The NFL will use technology to spot the ball in 2025
Controversy surrounded the NFL’s measuring and ball-spotting techniques during the 2024 season, most notably the Buffalo Bills’ fourth down “Tush Push” attempt that fell short in the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. The league seems to have heard the criticism, however, and will be changing the way they determine the spot of the ball.
Mike Jones of The Athletic reported from the NFL Combine on Wednesday, that the league will be implementing technology that will change the way plays on the field are measured. The technology is intended to result in more accurate ball placement.
“Help is on the way,” Jones wrote. “[The NFL] will add six tracking cameras to every stadium to help with expedited line to gain measurements, and another 12 fixed cameras along sidelines, end lines and goal lines to bolster the amount of angles that replay officials will have available to them to ensure correct calls and placements are made during games.”
The cameras for placement are a part of a larger effort by the league to boost the utilization of replay assist, in hopes of more accuracy in the game.
The NFL’s competition committee will meet next month to decide how much influence replay assist will actually have, but ball placement technology is expected in 2025, either way.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Follow him on X @LukeGraham05. Read all his articles here.
