TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After eight preseason workouts on the practice field, Alabama moved inside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday for its first scrimmage of camp. The Crimson Tide participated in 102 plays, getting a taste of in-game scenarios three weeks before its season opener against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.

That included some practice with the new technology that will be available on the sidelines this fall.

Alabama has already been working with the new coach-to-player communication, which allows coaches to communicate with one player on the field through a helmet speaker. This season the NCAA will allow such communication. However, it will be turned off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or the snap of the ball — whichever occurs first. That’s been something the Tide has been able to simulate in each of its practices this month.

Saturday’s practice saw the implementation of a new technological aid as players worked with iPad tablets on the sideline during the scrimmage.

According to NCAA rules, teams will be permitted to use tablets to view in-game video this season. The video can include the broadcast feed and camera angles from the coach's sideline and the coach's end zone. Teams will be limited to 18 active tablets which can be used in the coaching booth, sideline and locker room.

While the tablets cannot be used to incorporate data or communications with the video, they can be a useful way for players to go back and look at plays in the game. Saturday, Alabama coaches and players took some time to familiarize themselves with the new technology before putting it into effect in a real game.

“We took two breaks of six minutes or so, just to get on the sideline and be able to understand what that looks like,” DeBoer said. “Because at this point, we aren’t really able to practice that in our complex during normal practices. Just using that and really understanding what the benefit is to take advantage of the confirmation or learning opportunities that can happen in between drives during the breaks that we had today, but also not dwelling on it so much as to where it affects our mindset and where our poise and confidence is heading into the next drive.”

Saturday’s scrimmage marked the ninth of 20 preseason workouts for Alabama leading up to game week for its season opener against Western Kentucky. The Crimson Tide will return to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sunday for its open Fan Day practice.