The NFL will reportedly consider measuring first downs electronically in 2025 season

[Deberg_1990]

Hmmm. Is this about the Bills again?

The NFL will reportedly consider measuring first downs electronically during the 2025 season https://t.co/8gGRWZf8Rf

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 2, 2025

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Why does it even have to be a quarterback? Dontari Poe is probably just sitting around eating barbecue.

This is the correct answer. It shouldn’t be some PS/backup QB. It should be a bigger, more athletic player, like a TE or a RB or maybe a LB.


And skip trying to throw it from the tush push formation. Never work anyway.

[PHOG]

Originally Posted by ScareCrowe

Honestly it feels like they've already implemented this. I don't remember the last time I saw a measurement by the chain gang. I can think of several instances where they spot the ball less than a foot from the line & don't measure. Those used to be automatic measurements. I don't think I've seen it happen once this season.

I remember a few, but you're right, there are so few, that I can't place what game or when it was this year.

[scho63]

We
Are
Sofa
King
We
Tart
Ed

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I swear, if there's been another recent thread that has made me doubt the intelligence and reading comprehension of many posters on here more than this one, I sure can't think of it.

This is, at best, a minor administrative change that might speed up the typical game by a minute or so. It has nothing to do with forward progress, knees down, touchdowns, or the Bills. It's removing the need for the chain gang to walk onto the field. That's it. Period.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Straight, No Chaser

Prohibit the "Tush Push" or call a penalty on that sheet.

No, there is nothing wrong with it.

[tyecopeland]

Originally Posted by kccrow

Two clips per set in the NFL. The clips have a yard marker dial on them to keep track of what yard line they are placed to the backside of. One of the guys on the gang is solely responsible for just maintaining the clips and recording the yardage for each series of downs. The 2nd clip is removed only after the 1st play of the new series is run.

Thanks for that explanation. I knew there was a clip thing but I didnt know the mechanics of moving it.

[tyecopeland]

Even if this was what everyone thought it was...

Tennis gets to use electronic sensors because all they need is a line that never moves and a ball that is marked when it hits.

The NFL has to have a line that changes every first down and the ball be marked when the player holding it touches down, not the ball.

To think those two things are comparable is crazy.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by tyecopeland

Even if this was what everyone thought it was...

Tennis gets to use electronic sensors because all they need is a line that never moves and a ball that is marked when it hits.

The NFL has to have a line that changes every first down and the ball be marked when the player holding it touches down, not the ball.

To think those two things are comparable is crazy.

Yeah, I've seen discussions elsewhere where people gloss over this stuff like it's no big deal. Not only is it a moving target, but the field is dramatically bigger, and the parameters of WHEN the ball's placement matters are highly variable:

1. Sometimes it's when another body part touches (and it could be a knee, butt, shin, elbow, back, and many other body parts, so they'd all need to be wearing full-body sensor suits to even get started)
2. Sometimes it's when a particular location is reached, such as the end zone
3. Sometimes it's when a whistle blows, as the play is dead at that point even if it otherwise shouldn't be (e.g., knee didn't hit the ground)

And even then, the precision isn't enough that it would even be definitive in close calls like we saw with Josh Allen on 4th and 1. There's still a little "wiggle room." In the end, nothing would be definitive, and people would be even more pissed off at technology overturning things that aren't actually definitive to the eye.

The reality is that the officials are part of the game of football, and there will always be dozens of minor judgement calls in every game. If you don't want the spot of the ball to be up to the interpretation of an official, run a play that doesn't make the spot super critical to the outcome. Otherwise, accept that close spots are 50/50, and you might get screwed.