# Do NFL quarterbacks use helmet radios? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122 "2004-02-13T23:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/1 "2004-02-13T23:00:41Z")
I vaguely remember at one point in time, and it might have been just for an exibition game, that the helmet of a quarterback was installed with a radio receiver that allowed the head coach to relay plays directly to the QB. This meant the QB could get the play without requiring hand signals, the QB going over to the side of the field, or having another player bring the play into the huddle. Presumably that radio could also be used during the actual play itself (hey Joe, so and so is open). Did this actually happen and could QB’s use this technology today? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/2 "2004-02-13T23:04:44Z")
Yes, NFL quarterbacks do have radio receivers in their helmets. Presumably a coach could yell out information during a play, but I doubt a QB could understand anything when he’s running around or react to it quickly enough. It’s just as easy for the sidelines to yell out the information. I doubt that it would help much in that regard. They are designed to make it easier for QBs to receive the play calls from the sidelines over the crowd noise. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/3 "2004-02-13T23:06:54Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > Yes, NFL quarterbacks do have radio receivers in their helmets. > > Presumably a coach could yell out information during a play, but I doubt a QB could understand anything when he’s running around or react to it quickly enough. It’s just as easy for the sidelines to yell out the information. I doubt that it would help much in that regard. > > They are designed to make it easier for QBs to receive the play calls from the sidelines over the crowd noise. Do you know if they are two way radios? Can the QB talk back to the coach? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/4 "2004-02-13T23:09:58Z")
AFAIK, the radios are not 2-way. That’s why you often see QBs pointing to their helmets indicating “Hey, I can’t hear anything!” Paul Brown experimented with radios in helmets in the 1950s, but the NFL banned them after a year I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/5 "2004-02-13T23:42:56Z")
To prevent coaches from talking to players, I thought I read in _SI_ or saw on ESPN that the channel (or whatever) is cut off at a certain point on the play clock or when the play starts. I’m pretty sure the radio isn’t on all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/6 "2004-02-14T01:12:43Z")
Yes, they do have receivers. A few have two ways that are only active in between plays, utilizing some sort of kill switch, I believe. The only time you can actively talk to someone over the radios is between plays while they are huddling. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/7 "2004-02-14T01:36:40Z")
I remember reading that a league employee in the booth cuts the signal with 10 or so seconds left on the play clock. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/8 "2004-02-14T03:00:39Z")
They added these a few years ago and cut the time on the play clock at the same time in an effort to shorten the game time. As an aside they also quit stopping the clock every time someone went out of bounds(unless it was in the last few minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-nfl-quarterbacks-use-helmet-radios/229122/9 "2004-02-14T08:07:16Z")
The coaches use Motorola GP350 radios to transmit plays and options to the QB via speakers set on either side of the helmet. They’re one-way; the quarterback can’t respond except by shouting or hand signals. Incidentally, cops and security officers use the GP350 too.