The NFL may be on its way to locking away the chain gang.
The league is always aiming to improve its game operations and make every call on the field as accurate as possible. For years, the chain gang has been a part of the structure in place for determining first downs and the line of scrimmage.
However, the NFL is bringing new tech to the gridiron in 2024. The next technology that is going to be tested is an optical tracking system, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones. This new tracking system will be used for tracking the ball and its relation to where a first down is needed.
The method will be tested out in the 2024 preseason. If the NFL likes what it sees out of it, it may choose to utilize it as soon as the regular season.
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So what exactly is the new optical tracking system, and what does it mean for the chain gang? The Sporting News explains.
What is a chain gang in the NFL?
The chain gang in the NFL is exactly what it sounds like — a gang in charge of running the chains.
The group is seen on the sidelines of NFL games, carrying markers for the line of scrimmage, the down number and the line to gain, or where the team needs to be to get a first down. Players, coaches and officials use this contingent to correctly locate where the downs are and how many more are left.
Currently, the chain gang uses physical chains. They are sometimes called into action when a play is close to being a first down. The group rushes onto the field, with one person holding the marker for the line to gain. The official will measure the ball's location in relation to where the chain dictates the line to gain to be, and determine if a first down was gained or not.
What is the NFL's optical tracking system?
The NFL is introducing a new optical tracking system to determine whether or not teams successfully gained enough yardage for a first down.
An optical tracking system is "a means of determining in real-time the position of an object by tracking the positions of either active or passive infrared markers attached to the object. The position of the point of reflection is determined using a camera system," according to the American Association for Physicians in Medicine.
In this case, the NFL would be using the football as the object being tracked in the system. This differentiates from the microchips that have been in footballs for years.
The optical tracking system is not completely new for the league. It was used at MEtLife Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium in 2023, but if approved, it would need to be installed not only in all 30 NFL stadiums, but any international venues that host NFL games as well.
The idea for this system is to reduce the amount of human error in the game. The new technology could be implemented for the upcoming regular season, however if any issues prevail in the preseason, the optical tracking system can be pushed to 2025. The test run in the exhibition games this fall will tell its fate.
