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Post by spreadattack on Dec 20, 2015 14:22:43 GMT -6
I have been having this conversation with a few folks -- and yes, it's totally speculative and we'll all be wrong and it's just for fun, and no this is not about concussions (well, only sort of about concussions) -- and I've been kicking around some thoughts on what football will be like in 50 years and was curious what the Huey board point of view would be like. A lot of this is driven by technology we can't predict -- definitely didn't know about iphones and ipads or even personal computers back in 1965 -- but I was also curious about the Xs and Os, communication, etc. As a preface, the game of football was definitely different in 1965 (or even 1955) but it also doesn't seem *that* different, given that Bear Bryant was winning national titles at Alabama and the Packers and Lombardi won the Super Bowl, almost every offense was a T-formation offense (and many were even using the shotgun and not just in single wing sets), the early 4-3 and Oklahoma 50 defenses were (I believe) in use, rather than some of the much older schemes, Weeb Ewbank with Namath had refined some of the pocket pass protection mechanics while Bill Yeoman had been running the Houston veer for a couple of years already and David Nelson and Tubby Raymond had been evolving the Wing-T at Delaware since the mid-1950s. Anyway, below are some areas where I'd be curious if any Huey-ites (young and old) had any thoughts on what they'd be like in 50 years. 1. Training: How will players be trained? Still core methods? Will "sports science" take over the game, with cheap fitness and heart rate monitors? To me this is an area that has changed a lot from 50 years ago, and given how competitive sports are and the introduction of wearable technology I see lots of development, though hopefully not developments like the steroid era and, of course, at the end of the day it's about developing the person not the technology. (I also don't think the sport will be played by people with "augmented" features or reality, i.e. extra sight or whatever through surgery or wearable technology, though we do kind of already allow this with receiver's gloves.) 2. Rules: I'd like to keep this away from concussion as I really do think we'll have football in 50 years, though player safety is going to be increasingly important and the rules are going to evolve for this also, but they also will probably continue to evolve to promote offense (particularly at the NFL level). Also, will there be any fundamental rules changes? (Elimination of some kicking game phases like kickoffs, changing to field size, etc?) 3. Teaching/technology: Technology is very broad as it can affect many aspects of the game from player performance to Hudl's impact on gameplanning, but to me it seems to hold a lot of promise for increased teaching -- take home methods, virtual reality sets for mental reps (which is already in use by Stanford and NFL teams). Also I'm curious about communication, whether headsets in radio will become standard, if there will be three dimensional modeling of schemes in real time on the sideline to replace whiteboards, etc. 4. Strategy/schemes: I saved this for last as I think it will trail, but where do ya'll think the game will go in terms of strategy? We've covered a lot of ground over the last 50 years, but we've also in many ways come full circle. For example, check out some pieces from the below article: That article sounds like it could have been published this season -- instead it was published in 1968. OSU's coach saying they would get 100 plays was Woody Hayes; Alabama's "master of defense" was Bear Bryant. www.si.com/vault/1968/11/04/550959/a-new-name-for-the-game-score-score-scoreSo what do you think football Xs and Os/strategy -- and the rest of the sport -- will look like in 50 years? I'll end with a quote from that article: "As Darrell Royal likes to say about trends and how the game goes in cycles: 'There ain't a horse can't be rode or a man can't be throwed.'" |
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Post by coach2013 on Dec 20, 2015 14:24:39 GMT -6
soccer
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2015 14:28:58 GMT -6
Gone! But so will I.
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Post by CS on Dec 20, 2015 14:44:05 GMT -6
1) I doubt football will be played in a sci fi movie but the players will continue to improve and get bigger faster and stronger as more people start to ,earn about training and nutrition. 2) I think they have all but eliminated the kick off anyway by pushing it forward. Plus nobody wants to watch special teams  ? 3) who the hell knows. This can get pretty sci fi as well 4) I think we are going to see a resurgence of more people going under center and pounding the ball. When all these programs realize they can't compete with the recruiting of the big boys they will go to other means to try and win football games. |
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Post by blb on Dec 20, 2015 15:21:30 GMT -6
Football used to be evolutionary.
Then TV and money got involved, beginning with NFL.
