NFL Moves Closer to Replacing Chain with New Technology to Measure Line to Win
The NFL is moving closer to replacing the chain with new technology to measure the winning line.
NFL executive Gary Brantley told The Associated Press that the league will test Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology in some preseason games. The system likely won’t be ready for full implementation until next season, though it could come sooner.
“We’re in the installation phase for all of our stadiums, calibrating them and updating them,” said Brantley, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief information officer. “We’re getting to the point where this system is as accurate as it can be and really calibrating across our different stadiums. … We have multiple stadiums with multiple dimensions within those stadiums with different ages. So we’re just getting the infrastructure in place and making sure those cameras are installed.”
Sony, which was named the official technology partner of the NFL on Wednesday, has expanded its sports technology through Hawk-Eye Innovations to support officiating and the development of on-field and on-court technologies, including a new coach’s sideline headset that will debut in 2025.
Its Hawk-Eye tracking services for line gain measurement add cameras to stadiums to track players, referees and the ball. The optimal tracking system instantly alerts referees if a first down has been scored after the ball has been spotted by hand.
“We’ve dramatically reduced the time to use, down to 40 seconds each time, which makes the game much more impactful,” said Neal Manowitz, Sony’s president and COO. “Plus, the system is accurate to within half an inch, which is incredibly precise. I hope fans enjoy the objective view, or at least half the fans enjoy it every time they play.”
The NFL has long used two bright orange sticks and a string to measure first downs. That method will remain a backup option.
Beyond new line-to-gain ratio measurement technologies and new headsets for coaches’ communications, Sony is partnering with the NFL to improve sideline photography, broadcast cameras and production, and more.
“The NFL has incredibly high standards and what we’re really talking about in this relationship is how can we change the future of sports together, at the highest level,” Manowitz said. “How we change the line to win is a great example, and that’s where… we bring together the game creators, all the members of the operations team, the coaches, the players, how can we bring that community as close as possible to our engineers, and how can we bring them together and ultimately deliver a much better experience for the fans.”
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