Why doesn't the defense get radio's?

[Bill B]

To prevent any more cheating by reading hand signals why doesn't the NFL allow the defense to have players receive calls via radios like the offense? I know it feel short last year of getting the required votes (I believe it got 22 votes but needed 24) to allow the defense to have a player have a radio to recieve the plays. I just don't see why teams would be against this - are there any valid reasons that the NFL shouldn't allow the defense to get this and prevent future cheating?

[wilsowilso]

Because the teams that voted against it like to steal the defensive signals. Well at least one team at least. Now that the gig is up I bet this change will happen next year.

[saden1]

They will next year or the following year. No question about it, it's needed more than ever.

[Ferrari]

I think it might have something to do with how the quarterback doesn't get seriously hit on every play, But if Fletcher had a radio he might just break it by halftime

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Ferrari

I think it might have something to do with how the quarterback doesn't get seriously hit on every play, But if Fletcher had a radio he might just break it by halftime

I think it has more to do with who would wear it. Because of all the substitutions on defense. On offense, you know it will be the QB.

[NicknacK89]

no but its also with the constant pounding a defender takes, the radios wouldnt last

[Meks]

^ both above posts i agree with....

[mooby]

I don't think that issue is very big, the radios are very small and fit into the helmet so they wouldn't necessarily get broken easily. I do think this issue will come up after this season and it will pass to prevent cheaters from doing will Bill Belicheat did.

[rypper11]

Supposedly the argument is that more than one person on D shouldn't have the receiver on the field at any one time. In the modern NFL, rarely is one D player on the field for every snap and even if so (like perhaps Ray Lewis) one backup player couldn't cover the same dynamic. But is there really any competitive advantage to a DC being able to communicate via a one way communicator with his entire squad? So what if Shawn Springs hears the signal from GW along with Fletcher? If the communications are shut off once the offense gets set (as determined by an official in the box) does it matter if the whole team knows what the call is?

[saden1]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I think it has more to do with who would wear it. Because of all the substitutions on defense. On offense, you know it will be the QB.

I also heard it has to do with the league not wanting scoring to go down.

[MTK]

What do you do when the MLB comes out in different packages? Plus sometimes you have different calls coming in for the secondary vs. the d-line and LB's.

[GMScud]

I say give a radio to the defensive captain. Chances are he'll be in on basically all the plays. For the very few that he may be off the field, give one or two other defensive players wristbands with plays. It's not that complicated. The NFL will just let the coaches decide. One player will be allowed the radio, D-coordinator picks that player.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by saden1

I also heard it has to do with the league not wanting scoring to go down.

How would the scoring go down unless of course, everyone is cheating? The same plays would be called, it would just be called through the helmet.

[djnemo65]

See, what I heard to be the main obstacle was that the owners just don't want to cough up the millions of dollars it would cost to install and maintain the system, and are peeved that it now appears that they will have to.

[bigSkinsfan61]

i believe this rule will change this offseason