracked and how easily can coaches
access and analyze the information?
Player and ball location and movement information is
tracked in real time, the captured data and information
is then available for viewing in a few seconds. In a
practice environment, team staff members may access live
information via our practice application and reporting
tool. Typically, staff members will use a laptop or tablet to
view player activity right on the practice field. As a result,
staff members can share information with other coaches
and consult with players regarding the information
immediately. We can also make the tracking information
available to teams via an API which teams like to use to
April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020
