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The NFL will be using some new tech next season. On Tuesday, the NFL announced they will be using Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology to electronically measure first downs next season.
“The NFL and Sony are integrating world-class on-field officiating with state-of-the-art technology to advance football excellence,” said Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations at the NFL.
“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.”
Sony provided a detailed explanation on how their Hawk-Eye technology will replace chain gangs.
Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement technology will serve as 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 chain crew will remain on the field in a secondary capacity.
Hawk-Eye, which will be deployed across all 30 NFL stadiums and the international venues hosting NFL games, consists of six 8K cameras for optical tracking of the position of the ball. The system is operated from the NFL’s Art McNally GameDay Central Officiating Center (AMGC) in New York and is integrated with the league’s existing replay system.
As on-field officials are notified of the measurement outcome, virtual recreations of measurements are produced in real time for the in-stadium and broadcast audience. The full operational process takes around 30 seconds, saving up to 40 seconds from a measurement with the chains.
The NFL will still employ a chain crew as a backup if Sony’s Hawk-Eye has any technical issues.
Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will be used by the NFL as the primary method for measuring the line to gain, beginning with the 2025 season, the league announced.
The chain crew will remain on the field in a secondary capacity.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 1, 2025
Some fans note that Sony’s Hawk-Eye will not be used to spot the ball, which is still the ref’s job.
This is not to spot the ball, don’t let the nfl trick you into think they are actually fixing the broken part https://t.co/JaoeK1tZFe
— Scott Campbell (@ScottCampbell13) April 1, 2025
Feel the need to say again, this doesn’t solve anything we complain about. It practically never happens that the chain gang incorrectly measures whether it’s a first down or not. It’s the spot of the ball that’s the concern. https://t.co/qcrh9dKgrF
— Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) April 1, 2025