And the rules makers obliged.
Frankly it would have evolved any way, naturally, with development of human beings as a species and training methods.
Likely will continue to.
Concerns about concussions and other safety issues will continue to temper the way the game is played-coached.
Equipment and medical costs (helmets, baseline testing for concussions, etc.) will continue to go up and up until it becomes virtually prohibitive for HS.
So, in 50 years - HS Football will be 6-or 8-man game on an open field, more resembling Flag or Touch Football than what it is today.
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Post by newt21 on Dec 20, 2015 15:26:07 GMT -6
I can see the use of more technology during practice to limit the number of hits the kids take. There are already colleges using interactive technology where the kids wear goggles and "play" virtual football while the coaches can watch. I agree with CS in saying that teams will start going back to under center. I think they will also go back to huddling because some of them will realize that the only way they will be able to win a game is to shorten it. I expect to see a rule change in regards to linemen down field which will limit RPO play possibilities because there will be a dedicated official to watch for OL down field. |
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Post by Coach.A on Dec 20, 2015 15:26:26 GMT -6
Some random thoughts.
- I think NFL game day rosters will increase...this will lead to more specialization (both in personnel/skill sets and schemes). Perhaps a greater number of scheme & personnel packages as a result.
- An increase in NFL roster sizes could trigger many other changes (e.g. more regular season games, shorter play clock, expanded playoffs, etc.)
- The wearable technology could be something along the lines of google glass but in a visor.
- I think the influence of fantasy football and weekly betting websites will somehow infiltrate and effect how games are broadcast. Not sure how though.
- Advanced metrics seem to be creeping into sports more and more. I'm not sure what impact they will have on the game yet...but as soon as some high profile coach fully buys in to an unconventional metric and has consistent success, many will follow.
- I think a larger field at the pro level is a very real possibility. I also agree that kickoffs will be eliminated.
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Post by Defcord on Dec 20, 2015 15:31:16 GMT -6
Maybe I am crazy but I think football will be around forever. In 50 years...who knows surely not me. I will say this my biggest fear is that football is abolished and becomes an organized form of 7 on 7 with some hybrid form of thudding up and two hand touch instead of tackling. The fat kids will be relegated to snapping balls only which means 80% of my favorite guys will have to join the damm band.
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Post by coachd5085 on Dec 20, 2015 15:49:29 GMT -6
It is a very interesting question--because of the divide between the still increasing popularity of the gladiatorial/spectator aspect of the sport, and the apparent decreasing participation at younger levels. I think blb and @meshparker are closer to the truth than many on this sight want to read. I predict that throwing/running/catching will continue to become more important and strength/physicality/blocking/tackling will diminish. |
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Post by fantom on Dec 20, 2015 15:54:00 GMT -6
Fifty years? That's a long time. I can't even guess. I don't know where I'll be but I probably won't smell too good.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2015 16:02:41 GMT -6
I definitely believe the game will exist in 50 years, but I don't think it will have the same role in our culture. I see us slipping to the #3 sport in the USA behind MMA and Basketball, as we become more urbanized and individualized. Football is too much about a collective, disciplined effort for where we're headed as a society.
There might be rules changes to eliminate linemen, change the type of protective gear players wear as technology improves, and/or alter the techniques allowed for blocking and tackling, but the game will exist.
If anything, what I anticipate happening is that training and specialization from earlier and earlier ages will become an even bigger part of the game as more of an industry grows up around those aspects it.
You're going to see more football teams with schools (like IMG Academy) and glorified club teams arising to "develop talent" at the HS level and below. More kids will get personal trainers from earlier ages and colleges programs will lean on those guys and recruiting services like Rivals to steer them to prospects instead of old school networks of HS coaches. Corporations will become even more involved to make a buck off kids and parents. HS and college players will use social media, in a far more advanced form, to market themselves like pro athletes. It'll be more like basketball has become with AAU.
The actual methods will undoubtedly lean on technologies that haven't been thought of yet and techniques that haven't been discovered. Exercise science will bleed in and play a larger role in designing programs tailored around individual athletes by outside trainers. This will be a pain for the HS coach who has kids getting advise from "experts" that contradicts what he's telling, and could even lead to coaches in affluent areas becoming more like babysitters who call plays than actual teachers of the game.
