re: Pete Thamel tweet RE Michigan Investigation

quote:

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What equipment were they using to steal information?

I get that it's a rule that was broken, but what is the competitive advantage gained?

what specifically was this dude doing?

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Take a full game-long recording of both sidelines and then get the all 22 recording on that game. Put the video of one team sideline on one screen and the all 22 on the other. Every D or O alignment look at the placards or signs sent in to determine who the real signs are coming from and the decoy set but looking for repetitions in the signs.

Once you have "decoded" the signs then watch the next set of film against that team to confirm their signs and you have successfully broken their calls. By doing two teams at once, you have something to confirm it with to make sure as well.

When it comes to gameday, you set whoever is the sign steal guy with a view of the opposing signal caller and then decipher calls in real time. On D you set up in a base and then look to the sideline to adjust. On O you can call then audible from the sideline.

All it really would take is once you break the code to set up a call sheet of what calls are blitzes and where they are coming from and be set to audible. On D it is even easier just by being able to prepare for run vs pass, especially on short yardage and down specific criteria.

There is a hell of a difference between tracking patterns and tendencies in a game vs decrypting the incoming signals beforehand.

I would be shocked not see a bunch of QBs go back to the big wristband call sheets and change those numbers each game or even each quarter.