NFL considers ball-tracking chip for accuracy

cheesehead

Given FIFA's recent resistance to use of such technology, it will be interesting to see if the NFL (and eventually college football) end ups adopting the technology. Besides the spotting of the ball on the field, I imagine it would help with determining field goals as well. See article at the link for more:

http://www.wired.com/playbook/2010/08/nfl-considers-ball-tracking-chips-for-accuracy/

tallaghtoutlaws

I like the idea but one question I have is how does it determine whether the player himself is down?

Definitely a great idea in some ways for those plays that are just too hard to work out on replays. But I think it still doesn't solve the issue as to where the player is down.

Would love to read more into it.

cooker3

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

I like the idea but one question I have is how does it determine whether the player himself is down?

Definitely a great idea in some ways for those plays that are just too hard to work out on replays. But I think it still doesn't solve the issue as to where the player is down.

Would love to read more into it.

Obviously just need to stick chips on everyones knee. Sorted

Black Swan

Does anyone know what type of chip is proposed? Wouldn't the pigskin have to have 3D sensors for its entire surface? For example, what about that first down call by an inch of the ball?

Would this make the chains redundant?

eagle eye

You know sometimes a change is going a little too far. Its really exciting when you are at a game and the chains come out to measure a tight call. Its very rare that they get things wrong as far as the spot of the ball in concerned in the NFL anyways. I'd leave things as they are.

And just on a side note I'd get rid of that yellow line on tv, it certainly has taken away from my enjoyment of the game.

tallaghtoutlaws

I can't see them ever removing the chains as both coaches and players use it to let them know where on the field they are. I do agree removing the chains would be a bad thing and changing the game dramatically will take the fun out if it.

I would still like to see a rundown of their whole idea. Still so many questions left open on how it will work. Like I said earlier refs judge where the knee went down and where the ball was when the knee went down for example. If this chip is only for the ball and doesn't take into account the players themselves it will be pointless and a waste of time. Even on a goal line situation.

davyjose

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

Does anyone know what type of chip is proposed? Wouldn't the pigskin have to have 3D sensors for its entire surface? For example, what about that first down call by an inch of the ball?

Would this make the chains redundant?

I'm pretty confident the technology is there. It would probably be quite simple actually -- 1 chip, a few sensors, and it's pretty simple to triangulate the dimensions of a ball (and that's a very simple concept -- they probably have much better techniques).

I gotta say, I love how the NFL try to improve fairness, rightly or wrongly. Anyone who watched the world cup this year, or ireland trying to qualify for it, can attest that even overdoing it is a lot better than not giving a fcuk -- a la FIFA.

cooker3

davyjose wrote: »

I gotta say, I love how the NFL try to improve fairness, rightly or wrongly. Anyone who watched the world cup this year, or ireland trying to qualify for it, can attest that even overdoing it is a lot better than not giving a fcuk -- a la FIFA.

Agreed. I regard the NFL as the archetype on how to, best, run a sporting league.

cheesehead

Cooker 3 let's hope you're right. There's still the threat of a 2011 NFL lockout, with the collective bargaining agreement due to expire in March 2011. Major league baseball struck in 1994, and in my mind that is when the NFL really took advantage of baseball fans discontent and the NFL truly became "America's national pastime"