NFL To Replace Chains? Rams' Stan Kroenke, Owners to Vote On New Referee Technology

NFL To Replace Chains? Testing First Down Officiating Electronically, Potential Vote From NFL Owners, including Rams' Stan Kroenke.

The NFL revealed Thursday it is testing a new system to electronically measure first downs, per Pro Football Talk. The league will present information to the NFL owners, including Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, for a potential vote.

The technology would be used in place of first-down chains to decide whether a player reached the line to gain. The change would likely not happen before the 2024 season.

The ability to track the ball is already available with technology installed at every NFL stadium for Next Gen Stats purposes. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are already installed into players’ shoulder pads plus tags on officials, sticks, pylons, chains, and in the ball.

The NFL said that it already tested the optical tracking camera technology to measure first downs at games in Miami and East Rutherford, N.J., and the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. The tech was developed by Hawk-Eye, the computer vision system used in tennis to assist with video replays.

Stan Kroenke

NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, said the 2025 season is a realistic target for the new system.

Some believe using chains to measure such a crucial part of the sport is outdated, while others would rather referees make the decision manually.

The billionaire Kroenke is on a hot streak after making moves that have led to NFL, NHL, and NBA titles in an 18-month stretch. 

His recent string of success started with the hiring of then-youngest-ever-head-coach Sean McVay, who led the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in February of 2022.

Currently, L.A. is focused on the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. With a first-round draft selection in their pocket, the Rams are scouting and interviewing prospects at the NFL Combine this weekend, with an eye on improving a few key position groups, including the secondary and edge rusher.