With the Blue Bombers’ organization peeling back the curtain on scouting in the CFL, here we look at the most vital items that help us do our job on the road.
Aside from basic essentials such as one’s phone, keys, wallet and clothing, any scout on the road needs a few indispensable items to do their job properly. While each team and every individual has their own unique way of getting the job done, these six items are almost universally utilized by scouts across the football industry.
No. 1: Backpack/Travel Bag
To start, a scout needs a travel bag or backpack to put the rest of their gear in. Without some sort of bag, one would be left looking injudicious while holding each of the other items.
If you see me on the road, you’ll likely see me with a small black Nike backpack, which contains the next five items on this list.
No. 2: Laptop/Tablet
The first thing a scout must have in their backpack is their laptop or tablet. While smartphones can take care of some of our basic communication needs, most of our scouting work gets done on a laptop.
After leaving any game, practice or workout, the Blue Bombers scouting department immediately transposes our handwritten notes into our database, which makes having a laptop or tablet handy necessary. We are also typically watching film on the laptop or tablet during any downtime to make ideal use of time.
No. 3: Notebook/Clipboard
This one is very straightforward; scouts need something to write on.
Some use a small notebook, and others use a large legal pad. Some simply use sheets of scrap paper on a clipboard, while others have very detailed print-outs to fill in.
I personally like to eschew the need for a clipboard by punching my notes into a lined notebook that I’ve added handwritten boxes into to organize my thoughts. My method might take more preparation before events than others, but it works for me and that is what’s most important.
No. 4: Multi-Colored Pen
Some scouts just use a regular pen or pencil, but many scouts will tell you that a multi-colored pen is essential for their travels. I keep at least two of them in my backpack at all times.
The reason why a multi-colored pen is so useful for those in the scouting profession is simple: different colors mean different things and allow us to organize our thoughts more cleanly.
Underrated scouting tool. Favorite of NFL scouts. Allows for color-coded note taking on school visits:
Black- coaches
Blue- support staff
Red- trainer
Green- academics https://t.co/aEYYpsyYCl pic.twitter.com/KNBrfaHixJ— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) January 27, 2023
No. 5: Binoculars
When scouting a game or practice, if a scout is not going to be right up close and personal with the players they’re watching, having a good pair of binoculars is a must. Without them, it can be hard to identify certain players from far away.
I use binoculars to help track the body types of players before the game from the booth and use them throughout games and practices as needed.
No. 6: Stopwatch
The last of six essential items a football scout needs is a stopwatch. This is the item most closely associated with the scouting profession, and you’d be hard-pressed to find any scout in the pro ranks who doesn’t have a stopwatch with them on the road.
Whether at a workout, practice or game, having a stopwatch with you to chart things such as a player’s play speed, a punter’s hangtime, or a long snapper’s snapping velocity is crucially important.
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Cyril Penn is a Blue Bombers U.S.-based scout who writes regularly for bluebombers.com.
