Palm Beach, FL (Sports Network) - National Football League owners approved communications devices for defensive players on Tuesday.
The decision will bring the defensive side of the ball up to par with the offense in terms of technology, as one defensive player on the field will be allowed to wear a helmet similar to what all quarterbacks wear, allowing for communication between the sidelines and the player.
The vote passed by a margin of 25-7. The issue had been up for vote the previous two years, but failed to pick up the necessary votes. Nine no votes are needed to vote any proposal down. Defensive headsets fell just two votes shy last year.
The rule will be a bit more difficult to administer for defenses than it is for offenses, as many teams don't have a three-down defensive player like a quarterback is on offense. There will be two defensive players allowed to have the communications device in their helmets, but they can not be on the field at the same time.
