Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

[BillsImpossible]

Everyone remembers the, "Glow Puck."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/460539-foxtrax-it-is-time-for-the-glow-puck-to-return-to-the-nhl

The technology exists to track the exact location of people, your dog, hockey pucks, and footballs.

RFID chips are practically weightless, they are in your credit cards, and they're in your "Enhanced," Drivers License you use to go to Canada.

We're talking about technology that came out over a decade ago but the NFL is still using the old, "bunny ears."

Digital cable, satellite, hi-definition television? The 21st Century?

No, the NFL is still driving Miss Daisy.

The NFL prefers the old black and white television with tinfoil wrapped around their bunny ears for better reception (drama).

A chipped football is like a bullet proof vest but the NFL doesn't want it even though teams like the Buffalo Bills use GPS technology to track players' workloads.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000223880/article/buffalo-bills-use-gps-devices-to-track-players-practice-workload

Isn't that a little hypocritical?

Sure, use technology to track the players, but not the ball? That doesn't make any sense.

One way to get rid of wasted time, unnecessary plays, bogus first downs ("Just give it to him"), and momentum killers in the NFL is by chipping the ball.

Fred Jackson crossed the goal line, but the Bills had to run another play to score even after review.

Why?

What is this, 1989? Paul McGuire on the Budweiser Sports Line here.

I feel like I'm watching an old version of the Twilight Zone every time I see a crew bring out the old sticks and chains.

Chip the pigskin, not me.

[DynaPaul]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

That would interfere with them influencing the outcomes of the games.

[Buddo]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

It's about accuracy. TBH, I really don't know why they aren't employing some sort of goal line tech, as it should be the easiest to configure, but the GPS idea isn't necessarily going to work. Accuracy is important, and I doubt that there's a simple enough gps system available, with the required accuracy - which has to be in inches, or less. Guys at the bottom of a pile claiming TDs, are likely to get the equivalent sat-nav comment, of 'can't get a signal - are you indoors?'

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

How do you make the RFID chip to tell you when exactly the players knee/hip/shoulder/forearm touches the ground? Thats the biggest gap, at least to me. Yes it is easy to track where the ball is at all times, but its a 2 part equation.

[MikeInRoch]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

It's a bit worse even. How do you time "where is the ball when the knee touches"?

[JCBills]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

I used to love the glowpuck.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

Idea will never work.

For reasons already stated.

Oh hey knee down at the 1! Ball goes in endzone! CHIP GOES OFF!!!

TOUCHDOWN!!!

oh wait, not really.

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

Idea will never work.

For reasons already stated.

Oh hey knee down at the 1! Ball goes in endzone! CHIP GOES OFF!!!

TOUCHDOWN!!!

oh wait, not really.

When the ball crosses the goal line, or first down maker the chip in the pigskin will give an exact time.

Freeze the official review tape at the exact time the ball crossed.

After review, was his knee down? Yes or no. It's a lot easier to determine if a guys knee was down compared to the actual spot of a first down or TD crossing the goal line after review. A chip in the ball would not eliminate replay, but it would be one less thing the refs have to worry about.

Spotting the ball should be called, "eyeballing the ball."

[Homegrown]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

I used to love the glowpuck.

hahahaha ... those days were awesome, specially when the glowpuck was in the 3rd row

[Joe Fo Sho]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

It's about accuracy. TBH, I really don't know why they aren't employing some sort of goal line tech, as it should be the easiest to configure, but the GPS idea isn't necessarily going to work. Accuracy is important, and I doubt that there's a simple enough gps system available, with the required accuracy - which has to be in inches, or less. Guys at the bottom of a pile claiming TDs, are likely to get the equivalent sat-nav comment, of 'can't get a signal - are you indoors?'

Accuracy is exactly the issue. GPS shouldn't even be considered, as it's accuracy is something like + or - 3 feet. Satellites orbiting the earth are not as accurate as the current system of cameras and a review process.

As far as I know about RFID, it's also not accurate enough. The RFID would have to be in the center of the football or it would create symmetry issues. I would also have to assume that the coil measuring the RFID chip would be underground, meaning the higher the ball, the less accurate the signal. I also don't think that RFID is a technology that can tell distance...it either knows something is there or it knows that it's not. The speed of the ball would effect signal integrity, as well as the ball position. RFID works best when moving toward the 'read coil' in a perpendicular fashion. Theoretically, if the coil in the ball is perfectly parallel to the 'read coil', it would not read that the ball was there. I'm not saying that professionals wouldn't be able to get there eventually, but there are holes everywhere in this, it's not as easy as it sounds.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

When the ball crosses the goal line, or first down maker the chip in the pigskin will give an exact time.

Freeze the official review tape at the exact time the ball crossed.

After review, was his knee down? Yes or no. It's a lot easier to determine if a guys knee was down compared to the actual spot of a first down or TD crossing the goal line after review. A chip in the ball would not eliminate replay, but it would be one less thing the refs have to worry about.

Spotting the ball should be called, "eyeballing the ball."

So we have to go back to human error and perception to mark exactly where the ball is anyway?

Tell me, why bother then?

[stuckincincy]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

With today's miniaturization, I wonder if they could put g-force devices into helmets?

[feldspar]

Re: Why Does The NFL Not "Chip," The Old Pigskin?

Putting a tracking device in the ball would open a whole new can of worms. The football itself is a strange shape and bounces unpredictably sometimes. Where would you put the chip, in the center of the ball? There would never be a way to tell EXACTLY where the ball is with this method. In a game of inches, where was the TIP of the ball?

Like others have said, you have to account for the refs calling things like forward progress, whether the knee was down, etc. anyway.

There are already too many stoppages of the game anyway. Do you REALLY want to sit through the refs checking upstairs on every play to see where the GPS says the ball should be? Yeah, it might come in handy once or twice, but the cons outweigh the pros big-time, ask me. They do spot the ball poorly a lot, but I'd still rather have them eyeball it.