For decades, the NFL has relied on the conventional chain gang to determine first downs. This is now about to be replaced

What the league decided last year is now being implemented: The time-honored Chain Gang is to have a break in the 2024 preseason. Instead, an optical tracking system will determine where a ball has to be before the next play.

The main aim is to test how accurate the automatic detection system is and whether it can replace the chains and markers on the sidelines in a timely manner.

Similar to goal-line technology in soccer, the system would have to be installed in each of the 30 NFL stadiums.

It is not yet clear whether the system will be tested at every preseason game and, if not, at which games it will be used. However, the aim is clear: where a ball is “spotted” should be automated as quickly as possible.

This should please many NFL fans, as the Chain Gang system has been considered dusty for years and, in view of the new technical possibilities, a relic in desperate need of a revolution.