NFL Preps First-Down Tech for 2025, Chain Gang Sidelined
While cameras will replace the chain gang in determining whether the first down line-to-gain was reached—a major tech development for the league—live game officials will continue to spot the football between plays. The physical chains will remain on NFL sidelines in 2025, both as a backup in case of tech failure and as a persistent aid for players and coaches. According to CBS Sports, competition committee sign-off is required for the new policy to go into effect.
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The NFL tested Sony Hawk-Eye technology during the 2024 preseason, though some complained about the time required for certain checks. According to NFL data, the automated process takes an average of 30 seconds, compared to 75 seconds for the existing manual process. The league said an average of 12 old-school measurements were made during each week of the regular season.
'Our general philosophy around any innovation is it really has to improve upon the process that we currently have,' NFL SVP of football business and innovation strategy Kimberly Fields said in an interview in August. '[Otherwise], we're not going to roll it out or test it.'
Replay technicians in the NFL's review center will train with the system during the upcoming UFL season, while broadcasters and stadium presenters will have the NFL preseason to adjust to the new flow.
Hawk-Eye technology is already used by others, including major tennis tournaments and the NBA. In tennis, Hawk-Eye boasts an average accuracy within a couple millimeters, though that hasn't totally prevented controversy. The tool is currently being tested for use in MLB strike zone reviews. The NFL system relies on six cameras with 8k resolution installed in each stadium.
NFL play still presents myriad challenges to a potentially fully automated ball-spotting system. While NFL game balls include position-tracking microchips, identifying the correct spot requires a combination of recognizing when a player is down, the orientation of the prolate spheroid at that point, and so on.
'There are a combination of factors there, but I do think that technology will exist sometime in the future,' NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference, when asked about automated first-down calls. 'We're continuing a lot with our partners. It's how to advance that as quickly as possible so we can get to that place.'
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