Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette reached 22.05 mph while scoring a 90-yard touchdown in a 30-9, Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff launched a pass that went 61.8 yards downfield – the longest completed air distance during the 2017 season.

These NFL Next Gen Stats are available through a partnership with Zebra Technologies which is in its fourth year.

“The Zebra Sports Solution attaches RFID tags to player equipment to track their movements on the field, which enables coaches to gather performance data including speed, distance traveled, acceleration and deceleration,” Zebra’s Global PR Director Therese Van Ryne said. “This allows coaches to conduct deeper analysis into personnel packages, formations and player tendencies which helps during game preparation.

“The Zebra Sports Solution leverages the same tracking and location technology that Zebra implements for multinational corporations in healthcare, retail, manufacturing and transportation and logistics to give visibility to organizations’ assets, people and transactions.”

The 2017 season marked the first time that RFID chips were installed in each game ball behind the lacing. (This was a collaboration between Zebra, Wilson and the NFL.) “They’re so light that there’s no difference [in the weight and size of the football],” Van Ryne said of the chips. “Performance is not affected.”

After each game, all 32 teams receive their own data tracked by the RFID chips, according to Van Ryne.

Zebra also launched a practice system, where RFID chips are furnished into players’ shoulder pads. “It’s been incredibly successful,” the global PR director said.“The practice solution is more real-time. Coaches are able to adjust workout schedules based on data.”

According to Van Ryne, this system is used by roughly a third of the league’s 32 teams, though Zebra has “secured” more teams as clients. “They see the value of seeing the insights,” Van Ryne said.

Proponents include New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, who on Super Bowl LII Radio Row spoke about the benefits of the technology. Days before the game, Van Ryne and Zebra Sports VP of Business Development John Pollard held a press conference to “showcase new data from this season and share highlights from its partnership with the NFL,” according to the company.

Pollard also appeared on ESPN 1420 AM’s “The Word with G” in a roughly 25-minute interview. “We install receiver boxes around the perimeter of a stadium – all 31 NFL stadiums are outfitted with the technology. Those receiver boxes are able to read signals that are transmitted from nickel-sized chips that we place inside the shoulder pads of a player,” Pollard told host Greg Larnerd.

The signal is transmitted 12 times per second, according to Pollard. Teams are able to collect data such as acceleration, distance traveled on a single play or series, deceleration, proximity data, total distance traveled, and overall time of the field, Pollard said.

The technology was used at the Senior Bowl and was a “huge hit” per Van Ryne. Zebra owns the data, which was shared with journalists.

Pollard said Zebra is looking to continue its partnership with the league. Van Ryne believes the future of RFID “holds great potential for expanded application based on how the NFL would like to use and apply the data.”

Could we see this technology in the NBA, NHL or MLB? “A similar tracking application of RFID can benefit a number of other sports and we are in talks with a number of organizations to explore these opportunities,” Van Ryne said.


Anthony Locicero is the associate editor of Printed Electronics Now, a sister publication to L&NW.