NFL Debuts New Virtual Measurement System for 1st Downs During Chargers-Lions in Video

The NFL debuted a new piece of technology on Thursday that should help eliminate some controversial calls.

During the Hall of Fame Game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, the NFL used the new virtual measurement system to determine whether the Lions had reached the line to gain for a first down.

"Introducing the new virtual measurement system for first downs, which allows the NFL to accurately and efficiently measure the distance between the spotted ball and the line to gain," the league wrote in a post.

The NFL announced in April plans to use Sony's Hawk-Eye technology "as the primary method for measuring the line to gain" during the 2025 season. Rather than relying on a chain measurement, the Hawk-Eye system uses overhead cameras to determine whether the ball reached the first down line.

According to Sony's press release, the technology uses six 8K cameras to track the ball, and it will be available in all NFL stadiums as well as international stadiums this year. The technology was previously tested in a handful of 2024 preseason games.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo noted that it took an average of 75 seconds to measure a play with chains compared to an average of just 30 seconds with the virtual measurement system during testing.

The technology should be more reliable than chains operated by officials, but it won't eliminate all controversial first-down calls. Officials will still determine the spot of the ball, so those kinds of calls can still be missed due to human error.

Nonetheless, the new technology is a step in the right direction toward making sure calls are as accurate as possible.