Warwick Wolves use Hudl to Dominate the UK Gridiron

American football is no longer played solely in the U.S., and it’s quickly taking roots across the pond in Europe.

The British Universities American Football League (BUAFL) was recognized as an official sport when it was absorbed into BUCS in 2012, and now the league features 80 university teams across three divisions in the U.K. - Premier, Division I and Division II (each consisting of two, six and eight conferences, respectively). To say the sport is growing in the U.K. at a rapid pace would be an understatement.

With the influx of university teams playing American football, video analysis has begun to creep its way into their day-to-day, and it’s changing the sport.

The Warwick Wolves have discovered the valuable insight video can provide, and we sat down with George Roberts, the Wolves’ QB, to hear more about how they’ve integrated Hudl and how he, as a student-athlete, has used Hudl to improve his own game.

Tell us about how you’ve used video analysis in the past.

“I played for a university and they never had Hudl. We would set up a tripod and record the game and just use the video files to watch the game back and review. When I came to Warwick, we started using Hudl. Our first year, we filmed with one camera and it was immediately obvious how influential Hudl could be. It’s so beneficial to get video feedback straight away, especially when you have new guys every year.”

How do the coaching staff and players at Warwick use Hudl in their day-to-day?

“They will use Hudl before training sessions to go through either practice, game, or scout footage. They do want the players to look at it on their own time as well. So they’ll leave comments on plays for players to go through and look at on their own. They also expect you to do some scouting on your own as well, so you have a better idea as to what is going on so you can be better prepared.”

As a player, how often are you and your teammates using Hudl?

“I’m watching it all the time. At my old club, we used to go through hours of video files. In Hudl, it’s broken up into what we need, when we need it. The offensive line guys organize themselves on their own to watch film, probably twice a week at least. There’s guys in the library all the time watching film.”

As a student-athlete, how has it helped you manage your time?

“Everything is all in one place for me. It’s made my life as a student-athlete much easier. It’s all on Hudl.”

How have other teams in your league used Hudl?

“There are quite a few teams that use Hudl, and they share game tapes with us. In the quarterfinals, we managed to get nine games on our opponent, which is a tremendous amount of video, but it was massive for scouting and preparation during the postseason.”

How has your team improved?

“The numbers don’t lie, do they? Before, we were a very raw team. We never really knew what we were doing, and the record showed that. With Hudl, we’re looking at three practices a week and then games. So you have 10 hours of you playing football every week that you can see, and that you can use to get better. So on an individual level, it’s helped a lot. The last two years, we went 7-1 and this year we made it to the playoffs. So for the coaches as well it’s been beneficial. They can see what’s working. We don’t have to go from memory anymore. We can actually play very strategically, and that’s how we win games.”

What competitive advantage does Hudl give your team?

“Oh, it’s huge. We come out of the gate and we can recognize formations, coverages, everything really. We know exactly what they are going to do, and the teams that don’t use Hudl don’t know what we’re going to do. So it’s critical.”

What would you say to those players and coaches looking at Hudl?

“I’d definitely recommend it to anyone, in any sport really, not just American football. It’s one platform that does everything - rosters, scout tape, practice tape, game tape, etc. It will help you understand your team a lot better. If you were to say to your head coach that you can go back and see everything, wouldn’t you want to use that?”

Check out the Wolves' Twitter and Facebook pages to follow the team as they begin the 2016 season.