The way NFL first downs are determined has changed forever. For the first 105 years of league history, the eye test ruled supreme. The ref spots the ball where he thinks the play ended and if a first down was called into question, the chain gang would jog out onto the field and measure.
In rare cases, a notecard was the tool to make final determinations. Now, the league is going virtual. As shared by CBS Sports’ reporter Jonathan Jones, the league will electronically determine first downs beginning in 2025.
While there might be final details to tie together and the competition committee or owners to officially pass the change, it seems inevitable. It’s a concept the league has been quietly testing out for the past year beginning with last year’s Super Bowl. There was a push to implement the system for the 2024 regular season but unable to make it work inside every stadium, plans were put on hold for another year.
As we wrote about earlier this month, an official would still spot the ball. But the determination whether or not that spot reached the first down marker would be done electronically. Only in instances of malfunction or error would the chain gang be required onto the field.
In theory, it will speed and modernize the game. The NFL is still old-school compared to most other sports though football is more complicated than say, soccer or tennis where calls are clearer and simply putting a chip inside a football isn’t as simple as it seems.
In 2024, Pittsburgh finished 20th with 291 total first downs. As we’ve noted, the team has struggled to find first down success, maintaining one of the league’s worst averages under former offensive coordinator Matt Canada and current OC Arthur Smith. But when they come close to the marker or just beyond, the final ruling will come from technology. Not two men holding a chain.
