The NFL said Thursday that it is testing a new technology to electronically quantify first downs, according to Pro Football Talk. The league will give material to NFL owners, including Houston Texans’ Janice McNair, for a possible vote.
The technology would be used instead of first-down chains to determine if a player crossed the gain line. The modification would most likely not occur until the 2024 season.
The NFL stated that it has already tested optical tracking camera equipment for measuring first downs in games in Miami and East Rutherford, New Jersey, as well as the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Hawk-Eye, a computer vision system used in tennis to aid with video replays, invented the technology.
Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, stated that the 2025 season is a feasible objective for the new system.
Some argue that employing chains to quantify such an important aspect of the sport is out of date, while others prefer that officials make the choice manually.
Houston is now concentrating on the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. The Texans, who have a first-round draft pick, are analyzing and interviewing candidates at the NFL Combine this weekend to improve important positions like defensive end and cornerback.
During the combine on Tuesday, Houston general manager Nick Caserio attributed the Texans’ unexpected 2023 season on other factors.
“There are 100 to 200 people who are involved in football operations; it’s a collective effort,” Caserio remarked in an interview. “Demeco [Ryans] led the team and assembled an excellent coaching staff. In the end, it all comes down to the players and coaches.
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