As far as Xs and Os, those will always ebb and flow in regards to rules changes. I think you'll see passing games and defenses at all levels become more and more sophisticated, though not necessarily more complex. If no one ever steps in to enforce rules about linemen getting downfield, RPOs could become the standard way offense is played on every down.
The era of the dual threat athletic QB as a centerpiece of the offense is here to stay, but I don't know if that means the same for shotgun spread ideas like the zone read. I think we're going to hit a period for the next 10 years or so where all the creativity surrounding spread offenses in the late 90s and early 2000s further congeals into a generic style of spread offense from the shotgun/pistol with a TB, athletic QB, and an H-Back to block. This form of spread in 2015 is what the I formation was in 1990.
I also believe that eventually, in the next 50 years, you're going to see players starting to get smaller, or at least a plateauing off of the trend towards players getting bigger, as training techniques eventually run up against the limitations of the human body. Big strong guys who can't move and get tired in the heat are an increasing liability against HUNH and offenses that can stress a defense in multiple ways with the same base personnel.
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Post by blb on Dec 20, 2015 16:08:24 GMT -6
I'm convinced Public Education as we have known it will no longer exist in ten years, much less 50.
And that of course will have some impact on Interscholastic athletics.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2015 16:12:46 GMT -6
Also, in the grand scheme, you'll eventually get a larger NCAA playoff and conferences will grow to make the championship games the de facto first round in this process. Players will eventually be paid and make money from their licensing.
The NFL will expand its schedule to 18-20 games, add some international teams, and become even more of a glorified flag football league than it already is.
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Post by spreadattack on Dec 20, 2015 16:15:39 GMT -6
Well, for those saying 50 years is too long, how about 25 years?
Also under center vs gun might be true but strikes me as more of a 5-10 year thing than a 25-50 year cycle thing, but just my initial reaction.
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Post by fantom on Dec 20, 2015 16:19:36 GMT -6
I have been having this conversation with a few folks -- and yes, it's totally speculative and we'll all be wrong and it's just for fun, and no this is not about concussions (well, only sort of about concussions) -- and I've been kicking around some thoughts on what football will be like in 50 years and was curious what the Huey board point of view would be like. A lot of this is driven by technology we can't predict -- definitely didn't know about iphones and ipads or even personal computers back in 1965 -- but I was also curious about the Xs and Os, communication, etc. As a preface, the game of football was definitely different in 1965 (or even 1955) but it also doesn't seem *that* different, given that Bear Bryant was winning national titles at Alabama and the Packers and Lombardi won the Super Bowl, almost every offense was a T-formation offense (and many were even using the shotgun and not just in single wing sets), the early 4-3 and Oklahoma 50 defenses were (I believe) in use, rather than some of the much older schemes, Weeb Ewbank with Namath had refined some of the pocket pass protection mechanics while Bill Yeoman had been running the Houston veer for a couple of years already and David Nelson and Tubby Raymond had been evolving the Wing-T at Delaware since the mid-1950s. Anyway, below are some areas where I'd be curious if any Huey-ites (young and old) had any thoughts on what they'd be like in 50 years. 1. Training: How will players be trained? Still core methods? Will "sports science" take over the game, with cheap fitness and heart rate monitors? To me this is an area that has changed a lot from 50 years ago, and given how competitive sports are and the introduction of wearable technology I see lots of development, though hopefully not developments like the steroid era and, of course, at the end of the day it's about developing the person not the technology. (I also don't think the sport will be played by people with "augmented" features or reality, i.e. extra sight or whatever through surgery or wearable technology, though we do kind of already allow this with receiver's gloves.) 