NFL owners approved the use of communication devices for defences Tuesday. One defensive player will wear a helmet similar to what the quarterback is allowed on offence.
Should that player leave the game, another player can be designated to also have the device. But only one defender with the helmet can be on the field at a time.
"We want to safeguard against a situation with two players on the field at the same time with the helmet communication," said Rich McKay, the Atlanta Falcons president who is also the competition committee co-chairman.
"We are talking about a three-down player, perhaps a linebacker who doesn't come off the field," added Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, the other co-chairman of the committee that recommended instituting the device. Fisher has just such a player in Keith Bullock.
"In the event he goes down because of an injury, we'd identify our backup player as another three-down player."
Fisher noted this change won't eliminate entirely the need for signals from the sideline, something that pretty much has disappeared for offences.
"The defence will still have need to signal in a hurry-up situation, where the ball is snapped very early," he said.
The vote was 25-7 in favour — 24 yes votes were required — with all seven negatives coming from head coaches with offensive backgrounds.
Voting against the measure were Seattle (Mike Holmgren), Tampa Bay (Jon Gruden), Oakland (Lane Kiffin), Philadelphia (Andy Reid), St. Louis (Scott Linehan), Washington (Jim Zorn) and Green Bay (Mike McCarthy).
New England coach Bill Belichick, whose involvement in the Spygate scandal included taping opposing coaches' defensive signals, making the communication device a hotter topic, voted for the proposal.
"I've been for that ever since the thing with the quarterbacks came out," Belichick said. "The problem is just how to do it.
"The concept of it is fine, but the logistics of it are a little bit of a different story. You don't always have a quarterback in the game on defence, like you do on offence. It's a little bit of a different setup."
The owners also tabled discussion of a rule banning a player's hair from flowing over the nameplate and number on the back of the uniform.
