TORONTO – The CFL Combine presented by New Era is about to have another layer of training and testing added to its circuit.

The CFL revealed Thursday that Wilson Sporting Goods will implement the Wilson X-Pro Connected Football and Training System as a way to capture data on the quarterbacks participating in the Combine. The technology will utilize an undetectable sensor embedded in a Wilson CFL football to measure quarterback performance in the areas of throw quality and play timing.

“Any time we can work with our partners and provide teams with more tools to evaluate prospects with evolving technology we will take that step like we have with the Wilson X-Pro,” said the CFL’s Senior Director of Football Operations, Ryan Janzen.

“It’s exciting to see our technology at the center of the CFL Combine,” said Kevin Murphy, General Manager, Team Sports, Wilson Sporting Goods. “We’ve designed this system to give coaches, scouts, and players a definitive starting point for evaluating performance and objectively define what to work on to improve a player’s skill set and level of play. In essence, we are replacing what we’ve relied on for years — the “eye test” — with quantifiable facts on a player’s ball speed, spin rate, launch angle, timing and much more. We believe this technology has the potential to change the way we look at, train and coach quarterbacks.”

The Wilson X-Pro Connected Training System offers deep insights into a quarterback’s performance. The System delivers data that helps a team and its staff evaluate arm strength and quarterback mechanics, while also more efficiently analysing the success of pass plays.

Specifically, the System Measures:

Timing : snap to release, snap to target and release time

: snap to release, snap to target and release time Throw Quality : Spin rate and spiral efficiency

: Spin rate and spiral efficiency Arm Strength: Throw count and velocity.

This will be the first time the Wilson X-Pro Football and training system will be utilized in a professional football Combine format. The System has been used by National Football League (NFL) Draft prospects in preparation for the NFL Combine and NFL Draft.

Three quarterbacks at the CFL Combine will utilize the Wilson X-Pro Connected Training System: Chris Merchant (Western), Michael O’Connor (UBC) and Sonny Weishaupt (Germany).

The CFL Combine presented by New Era takes place in Toronto from March 22 – 24. For a full list of participants, click here and for a list of the 18 ‘global’ players, click here.

The CFL will once again have exclusive live coverage of the 2019 Combine, starting with the Bench Press on Saturday and continuing with the 40-yard dash and 1-on-1 drills on Sunday. For more information, please visit CFL.ca/Live