AUSTIN, Texas — Texas high school football as we know it may be changed forever.
One of the newest rule changes implemented by the University Interscholastic League (UIL) will allow football teams to use technology during games. Access to technology will be restricted to the coaching booth and locker room areas.
Even though technology won't be allowed on the sidelines, many coaches see the allowance of any technology whatsoever as a step in the right direction.
"My first thought was excitement. I’ve been kind of waiting for that," Vandegrift Head Coach Drew Sanders said. "Football is kind of advancing, and so I was very, very excited about that and excited to see what is does as we go throughout the years, too."
Like Vandegrift, other schools like Westwood and Westlake are also using a system called ANSRS for the rule change. ANSRS is a company that allows coaches to get instant analytics about play calls and schemes during a game.
"I want it to help you be better at your job and win more football games and be a better coach for your kids," Jon Shalala, a former college football coach and the founder of ANSRS, said.
Shalala recognized the struggles college coaches have while at the University of Tennessee and Mississippi State. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, he began looking for a solution, spurring the creation of the software.
Now with the UIL's rule change, Shalala views it as the perfect time to partner with local schools in the area.
"We had already signed on to this company called ANSRS, and it was just an ability to scout your opponent throughout the week in a more efficient manner," Sanders said. "Then they said you can use more technology at halftime, so I was thrilled with that."
Many coaches will say that the rule change was long overdue. It seems that it is now nothing more than a matter of time before technology will be used on the sidelines, and instant replay will be installed in all high school games – not just state championships.
Until then, UIL will have to battle the fact that some schools have the funds to partner with tech companies like ANSRS, while others don't have the resources. Will there be a competitive advantage? A test run in 2024 will provide some clarity.