# NFL Sideline Wall Telephones **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 30, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976 "2014-09-30T16:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![calmondo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@calmondo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calmondo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/1 "2014-09-30T16:41:33Z")
NFL television side line shots often include a bank of black wall telephones behind the player’s bench. They appear to be on a trailer of some sort. I have never seen them in use, what is their purpose? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/2 "2014-09-30T18:45:33Z")
They use them to talk to the team folks in the booth upstairs, often the assistant OC or DC. Cell phones are banned on sidelines, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/3 "2014-09-30T19:33:40Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > They use them to talk to the team folks in the booth upstairs, often the assistant OC or DC. Cell phones are banned on sidelines, I believe. The NFL introduced tablets to the sidelines this season (Microsoft Surface), but their use is strictly controlled. They can be only be used to look at still photos, not video. So, they still need those old fashioned phones. ([Bloomberg Businessweek - Bloomberg](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-08-03/nfl-allows-surface-tablets-on-the-sidelines-for-the-first-time)) Cell phones won’t be allowed on the sidelines until the NFL names an Official Cell Phone of the NFL. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/4 "2014-09-30T20:34:46Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > The NFL introduced tablets to the sidelines this season (Microsoft Surface), but their use is strictly controlled. They can be only be used to look at still photos, not video. So, they still need those old fashioned phones. ([Bloomberg Businessweek - Bloomberg](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-08-03/nfl-allows-surface-tablets-on-the-sidelines-for-the-first-time)) Cell phones won’t be allowed on the sidelines until the NFL names an Official Cell Phone of the NFL. 🙂 The sad part is, they’re probably taking bids for _Official Cell Phone of the NFL_ right now :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/5 "2014-09-30T20:53:17Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > The sad part is, they’re probably taking bids for _Official Cell Phone of the NFL_ right now :rolleyes: Too late:[NFL Mobile kicks off with Verizon Wireless in April](http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d81716d86&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true) > [@](#): > > Verizon Wireless, which also becomes the NFL’s official wireless service sponsor, will provide fans with unprecedented access to America’s favorite sport regardless of whether they are in the stands, at home, or on the go. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/6 "2014-09-30T21:45:21Z")
[QUOTE=JSexton] Cell phones are banned on sidelines, I believe. [/QUOTE] Can you hear me now? Hello? Can!? You!? Hear!? Me!? It can be unbelievably loud at field level, making cell phones utterly useless, but real phones can be had in varieties with extra-loud receivers and noise-cancelling microphones. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/7 "2014-10-01T00:03:40Z")
Verizon could always provide sound-proofed booths for cell phone use. There is already a company who makes one called the “Acoustibooth”. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-sideline-wall-telephones/699976/8 "2014-10-01T21:40:55Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Can you hear me now? Hello? Can!? You!? Hear!? Me!? It can be unbelievably loud at field level, making cell phones utterly useless, but real phones can be had in varieties with extra-loud receivers and noise-cancelling microphones. I’d imagine coverage might be pretty bad when you have 60K people in one place, too. You’d hate to call the booth and have no bars.