Stanford Football Debuts iPad Playbooks

The football team will use iPad playbooks during the 2012 season.

When the Stanford football team opens training camp Sunday, it’ll do so with a new playbook.

Well, kind of.

The program announced Saturday it has ditched old-fashioned playbooks in favor of iPads as part of a partnership with Denver-based PlayerLync, which already provides playbooks for five NFL teams.

"It's exciting and an honor to be the first university in the nation to partner with PlayerLync," coach David Shaw said.  "Being at the forefront of technology that can help us do our jobs better and help our player learn better, while at the same time being environmentally conscious and cost effective, is part of what Stanford is all about.”

The iPad will contain the training camp playbook, weekly game playbooks and daily notes and can be updated by the coaching staff. It also has the capability for film study.

Unlike a hard copy, a lost playbook will never be a problem again. Information from lost iPad can be wiped clean remotely. All information will be stored on a Stanford server.

The valuable of a playbook has in the past also been equal to its liability, but Stanford's new digital playbooks represent a revolutionary advance in security.  If misplaced, the PlayLync playbook can be immediately and remotely wiped clean.  All data is also securely stored on a Stanford server, without a third party managing, maintaining or securing the Cardinal's proprietary assets.

"We are proud to team up with Stanford in taking the technology lead in the NCAA," says PlayerLync Co-Founder, President and CEO Bob Paulsen.  "We know that Coach Shaw did his research in choosing the best tools available for the team.  By combining PlayerLync's industry leading platform with the talent and intelligence of the Cardinal football organization, Stanford is in exceptional position to continue their tradition of success for many years to come."

Follow Kyle Bonagura on Twitter: @KyleBonagura

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