If opposing coaches want to learn the playbook of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before they play them, they don’t need to look for a big binder with various plays written down. Look for the nearest iPad and steal it, instead.

According to a report in the St Petersburg Times the players for the Buccaneers are moving to the mobile device industry, at least in regards to their playbook. The team has apparently purchased iPad 2s for the players, and each one holds the Tampa Bay playbook, as well as video files of games, practice and various videos of other teams, all for the sake of improving preparation and consolidation.

Something should be mentioned about the trees being saved, because these playbooks are usually quite large, but I don’t think a “green” approach was what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff was going for. Instead, they just wanted to make the organization that goes with being a successful football team easier on the players.

Speaking of, these same players seem excited about their new toy:

“It’s crazy how much technology has changed the game,” second-year safety Cody Grimm said. “Back in the day, I think probably the whole team had to sit down with a projector and a reel, and watch the film together. They’d have the whole offense in the same meeting room. Now we all have our own iPad. Stuff that we used to come in here to see, we can sit on our couch at home and have access to it 24-7. It’s awesome.”

Of course, the NFL is not the first industry to do away with reams of paper–well, at least in the case of the Buccaneers–in favor of an iPad.

Pilots have started using them as well, as opposed to carrying around veritable forests in their flight bags.

Not only are the Buccaneers committed to the switch, they’ve also taken steps to protect these playbooks from hitting the Internet:

“We give these playbooks out, and by the end of training camp, we collect them so nobody sells them on the Internet,” [Head Coach Raheem] Morris said. “They become game books. If you need a reference to go back, you can pull up a blitz from camp and look at it.

The report goes on to say the Buccaneers purchased 90 total iPad 2s for their team, and the entire franchise seems to be incredibly excited about the convenience these devices offer.