UIL OKs tech, safety upgrades for 2025

Uvalde High School senior Jett Flores shows off one of the guardian cap covers the University Interscholastic League has approved for use in games in 2025. Guardian caps give extra head protect. (Photo by Wade Miller|Uvalde High School)

Two big things are coming to Texas high school football in 2025.

The University Interscholastic League has approved the use of wearable technology for the purpose of play-calling.

According to the UIL, coach-to-player communication will be allowed through one-way wearable technologies for games beginning in 2025.

Unlike the National Collegiate Athletic Association-approved helmet communication technology, the UIL will allow wristband-like technology to communicate play calls from coaches to athletes.

Teams will be allowed to use watches, wristbands, and belt packs to communicate in-game calls only.

There will be no limit on the number of athletes who can wear a device during the game.

The UIL continues to ban technology such as tablets and electronic devices on the sidelines.

Play calling goes from the coaches booth or the pressbox, where technology is permitted.

“I would like to see the UIL allow us to do like they allow colleges to do. To have a direct connection to the helmet, like they have in the professional football,” said Uvalde High School head coach Wade Miller.

“The way things are now, I would have to send a play to a coach in the pressbox and then have them relay the information to our quarterback wearing a wrist device,” said Miller. “I think it is quicker to either signal in a play by hand signals, to have someone take in a play, or just to have the quarterback come to the sideline to get the play.”

Since 2024, the NCAA has allowed in-helmet communication technology.

“I think the UIL will eventually go to what college football uses now. It may be a few years,” said Miller.

The other major rule change for UIL football for 2025 will be to allow the use of guardian caps on helmets as long as the caps are the primary shell color of the helmet.

A guardian cap is a padded, soft-shell helmet cover designed to reduce impact during collisions in football.

“Using guardian caps is a good way to further reduce concussions,” said Coach Miller. “It’s a good new addition.”

The UIL has some other rules changes set for the coming season, but the guardian cap and the wristband technology devices are the two biggest changes.

Texas is the lone state in the union that uses the NCAA rule book. But there are exceptions to NCAA rules noted in the UIL rules.

All other states in the United States use high school football rules set forth by the National Federation of High Schools.

JVOLZ@ULNNOW.COM, 830-278-3335