It’s called “A22,” informally known as the “coaches tape” or simply game film, but the NFL guards it religiously. The rationale is somewhat surprising — that fans would be able to know more clearly how their team is screwing up compared to traditional sideline-angle TV shots.
That’s obviously absurd. The objective here is to keep understanding of the full intricacies of professional football formations and schemes to a handful of insiders. Yes, ESPN’s NFL Matchup gets a bit of coaches tape to show weekly, but that’s hardly the same as letting fans watch the game the way the teams, coaches and players do all the time.
The NFL has an online survey testing reactions to a possible new commercial product, one that would offer a combined game feed and coaches angles. Vote early and often!
NFL: The All-22 Football Footage the League Won’t Show You | WSJ.com.