Catapult and Wilson deliver new quarterback metrics at CFL Combine
Catapult recently partnered with Wilson Sporting Goods at the 2019 Canadian Football League (CFL) Combine to quantify a range of unique quarterback metrics related to throw quality, timing and arm strength.
In a first for a professional Combine, the CFL equipped draft prospects with two technologies: the Wilson X-Pro Connected Football and Catapult OptimEye S5 wearable devices.
The Wilson X-Pro Connected Football contains a proprietary chip that is able to detect a wide range of quarterback metrics, including:
- Timing: Snap to release, snap to target, release time
- Throw Quality: Spin rate and spiral efficiency
- Arm Strength: Throw count and velocity
During the CFL Combine, S5 devices were worn by quarterbacks to enable throw events to be detected by Catapult’s sport-specific algorithm. Wilson and the CFL also benefitted from detailed consultation by Jamie Hepner, a sports scientist with Catapult.
“We paired the timecode of the ball with our wearable devices,” said Hepner. “That enables our sport-specific algorithm to detect quarterback throws, then the software pairs the data from the Wilson ball with the assigned throw to deliver detailed performance insights.”
The data collected by Catapult and Wilson was passed on to scouts and coaches who were able to supplement their own expertise with an extra layer of objective information on the latest crop of quarterbacks hoping to make it in the CFL. The results from the combine will also be presented back to CFL management to provide a greater insight into the benefits of the technology.
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