There may very well be a dramatic change coming to the way in which the NFL operates on a down-to-down foundation.
According to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, the league examined optical monitoring on line-to-gain rulings at each MetLife Subject and Laborious Rock Stadium all through the 2023 season, in addition to on the Super Bowl earlier this yr. If there’s assist from sufficient house owners, the league may transfer to optical monitoring slightly than the so-called “chain gang” as early because the 2024 season, Jones studies.
In the meanwhile, it is unclear how a lot assist there’s amongst possession to make the swap. And as Jones notes, it may very well be troublesome to outfit all 30 NFL stadiums and worldwide stadiums with the requisite expertise in time for the upcoming season. However it’s notable that it’s being examined, as a result of it signifies a willingness to maneuver in that path sooner or later.
Line-to-gain and spot-of-the-ball points usually are not of the judgment name selection that the NFL cannot feasibly eradicate. If the league can guarantee a approach that the ball is noticed extra precisely than it’s with the present, clearly archaic system of referees eyeballing it from yards away from the play, it ought to do exactly that.
In fact, what the league “ought to” do has by no means actually stopped it from doing sure issues earlier than, so nothing is assured. But when the league can be sure that the expertise works and might be put in the place it must be put in, it must be a no brainer to get this handed by the competitors committee after which a full possession vote.