A key development from Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game was the introduction of the NFL’s updated digital measurement approach.
The NFL shared back in April their transition from the traditional chain measurement method to Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology as the main way to gauge yardage. Football enthusiasts had their initial experience with this tech on Thursday as the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions started the preseason in Canton, Ohio.
The NFL’s primary reason for moving from the chain system to the digital measurement system was centered around improving the speed of the game. Instead of physically moving a chain onto the playing field to identify the line to gain, the league’s new technological update seeks to deliver that data nearly instantaneously, therefore reducing certain controversial calls that appear almost weekly.
Although the chain gang remains as a backup measure, this advanced technology will become a routine element of game viewing during the 2025 season. Based on internal assessment by the league, this should result in a notably faster operation. The NFL reported in April that this advancement “takes approximately 30 seconds,” and subsequently cuts “around 40 seconds” from a typical chain measurement.
“Sony’s Hawk-Eye digital measurement system enables the NFL to precisely and effectively evaluate the distance spanning from the ball’s current position to the line needed for a first down. This technology underwent extensive evaluations during the prior season and will contribute a heightened degree of accuracy and efficiency to NFL officiating,” as indicated in an April news statement by the NFL.
“Sony’s Hawk-Eye digital measurement technology acts as an efficient substitute to manually positioning chains on the field and physically assessing if ten yards have been covered post ball placement by the official. The chain crew will still be present on the field as a secondary resource.”
The system employs six 8K resolution cameras to monitor the ball’s placement and will be handled from the league’s headquarters situated in New York, operating alongside the instant replay framework.
