The NFL is finally embracing boundary cameras.
The existence of the devices first surfaced on Sunday, as Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira revealed their presence at Soldier Field in Chicago. He explained that they could be used for automatic replay reviews only, for now.
We mobilized to get more information. Per the league, the rollout that began in Week 5 now has goal line, sideline, and end line cameras in all stadiums except New York, L.A., Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, and Miami.
The NFL anticipates that, by the end of the calendar year, all stadiums will have them.
Even when the league-owned cameras (12 per venue) are present in all stadiums, their use will not expand to coaches’ challenges and replay assist this season. Next year, they will.
The absence of the cameras from the stadium in Tampa contributed to the inability to overturn the apparent fumble forced by Bucs safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. as Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts was scoring a touchdown in Week 8. At the time, the conversation focused on the absence of pylon cameras for some games, and their presence at others. It wasn’t widely known at the time that the league has been adding its own cameras that will provide, in theory, definitive views.
It wouldn’t have mattered, since the cameras still aren’t in Tampa. However, for scoring plays in the stadiums where the cameras have been installed, the 12 boundary cameras can be used to confirm or to overturn the ruling on the field.
