NFL Will Finally Move Away From Chains to Measure First Downs in 2025

Ryan Phillips | Apr 1, 2025

Oct 28, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view as NFL referee measures the football for a first down with yard markers during the Arizona Cardinals game against the Green Bay Packers. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The NFL is finally moving into the 21st century when it comes to first down measurements.

News broke on Tuesday that the league has officially decided to do away with manual measurements by the on-field chain gang and will employ Sony's Hawk-Eye technology. The implementation will begin in 2025. The chains will remain as a secondary measurement option.

Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will be used by the NFL as the primary method for measuring the line to gain, beginning with the 2025 season, the league announced.

The chain crew will remain on the field in a secondary capacity.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 1, 2025

NFL fans have complained about the inexact nature of the chain gang's first down measurements for years. Many solutions have been proposed over time but using Hawk-Eye seems like the best bet.

MLB experimented with the Hawk-Eye system for its Automated Ball-Strike system during spring training, and tennis uses Hawk-Eye for challenges. International soccer has used Hawk-Eye for goal-line technology for years.

Hawk-Eye was developed in 2000, so the technology has been around and tested for years. This seems like a logical step for the NFL.

Buffalo Bills fans are probably feeling like this development is too little too late, given what happened in the playoffs this year.

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