2. Rules: I'd like to keep this away from concussion as I really do think we'll have football in 50 years, though player safety is going to be increasingly important and the rules are going to evolve for this also, but they also will probably continue to evolve to promote offense (particularly at the NFL level). Also, will there be any fundamental rules changes? (Elimination of some kicking game phases like kickoffs, changing to field size, etc?) 3. Teaching/technology: Technology is very broad as it can affect many aspects of the game from player performance to Hudl's impact on gameplanning, but to me it seems to hold a lot of promise for increased teaching -- take home methods, virtual reality sets for mental reps (which is already in use by Stanford and NFL teams). Also I'm curious about communication, whether headsets in radio will become standard, if there will be three dimensional modeling of schemes in real time on the sideline to replace whiteboards, etc. 4. Strategy/schemes: I saved this for last as I think it will trail, but where do ya'll think the game will go in terms of strategy? We've covered a lot of ground over the last 50 years, but we've also in many ways come full circle. For example, check out some pieces from the below article: That article sounds like it could have been published this season -- instead it was published in 1968. OSU's coach saying they would get 100 plays was Woody Hayes; Alabama's "master of defense" was Bear Bryant. www.si.com/vault/1968/11/04/550959/a-new-name-for-the-game-score-score-scoreSo what do you think football Xs and Os/strategy -- and the rest of the sport -- will look like in 50 years? I'll end with a quote from that article: "As Darrell Royal likes to say about trends and how the game goes in cycles: 'There ain't a horse can't be rode or a man can't be throwed.'" Coach, can I ask how old you are? |
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Post by natenator on Dec 20, 2015 16:21:37 GMT -6
The only pads you'll need are maxi pads lol
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Post by brophy on Dec 20, 2015 16:21:57 GMT -6
it is an interesting question because in 30 - 50 seasons from now scheme still won't matter a whole lot.
The player aspect is the most intriguing because the science of human performance is always evolving. I would imagine the quality of athletes will improve (creating a new standard of the 'average athlete'). Nutrition and recovery are where things will get insane. How players cool down, stimulate muscle cells, reach peak output from their cardiovascular systems should be at such a fine tuned level at that stage that the game rules will have to adjust.
The VR systems of immersing players into game-like experiences has a long way to go and its unfortunate that many of the tech companies supplying NFL programs with these are so far behind in what they can offer. Shoot, in 50 years maybe the players will be performing through avatars on the field, who knows. I'd be curious how you can get more output/performance through the use of biometric devices. Whether it be to quantify the effort required to throw a certain trajectoried throw or how much explosion is required to make a good tackle. We can capture metrics now, but its all post-performance that you'd evaluate. I think what we're after are like HR monitors that instantly tell you if you're performing in your target range.
For the game's safety, I really believe the field size has to change, but I can't ever see that happening. I could see a 5 yard neutral zone being implemented in some feel good effort to limit constant collisions.
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Post by CS on Dec 20, 2015 16:30:23 GMT -6
Well, for those saying 50 years is too long, how about 25 years? Also under center vs gun might be true but strikes me as more of a 5-10 year thing than a 25-50 year cycle thing, but just my initial reaction. Honestly, I feel the same about it being more of a 5-10 year thing. At that time, however, it may be on its way again. I feel offensive trends are like waves |
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Post by chi5hi on Dec 20, 2015 17:57:44 GMT -6
I'm wondering if there will be a flirtation with a whole new league, (much like the WFL experiment) which makes a season of 7 on 7?
Its already a big deal in some places...playoffs, championships and the like.
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Post by coachbdud on Dec 20, 2015 19:33:54 GMT -6
I'm wondering if there will be a flirtation with a whole new league, (much like the WFL experiment) which makes a season of 7 on 7? Its already a big deal in some places...playoffs, championships and the like. I think you're on the right track here Everyone will be so scared of concussions that spring 7on7 will be the norm and everyone will be walking around in guardian caps 24/7 |
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Post by coachd5085 on Dec 20, 2015 19:35:47 GMT -6
My goodness...will Kurt Bryan have the last laugh???
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Post by fantom on Dec 20, 2015 19:45:37 GMT -6
My goodness...will Kurt Bryan have the last laugh??? Aw, he'll probably be dead in 50 years, like most of the rest of us. |
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Post by coachd5085 on Dec 20, 2015 19:54:18 GMT -6
My goodness...will Kurt Bryan have the last laugh??? Aw, he'll probably be dead in 50 years, like most of the rest of us. Or speaking at a clinic. But in all seriousness it is not out of the question that his ideas are the direction that the game is headed. |
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Post by coachwoodall on Dec 20, 2015 22:15:29 GMT -6
Heads up displays like fighter jets and some cars will be in the helmets of every player providing up to the minute information and break downs of tendencies. In turn that will lead to a a whole cadre of analytics experts feeding the displays. Off the field personnel will grow as large if not larger than the coaching staff to deal with the minutiae of the over whelming amount of information.
