Arena Football League to use in-game helmet cameras (Video)

August 10, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; A fan reaches for the ball on a onside kick in the fourth quarter as Arizona Rattlers Arkeith Brown (11) Philadelphia Soul Jeff Hughley (3) are tied up on the play during ArenaBowl XXV at the New Orleans Arena. The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul 72-54. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

While the Arena Football League (AFL) has a relatively strong fan base, it’s still struggling to stay afloat in a downward economy.

Add in that the AFL’s direct competition (more or less) is the NFL and college football – you can see why the league struggles.

And while the AFL knows they’ll never bee on the same page as either of those leagues, they do hope to eat into a bit of their market share. But how can one do such when fighting with two powerhouses? By being innovative. The Arena Football League (in collaboration with Schutt and SVI) has a trick up their sleeve for the upcoming season which includes the use of in-game helmet cameras.

Via press release:

"“Schutt Vision is an incredible new product developed by SVI that will raise the broadcasting and content creators around football to an exciting new level,” Schutt Sports President/CEO Robert Erb said. “The ability to see what a player actually sees on the field, in real-time, will make the in-game and overall experience for the fans of the Arena Football League the best of any sports platform anywhere.”"

Marketing gimmick or not, it’s a pretty neat addition – especially in an indoor setting.

We’ve seen the use of helmet cameras before, but only in practice setting. Should be neat to see it during game action.