You know the feeling. Watching an NFL game as a player pushes forward for a crucial first down can be exhilarating. Will he succeed? The answer remains uncertain until a middle-aged man fully unfurls his chain, revealing whether the tip of the ball has reached the first down marker. However, it seems that those iconic moments may soon become a thing of the past.
While the Tush Push might be here to stay (at least for now), notable rule changes were approved during the league’s Owners Meetings in Florida this week. While each team will now be guaranteed a possession in overtime during the regular season and touchbacks will incur an extra 10 yards, perhaps the most significant change lies in the elimination of the chain gang in favor of an electronic line to gain measurement system. To be clear, a chain crew will still be present on the field in a secondary role, likely to handle any technical issues that may arise with the new system.
Deploying Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology, the NFL aims to “accurately and efficiently measure the distance between the spotted ball and the line to gain,” similar to the technology currently used by the United Football League, though with a different provider. A glimpse of this technology in action can be seen in the tweet below:
First down technology in action for the UFL on Fox. 🏈📺🤖pic.twitter.com/QO7GTReKOZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2025
“The NFL and Sony are integrating world-class on-field officiating with state-of-the-art technology to advance football excellence,” stated Troy Vincent, the NFL’s EVP of football operations. “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.”
This technological shift in line to gain measurements has seemed inevitable over recent years, especially after the league tested the technology during last year’s preseason. Although the NFL opted not to implement it for the 2024 season after mixed results, they now appear comfortable embracing this significant change.
Ultimately, technology is progressing in all areas, from the rise of robot umpires in baseball to the possibility of AI replacing writers. For now, it seems the chain gang is the latest casualty of our technological advances, leaving us to nostalgically remember those anxiety-filled moments that defined our football viewing experiences.
