After testing an electronic first down system during preseason last summer, the NFL is taking another step toward moving away from chain gangs this fall.
The NFL announced Tuesday that Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will be the primary method used to measure line-to-gain scenarios during the 2025 season. The league's announcement noted that "[t]he chain crew will remain on the field in a secondary capacity."
“The NFL and Sony are integrating world-class on-field officiating with state-of-the-art technology to advance football excellence,” executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in an NFL release.
“Combining the art of officiating with Sony’s trusted Hawk-Eye system is a healthy recipe for success in our commitment to raising the standards of accuracy, consistency and efficiency. Replay technology and data-driven insights from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations aid us in advancing our efforts toward the future of football.”
The new process should speed up games as the chains will no longer have to be walked onto the field to measure for a possible first down. The NFL will use six 8K cameras in each NFL stadium to track the position of the ball on each play.
The league estimates determining a first down will now take 30 seconds, a 40-second improvement from the old chain measuring system. That will speed up Denver Broncos games at Empower Field at Mile High and every other NFL stadium this fall.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: NFL to use new system to measure first downs
