Lipreader

Huntrey

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
20
What is most likely a stupid thought just popped into my head, but I’m curious what this group thinks of it. If you were an annual GT opponent (UGA, Clemson, ACC Coastal), would you consider hiring a lipreader to closely watch CPJ during our games? By talking into the ear of the player entering the game (without a play sheet blocking his face), could a football-saavy lipreader be able to determine our plays in advance of each snap?
 
GT_05

GT_05

Helluva Engineer
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Huntrey said:
What is most likely a stupid thought just popped into my head, but I’m curious what this group thinks of it. If you were an annual GT opponent (UGA, Clemson, ACC Coastal), would you consider hiring a lipreader to closely watch CPJ during our games? By talking into the ear of the player entering the game (without a play sheet blocking his face), could a football-saavy lipreader be able to determine our plays in advance of each snap?
Click to expand...

Interesting thought. Although, I think it would be difficult to lip read, translate football jargon, pass along to defensive coordinator, and then pass the information to the defense in the allotted amount of time.

I know that CPJ knows the offense like the back of his hand and he knows what he wants to run in any given situation but I wonder if this makes him more predictable than what he thinks he is.


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Jacketman1

Jacketman1

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
601
Eh, not sure if a lip reader would be worth it. I think by watching enough film, I would have a good enough grasp, or a general idea of what the opposition would run.
 

steebu

Ramblin' Wreck
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625
I doubt it'd be worth it.

1. You'd have to have a guy on the sidelines or in the stands with binoculars - there's no way you could see that far across the field, and somebody would be bound to notice.
2. That guy would have to have a mic on him.

In this day and age they'd never be able to get away with it. You are not allowed to have technology on the sidelines which is why you can't have laptops or Microsoft Surface Books like the NFL does.

So ... unless someone's job is on the line, maaaaaaybe. But I doubt it'd happen. Unless you're Todd Graham.
 

Huntrey

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
20
I pretty much agree, it was just a spitball thought

steebu said:
I doubt it'd be worth it.

1. You'd have to have a guy on the sidelines or in the stands with binoculars - there's no way you could see that far across the field, and somebody would be bound to notice.
2. That guy would have to have a mic on him.

In this day and age they'd never be able to get away with it. You are not allowed to have technology on the sidelines which is why you can't have laptops or Microsoft Surface Books like the NFL does.

So ... unless someone's job is on the line, maaaaaaybe. But I doubt it'd happen. Unless you're Todd Graham.
Click to expand...
 

Skeptic

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,372
Huntrey said:
What is most likely a stupid thought just popped into my head, but I’m curious what this group thinks of it. If you were an annual GT opponent (UGA, Clemson, ACC Coastal), would you consider hiring a lipreader to closely watch CPJ during our games? By talking into the ear of the player entering the game (without a play sheet blocking his face), could a football-saavy lipreader be able to determine our plays in advance of each snap?
Click to expand...
In a word, no. A little known fact your local services for the hearing impaired group can tell you: even life-long deaf people cannot read lips. (Ah, you say. But I saw a coach yesterday and he used the F word and I saw it! Like, how can you miss it? What did he say next?) You might SWAG a word or partial phrase, maybe. But what are the words you miss? Which is most of them. Only have to miss one you know. And assuming you were even 25% successful, how do you translate a sideline call of two words -- that appears to be about the maximum number the Abacks pass on when entering the huddle -- to the next play? All that lip-reading nonsense started with paranoid NFL coaches who actually think they are important with All the World's Knowledge. Thus the play card in front of the mouth, making for great TV drama by networks striving for viewers. Maybe your best bet is binoculars to read the play card. Does give us an excuse for losing: they read his lips. Put this down as another urban legend.
 

gtg936g

Helluva Engineer
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2,142
The best you could do is start detecting duplicate plays unless you knew the playbook. Time wise you would have to learn the play, pick a defensive play and an audible. Then get your defense lined up. That would be a hard task in 20 secs.
 

g0lftime

Helluva Engineer
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5,917
It' all about tendencies by watching film and having played his offense for several years. We may be doing something that is tipping off defenses on snap count, etc, but I think they now know our player tendencies, strengths and weaknesses.
 

Skeptic

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6,372
gtg936g said:
The best you could do is start detecting duplicate plays unless you knew the playbook. Time wise you would have to learn the play, pick a defensive play and an audible. Then get your defense lined up. That would be a hard task in 20 secs.
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And everything you just did on defense is neutralized when the QB gets his count at the line and determines direction and for all we know, blocking schemes that change seemingly every play. For such a simple 7-9 play offense it sure gets complicated.
 
Whiskey_Clear

Whiskey_Clear

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Huntrey said:
What is most likely a stupid thought just popped into my head, but I’m curious what this group thinks of it. If you were an annual GT opponent (UGA, Clemson, ACC Coastal), would you consider hiring a lipreader to closely watch CPJ during our games? By talking into the ear of the player entering the game (without a play sheet blocking his face), could a football-saavy lipreader be able to determine our plays in advance of each snap?
Click to expand...

Imo. Harder to do than stealing hand signals or decoding the stupid huge "pick one of 3" posters held up that some teams utilize.
 

jayparr

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It has happened to Tech before, and it cost us the game. We huddled close to the line of scrimmage. The QB faced the line. The def had a lip reader who was deaf on the line. He stopped the play, and we lost. This did make the news! Can't remember any other fact of the game, but it did happen!
 

Skeptic

Helluva Engineer
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6,372
jayparr said:
It has happened to Tech before, and it cost us the game. We huddled close to the line of scrimmage. The QB faced the line. The def had a lip reader who was deaf on the line. He stopped the play, and we lost. This did make the news! Can't remember any other fact of the game, but it did happen!
Click to expand...
There is a thing about fairy tales and once upon a time ... it is entirely possible to anticipate a play, or to play good defense, hold your ground, and make a great play. But what was he gonna read? "T right X flop A gap"? And that tells him ... what? No. He didn't read lips. (The play was from HS. As I struggle to remember it I think it had to do with the left tackle or left guard pulling and trapping on the right while the guard and tackle on that side cross blocked and one of the backs got a handoff looking for a hole there while the FB led him through blocking the first man he saw. I think. We didn't run it any better than we remembered it.
 
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