# The 'birds eye view' in college football telecasts **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [October 15, 2023, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585 "2023-10-15T01:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/1 "2023-10-15T01:33:17Z")
I am trying to watch the Duke-NC State game but can’t see much of what’s going on, due to the ‘birds eye’ view cameras which seem to be stationed on the moon. You do get a good view of the top of the players’ helmets though. Does anyone know why some college football games “feature” this camera angle? You never see it in NFL games. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/2 "2023-10-15T01:39:51Z")
This “all 22” camera angle is the most valuable angle for coaches and arm chair analysts. I for one wish all NFL and NCAA games featured this angle heavily in replays during the game. Usually we are stuck waiting until the following week to get a look at it. I agree it’s probably not the most engaging shot for live action though. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/3 "2023-10-15T01:48:28Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > This “all 22” camera angle is the most valuable angle for coaches and arm chair analysts. Maybe they’ll improve it and just show a digital version with a bunch of Xs and Os sliding around. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/4 "2023-10-15T16:08:32Z")
I think a lot of it is dependent on the camera itself (i.e. what sort of lens it has), and how high it is. I mean, it’s nice to see it from the top-down angle sometimes- if the formation or the play itself was novel, it gives you a better idea of what’s going on there, versus the usual shallow-ish angle from the top of the press box. But it’s often not great for broadcast, you’re right. It’s kind of like when they occasionally show an end-zone camera shot for a play. That’s more player-perspective, but it’s also not great for actually seeing what’s going on, unless it’s a run up the middle or something where you can see the hole opening up. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/5 "2023-10-15T16:34:47Z")
Obviously pro games have cameras at many different angles, and there’s someone involved with the broadcast who’s deciding which camera to show at any given moment. Have they ever experimented with a few-seconds delay, so the broadcaster could see what’s happening before deciding which camera gave the best view of it? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/6 "2023-10-15T22:15:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Have they ever experimented with a few-seconds delay, so the broadcaster could see what’s happening before deciding which camera gave the best view of it? With app notifications and social media this would be a disaster. Even a second or two on normal broadcasts is often an issue. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/7 "2023-10-16T23:08:58Z")
Obvious answer: put screens in front of the field, show the fans present just the one camera view. They’ll never know the difference. The players will have to get used to the fans reacting several seconds after they score/screw up/whatever. (Yes, this is the engineer’s solution!) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/8 "2023-10-17T21:15:33Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > With app notifications and social media this would be a disaster. Even a second or two on normal broadcasts is often an issue. I’m not sure I see what “disaster” it would be… So a sufficiently-motivated fan could know the outcome of a play a couple of seconds before it’s shown on TV… and? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/9 "2023-10-17T21:35:27Z")
Perhaps you didn’t see the shit storm that came from the tipping of picks from the NFL Draft. It’s doesn’t take motivation. If your phone is in your hand or nearby (which is how everyone watches sports these days) you’re going to get tipped to scores and other notable events. That would suck. People want to monitor their fantasy lineups on their phone. Saying “put your phone away” or “turn off notifications” is a serious misunderstanding of how the world actually works. Maybe the delay wouldn’t affect grandma and grandpa, but that’s not who we’re designing for here. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/10 "2023-10-17T21:43:13Z")
The last time I watched a football game on TV, every so often, someone would wind back the TV feed to see something again, and so by the end of the game we were several minutes behind. Now, you can just say “Don’t rewind the feed”, but that’s a serious misunderstanding of how the world works. Maybe that advice would work for grandma and grandpa, but that’s not who we’re designing for. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/11 "2023-10-17T21:45:46Z")
Mods, please close this thread, it has wandered far astray. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/12 "2023-10-17T21:46:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m not sure I see what “disaster” it would be… So a sufficiently-motivated fan could know the outcome of a play a couple of seconds before it’s shown on TV… and? I was in downtown Seattle a few weeks ago for a game and watching on TV from my hotel room. I heard the touchdown fireworks from the stadium about 30 second before the score was shown on TV. Thus, I am certain there is a delay already. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birds-eye-view-in-college-football-telecasts/991585/13 "2023-10-18T02:26:17Z")
Your contributions to this thread have been invaluable.