We've witnessed technology trickle down from the NFL into the collegiate football ranks — helmet communication, to offer one recent example — and it seems only likely that the league's move away from reliance on sideline chain gangs could be next.
As sources indicated to CBS Sports, the NFL is moving forward with a full preseason trial of an optical tracking system for line-to-gain rulings. If the trial goes well, the tracking system will be implemented full time for the 2024 NFL regular season, the sources said.
"In March, the NFL's competition committee quietly approved its use across all teams in the preseason," wrote Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. "But before the league fully implements it for the full season, it wants to make sure the system works well enough to be trusted."
Related: NCAA Approves Helmet-to-Helmet Communications, Sideline Tablets for Football
The chain gang won't exactly become a thing of the past, though, Jones added. Sources say the chains will still exist on the sideline, but they'll be used both as a backup for game operations and as a reference point for coaches, players and fans in the stadium.
According to Jones, this technology doesn't employ the microchip that has been imbedded in game balls for years. Instead, it relies entirely on optical tracking. The system, which was used at MetLife Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium last year, would need to be installed across all 30 NFL stadiums, as well as any international stadiums hosting NFL games.
"If the system works, it would make for a more accurate measuring system that reduces the amount of human error," Jones wrote. "If the league sees there are problems, such as latency issues in the preseason, the move can be tabled until 2025 with the chain crew continuing to do the same job as always."
