Yahoo Sports · Apr 4, 2025
NFL set to use new technology to measure first downs over chains
The NFL is upgrading one area of the rules.
The longstanding "chain gang" is no more... mostly.
During the 2025 NFL owners meetings, the usage of a Hawk-eye system to measure first downs was approved.
According to ESPN:
The official use of Sony's Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system, consisting of six 8K cameras for optical tracking of the ball's position, was announced at the annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Florida.
The technology is "an efficient alternative to the process of walking chains onto the field and manually measuring whether 10 yards have been met after the official has spotted the ball," the league said in a news release.