The days of the chain gang being used as the primary tool to measure the line-to-gain are over.
Beginning in 2025, the league will use the Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system as the first tool of choice when determining the line to gain. The chain gang will still be used but will serve as a backup, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent told reporters Wednesday.
Among the interesting items from an NFL football ops session with media: the Hawk-Eye virtual measurement for line to gain is slated to replace the chains as the primary measurement system for the regular season in 2025.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 26, 2025
The chain gang will remain on sidelines as a backup. pic.twitter.com/v9exggobVc
The move to a virtual system should also speed up the game’s pace, given that the Hawk-Eye system can determine the correct line-to-gain in less than half the time of the chain gang.
Average time to measure with the chains: 75 seconds.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 26, 2025
Virtual measurements in the testing phase: 30 seconds. pic.twitter.com/Mdp9bZbIaI
The virtual system should also improve the game in its primary job, determining how far a team has to go for a first down. Such a system would have undoubtedly helped in last season’s AFC Championship Game when a controversial ruling took away a key first down by the Bills that likely made the difference in the game.
Clear first down by Josh Allen. No doubt about it but somehow the refs give him a terrible spot lol pic.twitter.com/lBXspdXZtX
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) January 27, 2025
It’s unclear why the NFL still refuses to embrace the chip technology used in golf, tennis, soccer, and other sports, where you can measure the ball’s exact placement. The chip technology, in conjunction with the Hawk-Eye system, could precisely measure how far a team needs to go for a first down and exactly how far they got.
Still, the virtual system, which was first used in the 2024 preseason, represents a step in the right direction.
