Apparently, there is a change on the horizon regarding the way first downs are determined in the NFL. According to a report, however, the NFL still wants to continue to do without a chip in the ball.
The chain gang in the NFL seems like a relic from a bygone era.
For almost a hundred years, a chain of referees has been used in American football to determine whether a team has reached a new first down.
In the billion-dollar NFL business and in a digitalized world, there should actually be a more modern solution for this.
Especially since there was a controversy recently at the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, and the referees were in disagreement in a game-deciding situation as to whether they should grant the Bills a new first down.
An electronic system could be introduced for the new season
They ultimately decided against it and in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs, which caused some discussion.
Perhaps that is why the NFL is considering replacing the Chain Gang with an electronic system for the coming season. This is reported by the “Washington Post”.
According to the report, in the future, the referees on the field will decide whether a new first down has been reached. Then the decision will be checked by an electronic system that has been tested under game conditions in recent years.
The NFL experimented with Hawk Eye
The NFL tested the Hawk Eye system, known from tennis, in the previous preseason, but decided against using it in the regular season.
However, the NFL does not yet want to use a chip in the ball, as many fans would like. And that despite the fact that chips have long been installed in the balls.
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