NFL's New 'Virtual Measurement' System Rollout At Hall Of Fame Game Was A Dud
The NFL's 'game of inches' just got less exciting.
Bring back the dang chain gang!
NFL fans got their first taste of football action with Thursday's Hall of Fame Game between the LA Chargers and Detroit Lions in Canton, Ohio, in which inductees Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe were featured.
As part of the first unofficial game of the season, the NFL revealed its new "Virtual Measurement" system, a simpler way to track first-down lines, but the rollout was not so great.
CANTON, OHIO - Omarion Hampton #8 of the Los Angeles Chargers is tackled by Rock Ya-Sin #23 of the Detroit Lions during the first quarter of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on July 31, 2025. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Virtual Measurement was a poor choice of name.
The action suddenly paused at the start of the second quarter when the officials called for a review of a Lions' offensive play and measured for a first down.
The NFL posted on X, "Introducing the new virtual measurement system for first downs, which allows the NFL to accurately and efficiently measure the distance between the spotted ball and the line to gain."
A clunky presentation and the absence of the traditional chain gang made it a complete dud, but that probably won't matter down the road since the NFL remains intent on using the system.
CANTON, OHIO - Antonio Gates is introduced prior to the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on July 31, 2025. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Major League Baseball has faced a similar challenge in bringing its game into the modern era and implementing technology.
MLB's Automatic Ball & Strikes system (Robo Umps), expected to render most umps in games useless, has received pushback, but also some support from fans warming up to the inevitable.
The ‘human element’ of games seems to be on the way out for the NFL, too. The "future" of NFL football is here.
The Chargers, led by none other than Trey Lance, manhandled the Lions, 34-7.
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