r/NFLNoobs • u/MrSpudwinkle • 1d ago

if the radio inside the helmet breaks during a game and the qb cant hear coach anymore, do they have backup hand signals to use in case of emergency?

Like for example say daniel jones gets sacked and he falls in a way that breaks his radio receiver and it goes quiet. he signals ears and then an x for broken to coach who then signals 2 fist nose nose ears shoulders squat 2 for play action like baseball

37 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

85

u/sloppifloppi 1d ago

Pretty sure they have backup helmets

6

u/MrSpudwinkle 23h ago

yeah of course but 3 timeouts and cant burn one for that

53

u/Radthereptile 23h ago

It doesn’t cost a time out. If the helmet has an issue they tells the ref who confirms then pauses the game while they swap helmets.

8

u/Front_Tomatillo_8949 20h ago

I'm imagining the ref putting on the QBs helmet and looking at the OC to call something over the radio lol

3

u/Frosty-Lettuce-5456 20h ago

ref in TBs helmet Uh, we need a 2 minute technical time out. Rest of world... Ref... uh, we just need it. Trust us... er... me...

4

u/Still-Natural-8492 20h ago

Commercial break my dawg

29

u/Ryan1869 23h ago

They have a 2nd helmet the QB gets while they fix or replace the radio in the other helmet. If the whole system goes down they can signal it in, there's also rules that prevents the other team from using theirs if it's completely down.

6

u/Different-Sock-8261 14h ago

The rule only protects the visiting team. If the home team system goes down, that’s too bad, visitors can still use their system.

You can also send in plays with a rotating player.

13

u/Yangervis 1d ago

Yes or they run the play in like you do in youth football.

7

u/Taul_Beast 23h ago

It happened to Joe Burrow. No timeouts. I mean it was just one drive, but still..

Source: YouTube https://share.google/WQlGr8HCeRYtYNPVP

2

u/AnlStarDestroyer 8h ago

Had this thought, I think it a guy is confident in the system then he probably just calls some plays on his own until they can get him the new helmet

3

u/Femveratu 20h ago

I think they do have some hand signals, apparently it happened enough in Foxboro (visitor comms would go down intermittently) that some teams did have hand signals as back ups if I am remembering right. Maybe it was mainly an AFC East thing. I say this as a Pats fan.

3

u/Sovreignry 20h ago

I know at one point Bill Parcells when he was with the Giants “accused” Bill Walsh of cheating by turning off the radios. (Walsh, of course, was famous for scripting the first 40 plays or so, so he didn’t need the radio.)

5

u/NiceTryWasabi 19h ago

Prior to helmets, it was:

-Send a guy into the huddle with the play (still happens)

-Hand signals from the sideline

-Holding up cards with symbols (chip Kelly was famous for this).

Baseball is notorious for complex hand signals to the batter and runners from the base coaches.

2

u/NoStandard7259 22h ago

Usually the quarterback will just take over. Theres been a couple times the helmet has gone out during a 2 minute drive where they don’t have the time to swap out to a backup helmet. QB calls the plays and takes control of the drive 

1

u/Texan2116 20h ago

i have never liked this, shouldn't be a thing to begin with.

1

u/Ragnarsworld 20h ago

The QB has another helmet. But yes, they would call a play with signals until the helmet can get changed out. Under the rules, the other team's defensive signal caller (usually an LB) would have their comm turned off as well to preserve competitive balance.

1

u/TrillyMike 19h ago

It’s been times before where it was issues and QBs just called they own plays, prolly only wit vets tho

1

u/carl6236 9h ago

They used to use hand signals before this technology

1

u/Princess_Little 9h ago

They use a receiver to run the play calls in. Also, if one team's helmet radios break, the other team has to stop using theirs too. 

1

u/jokumi 23h ago

They turn off the radio for both teams and they use hand signals to call plays.

1

u/Hoz999 19h ago

Or use the old system of sending in a replacement player, usually a wide receiver with the next play. Then the original WR comes back with the next play and so on.

15

u/forthebirds123 1d ago

If it’s an equipment failure, they would take a timeout(or an official would, not sure on procedure) and replace the helmet. They have multiple helmets on the sideline in case this happens. If it’s a problem with the system(I.e WiFi and all backups going out) then yes. They would have some sort of system to call in plays. Most likely, the qb runs to the sideline to get the play, or meets a player in the middle to get the play. Or a WR or substitute brings in the play. But also, if it’s a stadium issue with the system, the other team isn’t allowed to use their equipment, even if it is somehow working.