Another Bills’ playoff loss, another seemingly related rule change. Per Charean Williams of NBC Sports, the NFL’s senior vice president of football operations, Kimberly Fields, claimed this week that the league will begin using “technology for virtual line-to-gain measurements” in 2025. Officials will still spot the ball, and the chain gang will still exist as a backup. 
While discussions of the use of this type of technology have been ongoing for years, a line is naturally going to be drawn between this rule and a Josh Allen fourth-down quarterback sneak that was ruled short of the line to gain in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ AFC Championship loss to the Chiefs. Similarly, the NFL passed a rule change three years ago that ensure both teams possession of the ball at least once in overtime of postseason games following a Bills’ Divisional Round loss to the Chiefs in 2022.
The new Hawk-Eye tracking services from Sony were reportedly tested in the 2024 preseason and “in the background during the 2024 regular season.” The technology does not track the ball to determine if the ball crossed the line. An official is still needed to spot the ball and replay assist will confirm the accuracy of that placement. Once the spot is determined the tracking system will optimally notify officials if a first down was reached instantly.
The setup requires that six cameras be used for the virtual line-to-gain technology, along with 12 boundary-line cameras and 14 Hawk-Eye’s SkeleTRACK cameras that “monitor more than two-dozen skeletal points on a player’s body.” Using the technology behind the scenes last year, the league reportedly “saw a reduction in the time it took for a measurement” from 75 seconds on average with the chain gang to 30 seconds on average with the new technology.
In order to accommodate and implement the system, all 30 NFL stadiums, as well as any international stadiums where NFL games will be played, will be equipped with 32 cameras each. With the additional cameras, there theoretically should be increased and improved replay angles, as well. The league will continue testing the system this spring during UFL games played in NFL stadiums like Detroit’s Ford Field.
Rob Maaddi, a senior NFL writer/insider for the Associated Press, broke down a few additional rule changes being explored this offseason. First, Maaddi reported claims from NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent that there’s a “universal consensus” in doing something to keep the concept of onside kicks in the game. Unfortunately for advocates of a fourth-and-X option to keep possession, there hasn’t been much conversation on that exact concept, though discussions may occur next month.
Another Maaddi report shows Vincent claim that there’s “no appetite” from the Competition Committee to utilize video replay to throw a flag. Replay assist expansion is under consideration for 2025 to pick up incorrect flags thrown for plays like roughing the passer, unnecessary roughness, facemask, tripping, illegal crackback block, horse collar tackle, etc., but if officials miss an obvious facemask or other penalty replay assist would not be able to enforce the penalty. While teams could still propose such a change, there doesn’t appear to be any traction in that direction.
Meetings next month will allow for further discussion on these topics down the line, but for now, Williams and Maaddi have given us some valuable insight into the direction in which the league and Competition Committee are headed. We’ll keep an eye on the development of these ideas as they continue to move forward.
I’m sorry, are you implying that a big stick attached to a big chain operated by a couple of guys doing their best isn’t technology?
“And here’s our referee for todays game, Alexander Graham Bell”
I keep seeing people claiming that cameras and computers aren’t good enough to call balls and strikes or determine first downs.
OK, fine, then stop telling me they can drive my car.
Let’s see them get this right first.
They need to take this one step further. Place a chip in each end of the football. Then you can electronically place the ball and check for a first down. I can’t stand when the ref either gives a horrible placement or there is such a scrum (say on a qb sneak) that there’s no way a ref can properly place it.
Of course, this is unnecessary if you’re 6 yards short of a first down, but should be implemented if you’re within 1/2 yard of the first down. All the ref needs is a buzzer…first down or not. They don’t need an EXACT placement.
This is a start, though.
The Bills biggest problem was the play call, they kept getting stuffed up the middle but refused to try misdirection,
and Josh Allen only going left.
A rule change I’d love to see concerns overtime games. I wish the NFL would adopt the same system that they use in college. College OT games are exciting, IMO, and I think would be the same in the NFL.