The days of measuring for first downs manually isn’t over yet, but the NFL is moving closer to that point.
The league has been testing optical tracking as a way to replace the chain gang as the measuring tool for first downs and that process is set to take a step forward in August. NFL senior vice president and chief information officer Gary Brantley told Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press that the league will be testing Sony’s Hawk-eye cameras during some preseason games this summer.
“We’re in the installation phase for all of our stadiums, really getting them calibrated and up to date,” Brantley said. “We’re just really getting to a place where this system is as accurate as possible and really calibrating across our multiple stadiums.”
The optical tracking system is designed to notify officials if a first down has been reached after the ball has been spotted, which would save time that is now devoted to taking on-field measurements. If successful, full implementation of the technology could take place for the 2025 season.