Inside The Panthers

ACC Rule Changes Address Sign Stealing Concerns

The Pitt Panthers' conference will make some major changes in 2024.

Stephen Thompson

ACC Rule Changes Address Sign Stealing Concerns
ACC Rule Changes Address Sign Stealing Concerns /
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PITTSBURGH -- The home conference of the Pitt Panthers has approved some notable rules changes this week that will make ACC football very different during the 2024 season than it had in years past. 

Thanks to some more relaxed rules governing the use of sideline technology, Pitt and the rest of the league will have access to in-game video while on the sidelines, which will help them make in-game adjustments more easily. They'll also have access to devices that allow for one-way communication between the sidelines and players on the field. 

"Both programs will be administered via the Conference office to ensure competitive equity with the implementation of the new initiatives and the ACC is working collaboratively with the NCAA Football Rules Committee to fully develop the final rule and associated policies," a release from the ACC stated. "The use of either piece of technology will be permissive and at each institution’s discretion."

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The benefits of access to in-game film are somewhat self-explanatory. It will allow players and coaches to see replays of the game from a bird's eye view and make tweaks in real time that they would have had to wait until the following week to make under the previous rules. 

Increased access to communication devices has some deeper meaning. It's almost certainly a response to the sign-stealing signal that rocked Michigan's national title campaign and the rest of the Big 10 late last season. 

Coaches being able to speak right into the ears of a certain player on the field from the sideline would render most analog sign delivery systems like hand signals or physical pictures useless and make it harder to steal signs from an opposing team. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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