The NFL will no longer use the chain gang as its primary way to measure first downs in 2025.
On Wednesday, The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov reported, “The NFL is planning to put its electronic system to measure first downs into motion this upcoming regular season in 2025.”
Meirov added the chain gang will serve as a backup.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams, the NFL tested Sony’s Hawk-Eye tracking services in the 2024 preseason and at various points in the 2024 regular season. The system instantly notifies officials if a team gains a first down.
“The technology does not track the ball, with officials still needing to spot it, but replay assist will confirm the accuracy of that placement,” wrote Williams. “Since the technology requires additional cameras in every stadium, there will be more — and better — replay angles of forward progress.”
Overall, the rule change doesn’t sound perfect. Officials spotting the ball still leaves room for human error. But it seems like a step in the right direction.
Hawk-Eye technology is a proven commodity. The International Tennis Federation has used it since 2006, significantly improving its officiating.
Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell noted that the NFL’s system is similar to the one in tennis, so it’s safe to assume it will also benefit the league.
Plus, the NFL clearly needed to do something after a controversial fourth-down call in this past season’s AFC Championship Game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
With Buffalo leading K.C. 22-21 early in the fourth quarter, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was ruled short on a 4th-and-1 at K.C.’s 41-yard line, even though it looked like he made the line to gain.
“I felt like Allen gained it by about a third of the football,” CBS analyst Gene Steratore, a former referee, said of the call during the telecast.
The call proved to be a turning point in the game, as the Chiefs beat the Bills 32-29.
The tracking system could have helped officials better determine whether Allen converted the fourth down in the AFC Championship Game.
