One of the most notable things that happened during Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game was the debut of the NFL’s new virtual measurement system.
Instead of the traditional chain system, the NFL announced in April that it will now use Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology as the primary way to measure the line to gain. NFL fans got their first glimpse of this operation on Thursday as the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions opened the preseason in Canton, Ohio.
Speed was the main reason why the NFL wanted to change from the chain system to the virtual measurement system. Instead of running a chain onto the field to determine the line to gain, the NFL’s new system should make that information available in a matter of seconds and potentially eliminate some of the controversial measurements that pop up seemingly on a weekly basis.
While the chain gang is still a backup option, this technology will be a regular part of the viewing experience during the 2025 season. And based on testing from the league, it’s expected to be a significantly faster process. The NFL said in April that the process “takes around 30 seconds,” and thusly saves “up to 40 seconds” from a chain measurement.
“Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system allows the NFL to accurately and efficiently measure the distance between the spotted ball and the line to gain. The technology was tested extensively last season and will bring a new level of precision and speed to NFL officiating,” the NFL said in an April press release.
“Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement technology will serve as an efficient alternative to the process of walking chains onto the field and manually measuring whether 10 yards have been met after the official has spotted the ball. The chain crew will remain on the field in a secondary capacity.”
The system uses six 8K cameras to track the position of the ball and will be operated from the league headquarters in New York in conjunction with the replay system.