PitchCom comes to football with CFL this weekend

PitchCom, the sports communication device popularized by MLB, has expanded into professional football and is debuting this weekend with the start of the CFL regular season.

For this season, the contact sports version of the product, PitchCom Impact, will be utilized only by the defense. It is the first time in pro football that prerecorded digital communication will be made available to multiple players. The offensive coach-to-quarterback communication already in place in the CFL will remain unchanged.

PitchCom VP of Customer Relations Jon Updike said seven of the nine CFL teams are committed to using the new technology this year. He explained that the devices can be programmed so each defensive player hears either the entire play call or just what the player’s individual responsibility will be. Middle linebackers could even wear a unit and call audibles with it.

“Each team could use it their own way,” Updike said. “Their imagination is their limitation with it.”

Updike noted that the fast-paced CFL game — which uses a 20-second play clock, instead of the NFL’s 40 — makes PitchCom particularly well suited to that league or any situation with a no-huddle offense. He added that PitchCom has had conversations with the NFL and with college conferences and teams, although the current rules around in-game communication mean it might be better suited for practice usage.

PitchCom, which is in use by 180 NCAA Division I baseball and softball programs, announced new partnerships with USA Softball and Perfect Game within the last week and will be used by the Athletes Unlimited Softball League this summer.