If camcorder stability and picture quality is what you are looking for, I’d go with a consumer qualitycamcorder that records in High-Definition. The best resolution is 1980×1020 which is supported on most HD camcorders, though I would still checkthe specific camcorderspecs (usually specified as “1980i” or “1080i”)if you want the highest quality. Despite the size of the image, you will not be able to see jersey numbers if they are too far away (probably more than 700 feet) with no pans or zooms.
For a miniature-sized consumer camera, I’d check out JVC’s Everio HD models:
http://camcorder.jvc.com/product.jsp?productId=PRD1208000&pathId=141
