The NFL will be experimenting with what could be a groundbreaking change to the way balls are measured.
NFL executive Gary Brantley told The Associated Press the league is set to test Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology during some preseason games this year as a possible faster and more accurate way to measure for first downs. The Hawk-Eye system would notify officials instantly if a first down was gained after the ball is spotted by hand instead of officials having to measure with chains on the sideline.
“We’re in the installation phase for all of our stadiums, really getting them calibrated and up to date,” said Brantley, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief information officer. “We’re just really getting to a place where this system is as accurate as possible and really calibrating across our multiple stadiums. … We have multiple stadiums with multiple dimensions inside of those stadiums with different age. So, we’re really just going through the installation of putting in the infrastructure and making sure these cameras are installed.”
While there will obviously still be some human element involved with referees spotting the ball by hand, this should make things faster and more accurate than the previous chain measuring system.
The system is set to be tested in the preseason but likely will not be ready to be rolled out completely until next NFL season.
[ESPN]
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