The NFL will begin using Sony’s Hawk-Eye cameras to measure the line to gain during this year’s football season. For decades, the chain crew has done this by hand.
Virtual measuring technology will be used by the 8K cameras to rapidly and precisely ascertain if the ball went 10 yards for a first down.
Six 8K cameras make up the Hawk-Eye system, which uses optical tracking to locate the ball. When a measurement is received by officials, the technology will produce a digital replica of the measurement, which the NFL will display on television and within the stadium.
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According to the NFL, Sony’s technology will provide a more “efficient” way to track the position of the ball than use sticks and a 10-yard chain. The NFL claims that the Hawk-Eye equipment from Sony takes about 30 seconds to measure the ball, which is 40 seconds less than the chain crew’s time. However, according to the NFL, the chain crew will continue to “remain on the field in a secondary capacity,” so this does not mean their days are over.
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Last year, the NFL started testing Sony’s Hawk-Eye. All 30 NFL stadiums in the US as well as sites abroad will have it installed. According to a piece my colleague Kevin Nguyen wrote last year, Hawk-Eye technology has become a crucial component of sports other than football, such as soccer, cricket, rugby, and even tennis.
Synchronized Multi-Angle Replay Technology (SMART), which combines up to four live video feeds simultaneously to assist referees in determining the outcome of a play, is already powered by Sony in partnership with the NFL.
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