The NFL is testing a system that measures first-down officiating decisions electronically, per the Washington Post's Mark Maske. The technology would be used in place of first-down chains to decide whether a player reached the line to gain.
The league will now gauge the interest of teams and owners on whether to move forward with implementing the technology during games, Maske reported.
Maske also noted that the electronic system could be ready for use next season, but NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said the 2025 season is a more realistic date for extensive use of the system.
According to Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith, the technology the league is testing was developed by Hawk-Eye, the computer vision system used in tennis to assist with video replays. It would help get officials a more accurate read of the position of the ball and players when reviewing the line to gain.
Smith also reported that the league is testing the technology around the sidelines, goal lines and end lines as well as first-down markers.
Using technology to determine positioning has become commonplace in other sports. Along with tennis, many soccer leagues, including FIFA, use a mix of cameras and trackers to determine offside penalties.
With a league as advanced as the NFL, using chains to determine first downs seems outdated, and a change could finally be coming.
