There may be a major change coming to the NFL.
For years, fans have questioned why first down rulings are still decided by a chain gang instead of using technology in the ball to determine the precise spot on the field.
On Thursday, Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS reported that the league was considering finally switching to that exact thing.
This could be big: The NFL tested optical tracking on line-to-gain rulings at MetLife Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium and at the Super Bowl this year. If there’s support from NFL team owners, we could see the chain gang become a backup as early as 2024.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 29, 2024
“This could be big,” Jones said in a post on X. “The NFL tested optical tracking on line-to-gain rulings at MetLife Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium and at the Super Bowl this year. If there’s support from NFL team owners, we could see the chain gang become a backup as early as 2024.”
While it’s been tested, Jones notes that it’s far from a sure thing.
Unclear what the support would be. And considering outfitting all 30 stadiums (plus international stadiums) with this technology may not be feasible before this upcoming season. But the NFL is actively testing out technology.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 29, 2024
“Unclear what the support would be. And considering outfitting all 30 stadiums (plus international stadiums) with this technology may not be feasible before this upcoming season. But the NFL is actively testing out technology,” Jones said in a follow-up tweet.
In addition to slowing down the game to have to come out and measure close spots, the chain gang feels very archaic for the NFL. The Premier League, for example, has had similar technology to determine close goals since 2013. The technology is also widely used in tennis and rugby.
It will be interesting to see if the NFL tries out the technology in the preseason to further move the process along, or if it never gets off the ground.
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