NFL to Bench Chain Gang for Electronic First Down Measurement System in 2025

The long national nightmare is over for first down measurements.

The NFL plans to prioritize the use of electronic first down measurements in 2025. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The NFL is planning to modernize the first down measurement system in 2025, league football operations representatives said on Wednesday.

Beginning in the 2025 season, the NFL will use Hawk-Eye virtual measurement for line to gain, and the Hawk-Eye system will serve as the primary method of measuring line to gain. The chain gang will still work the sidelines of NFL games and will be used as a backup to the measurement technology.

In an era of technology and replay reviews, the NFL's method of measuring line to gain remained antiquated. Bringing electronic measurements into the fold has been called upon by NFL fans for quite some time, and it appears the long national nightmare is over.

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