ARTICLE 11. Jurisdiction regarding the presence and location of communication equipment (cameras, sound devices, etc.) within the playing enclosure resides with game management personnel.
b. Only voice communication between the press box and team area is permitted. Coaches’ booth space and location must be approximately equivalent for the home and visiting teams and should be located in the traditional press box area. Where press-box space is not adequate, only voice communication may originate from any area in the stands between the 20-yard lines extended to the top of the stadium. No other communication for coaching purposes is permitted anywhere else, including communication from outside the stadium (remote coaching).
Exceptions:
Coach-to-coach communications through the helmet is permissive for the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) based on the following:
Only one (1) player may be on the field per team at a time with radio receiving capability and the player must be identified by an unbranded green dot on the back midline of the helmet.
Approved Ruling 1-4-11 V 1/10 @ A-25. After the free kick touchback to open the game, Team A runs onto the field with A12 having the only green dot helmet signifying radio receiving capability. Back-up QB A14 is in the team area with his green dot helmet on and active, and third team QB A10 has an earpiece linked to the coach-to-player communications and is active as well. Both A14 and A10 listen into the communications intended for A12 on the field. Ruling: This is allowed for Team A and Team B. Only one green dot helmet is allowed on the field, but there is no limit to the number of players in the team area that may monitor the coach-to-player communications.
Coach-to-player communications will be shut off when the play clock reaches 15 seconds or at the snap, whichever comes first, and will remain off throughout the down. Communications is restored as soon as the down is completed. If the play clock is below 15 seconds and the referee resets the play clock to 25/40, the communications will be restored.
If more than one green dot helmet per team is detected on the field by the game officials, the result is a live ball 5-yard equipment violation penalty enforced from the previous spot, and this penalty initiates a conference review.
On free kick downs, the coach to player communications will not be in effect. There is no limitation to the number of green dot helmets for ither team during free kick downs.
Approved Ruling 1-4-11 IV Free kick @ A-35. Team A and Team B line up in position and the referee signals the ball ready for play. Team A or Team B has multiple green dot helmets on the field signifying that those players have radio receiving capability. Ruling: There is no foul on the play. On free kick plays; the catch-to-player communications rule will not be in effect. There is no limitation to the number of green dot helmets for either team during free kick plays.
A conference may develop a policy to provide guidance in handling situations dealing with communications failure. (See Appendix I)
(Coach-2-Player communications will be permissive for Division II and Division III for the 2026 season.)
