An eye in the sky: NFL to use technology for first downs

As the NFL season begins, the league will be deploying technology to help make some of the tough calls.

The NFL will use Sony’s Hawk-Eye Virtual Measurement Technology, “as the primary method for measuring the line to gain.”

It will measure the location of the ball in relation to the first down. Officials will still spot the ball after a play ends, The Washington Post reported.

Once placed, six cameras will determine if the team made a first down, according to the newspaper.

Hawk-Eye was tested last season before it was adopted, the NFL said earlier this year.

The system will replace the chains that have been used to spot the ball, but they will remain as a secondary option. It will be used at all 30 stadiums, the NFL said.

It will also be used during games at international venues, Sporting News reported.

At the same time, officials on the field are told of the ball’s placement, a virtual representation is broadcast to screens in the stadiums and on broadcast. The process takes about 30 seconds, cutting about 40 seconds from the time needed to use the chains.