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Post by coachjm on Dec 21, 2015 5:02:41 GMT -6
My guess is probably more optimistic then most... My guess is the evolution of the helmet will progress more then it did in the last 50 years. Helmets will be constructed and look different. Our game has a lot of money invested in it and where there is a lot of money to be made typically it will. In addition most people enjoy the gladiator nature of the sport. Although boxing demise is often spoken about the creation and growth of MMA some could consider an advancement of the sport as MMA does require many different aspects of boxing plus several other skills, the audience is similar as is the mindset of the participants. Although their will be rules changes and the game will be made safer I don't see these changes to be any more significant then the ones of the last 50 years. We will (if alive) be enjoying the sport talking about the time in the early 2000's as a critical period for the game and people as it is when we learned how to protect the brain and bodies of the participants to enjoy a better and safer game.
With regards to HS football I tend to agree with blb I forsee the educational system going through MAJOR transitions in the next 50 years that will change the look of our local HS into on-line, regional tech hubs, and skill development centers if this is the case interscholastic athletics as a whole can not function the same likely leading to the development of larger participation in club or regional athletic programs. This will be unfortunate for a lot of kids who will not participate with out the means to.
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Post by s73 on Dec 21, 2015 6:47:54 GMT -6
I think it may well be different in different states. Football may still look SOMEWHAT like it does today in "hard core" states (maybe Texas, Alabama, etc) but in SOME states I believe it will disappear at least like it is in it's current form.
Mostly, I believe it will decrease greatly in many areas from the high school setting due to insurance costs that I think will sky rocket. IMO, it won't be guys like us making those decisions, it will be admin types or think more about $ and public concerns than what the upside brings to the youth and culture of the day.
I also believe technology may bring other types of interests (sporting and otherwise) out of the woodwork.
I'm not one of those guys who believes "kids have changed these days". Kids are asked to do more in the off season than I ever was and many of them comply. With that said, if technology increases to such a point that public interest wains to some type of competition that is more tech related that allows kids to reach glory without a lot of physical demands of time and energy, then I could see some form of "techno sport" taking over.
I know that sounds kind of futuristic and weird but I have heard that the more we learn about technology the faster it increases so I can't even imagine what things will be like 50 years from now. Pretty sure most kids won't even ATTEND a school anymore. I see the internet taking over there. Some schools in our area already have educational programming that allows them to show up to school and plug into a computer without attending classes for several hours a day. No teacher, just an online program they follow.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2015 6:51:10 GMT -6
Go watch a movie from the 1950's, the world will be s very different place in 50 years.
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Post by s73 on Dec 21, 2015 7:03:54 GMT -6
One thing I know for sure is the virtual parents will be smarter than the virtual coaches.
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Post by silkyice on Dec 21, 2015 7:17:30 GMT -6
Football will be alive and well. The NFL will have a few international teams.
Blocking and tackling will still be the most important thing
Technology can be completely controlled by the rules. For instance, high school can have sideline review/replay systems. NFL and college cannot. I actually can't believe they ever allowed for high school. NFL qb's and one defensive player have radios. College and high school do not. This will be completely dependent on the rules.
Safety technology will be, hopefully, the big advancement. Pretty sure there will be at least concussion sensors in all helmets.
Sure there are people who don't like football or sports. But, the sky is not falling. And if they take football away some how, some way, my guess is that football disappearing will be the LEAST of our worries.
Oh, and in fifty years, people will still be predicting that soccer will become the most popular sport in America and that we will be on the metric system and that the oceans will rise!!
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Post by spreadattack on Dec 21, 2015 8:51:18 GMT -6
Coach, can I ask how old you are? Not sure if this is a loaded question, but I'm in my early 30. So I've seen enough to know that things come and go, but I wouldn't say I have the long experience of others who have coached for decades. |
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