ARTICLE 11. Jurisdiction regarding the presence and location of communication equipment (cameras, sound devices, etc.) within the playing enclosure resides with game management personnel.
a. Television replay or monitor equipment is prohibited at the sidelines, press box or other locations within the playing enclosure for coaching purposes during the game. Motion pictures, any type of film, facsimile machines, videotapes, photographs, writing-transmission machines and computers may not be used by coaches or for coaching purposes any time during the game or between periods. Computers, tablets, etc. are not allowed in the coaching booth.
Approved Ruling 1-4-11 I. The Head Coach of the home team is unable to attend the game in person and wants to monitor the TV broadcast and (a) call in plays via cell phone to the offensive coordinator and (b) use a virtual application (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) to communicate with the team in the locker room. RULING: Rule 1-4-11b is specific and allows only voice communication between the press box and the team area, therefore in (a) the coach could not call into the press box or the sideline for anything related to coaching purposes. Rule 1-4-11a would prohibit the use of technology including computers to be used for coaching purposes and this would include all virtual types of communication back to a team during the game. Consequently in (b) any virtual session with the team would not be allowed. This prohibition would begin at 90 minutes before the scheduled kickoff when the officiating crew assumes jurisdiction of the game and would include the time between periods until the end of the game when the Referee declares the score final.
Exceptions:
1. Monitors may be used only to view the live telecast or webcast. The home team is responsible for assuring identical television capability in the coaches’ booths of both teams. This capability may not include replay equipment or recorders.
2. A monitor is permitted on the sideline only to assist team medical staffs in the diagnosis and treatment of student-athletes.
3. Standard tablets for in-game video only is permissive for all football playing subdivisions and are subject to the following guidelines:
Tablets shall be restricted to "in game video" (current game) and may not include analytics, data or data access capability or any other communications access. No other video is allowed) e.g., scouting video, practice video, etc.).
Tablets may be used in the coaches' booth, sideline, and locker room and may not be interconnected to other devices to project larger/additional images.
Video may include a coach's sideline, a coach's endzone, and a program feed per play from the current game only and may also display game circumstances including down, distance, time, quarter, play-number, and score.
A team may have up to 18 standard tablets active, and all team personnel may view the tablets.
Team personnel engaging an official with a tablet to show or review video is guilty of an automatic Unsportsmanlike Conduct foul.
A conference may develop a policy to provide guidance in handling situations dealing with tablet failure.
