Does the high school you are planning to do football for next season, have any game video where they used more than one camera that you can use?

If you just want to practice football, and the high school team you'll be working with isn't in the playoffs are there any junior colleges in your area that are playing in post season football games this weekend? Also, you could shoot/practice at Pop Warner games (it's football), but make sure you get permission from the organization.

High school sports seasons overlap. Now with HS football in the playoffs, boys/girls basketball has started. There should be many opportunities to practice live high school sports all the way until June. After that, summer leagues.

The unexpected has a way of happening at live games, that doesn't occur when you test in the comfort of your studio or home.

Are your cameras going to manned or locked off?

There are 2 main elements of live sports directing and switching.

1. Is obviously pushing the right button at the right time.
2. Is directing your camera personnel if you have them.

Here's some basic tips.

If you're not familiar with crossing the line, make sure all your cameras are one side of the field.

When you add your cameras to vMix lay them out so they match their physical position on the field and if you're using keyboard shortcuts or a control surface, again map them to match geographically where the cameras are around the filed, this will make it much easier for you mentally picture where each shot is in your head. E.g. say left to right, cam 1 left side end zone cam 2 touch line, cam 3 wide follow shot, cam 4 right hand end zone.

Set up some default position set-ups with your camera people for things like kick off, field goals, TD's etc so that you can give one instruction and everybody knows where they're going.

Assign different frame sizes to each camera, so that you get a nice cut e.g. don't have your wide follow cam only cover 2 players when your touch line cam is also only covering 2 players or when you cut you'll get a weird jump cut that just changes angle.

When you're directing the cameras stick to one style of instruction like 'coming to 1', 'on 1', if you mix it up with say 'on you 1' or 'cutting to 1' your camera people will get confused very quickly.

On your budget probably cheap Chinese walkies like the Baofeng 888 or Retevis 777 these are cheap and have decent range.

If you're switching and directing you should put your unit on Vox (voice operation) so you can talk hands free.

For sports any half decent full HD camera will give reasonable picture quality.

What's more important for sport is the operation of cameras.

Running up and down the touchline with a small handicam is great for weight but the same light weight makes shots look unstable and over a prolonged period of time will actually fatigue a camera op more than a full sized camera.

If the cameras are going to be on tripods you need to think about how your ops are going to zoom and focus. You really want at least the zoom on a demand (remote control on the tripod pan handle) but preferably both.

This should be your primary research after lens sizes and output format.

As NHT mentioned any decent full HD camera should do. The Canon XA35 is a very good camera. Be aware that it only outputs 720p 59.94 from it's BNC connector. For 1080P 59.94, you'd have to use the HDMI output.

If you budget allows, look for cameras with HD/SDI outputs at full HD. HDMI outputs are not rugged, and the jacks can't take as much wear and tear of plugging and unplugging. If your crew takes care of your cameras the way you would, then there's not as much of an issue. However, I've had operators damage the HDMI jacks on two of my cameras, including my Canon XA25 in the middle of this season. Cost $300 to be repaired. I have a Sony that I primarily have used for 3 season, and the HDMI jack hasn't been damaged. So a lot depends on keeping the weight of cables from straining the HDMI output jack.

Yes, the Canon XA25 is my main camera for one of the teams I shoot. The second camera is usually a Canon G30. The Sony is used for another school for a single camera shoot when I solo.

I like the XA25. It's been an excellent buy (got it slightly used). I just wanted you to be aware of the limitation of the BNC output.

Only getting 720p out of the x35? Have not tried 1080P 59.94 but could have used 1080i on the that camera which very common on most cameras with SDI output. I use JVC Broadcast cameras at the moment so been a little while since used the Canon cameras.

Update:
X35 Specs
HD/SD-SDI output
YES (576i, 720P or 1080i, output only, embedded audio and time code)
I was going to get one so glad I got the JVC through sponsorship, But most of high end models ones only do 1080i as well.

Do you monitor program audio on the same headset as comms? What's the best way to get both sets of audio into the same headset? Will one of those basic aux audio splitters work?

I put the comms into the mixer with the monitor output. Then I can control both volumes on the mixer. But it is low tech like NHT.