The first down line has become such a major part of the football viewing experience that companies have begun to investigate in ways to create a real first down line for live stadium fans.
Live football can be a frustrating experience. The average fan must pass through multiple friction points to enjoy the game. For instance, the cost and time of large ticket prices and slow traffic makes for a large initial barrier to entry. Second, parking costs are often not minuscule and upon entry many concessions are offered at values extremely overprice. Once at the stadium, many other factors affect the enjoyment of the personal experience. First, weather for football games can be erratic, particularly during the winter months of the season. Attendance numbers have been steadily dipping for the past couple of years and the NFL is more focused than ever to enhance the in-game experience.
A company named First Down LLC has set out to develop a first down line for all football games. The idea is to enhance the viewer experience and liven the game of football from the player perspective. Imagine if players always knew exactly where they needed to be to get a first down while on the field instead of leaving it to chance and measurement. With a live first down line, it could revolutionize the way football players play.
Currently, the disadvantages of the first down chain system are plentiful. First, the chain system requires a collection of three to four people who need to hold the chains the whole time. There have been various incidents of these sideline workers getting hurt or having to drop to chains at certain times when the play gets close.
The company argues that first downs and touchdowns are the major measuring points of any given football play. However, only the touchdown has an accurate line displayed to compare ball placement to result. Why not create a system that can use the same level of accuracy and precision on all plays. Many people associate great lunging and diving plays with trying to get to the end zone but a physical line on the field could elicit similar urgency and excitement in many more major plays. This would be beneficial for all parties involved. The players could know their objective on each and every play when attempting to get a first down. The viewers would not only watch this more exciting brand of football but they could also have a better knowledge of what happens during the actual game since it can be hard to see from far viewpoints within the stadium. This would benefit the NFL and stadiums since the live game would be a greater, more immersive experience which could lead to increased attendance and prices and higher revenue.
So, why isn’t the technology been put in place yet?
Well, one of the issues with the design is that referees still have to manually spot the ball after each play. With the current system, there is very little bias in spotting because there is no reference point on the field. The referee does the best they can with their visual cues with normally little knowledge of where the exact first down line is. With a visual marker such as the laser first down line, this could change. The referee may subconsciously be deciding whether the ball was a first down or not based on the on field first down line.
To combat this problem, the company has created the system such that the referee can turn the first down line on and off at will. This could allow the play to progress normally during the snap then render it after the play is over.
With a physical on field line, yellow would not be a viable color as it gets lost in the sunlight and natural light of the stadium. Other colors were too glaring or distracting to put on the field such as blue or red. However, a light green color stood out well on the field but didn’t detract from the viewing experience. It contrasted particularly well against the darker green football fields that tests were made on. One of the investors, Pat Summerall, even commented on the color of the real physical line, “Whoa, that looks like a painted line moving up and down the field!” This speaks to the realness of the first down line in the in-game experience.
Although the technology has not taken hold yet, the implementation of the physical first down line could fundamentally change football culture.
Live football can be a frustrating experience. The average fan must pass through multiple friction points to enjoy the game. For instance, the cost and time of large ticket prices and slow traffic makes for a large initial barrier to entry. Second, parking costs are often not minuscule and upon entry many concessions are offered at values extremely overprice. Once at the stadium, many other factors affect the enjoyment of the personal experience. First, weather for football games can be erratic, particularly during the winter months of the season. Attendance numbers have been steadily dipping for the past couple of years and the NFL is more focused than ever to enhance the in-game experience.
A company named First Down LLC has set out to develop a first down line for all football games. The idea is to enhance the viewer experience and liven the game of football from the player perspective. Imagine if players always knew exactly where they needed to be to get a first down while on the field instead of leaving it to chance and measurement. With a live first down line, it could revolutionize the way football players play.
Currently, the disadvantages of the first down chain system are plentiful. First, the chain system requires a collection of three to four people who need to hold the chains the whole time. There have been various incidents of these sideline workers getting hurt or having to drop to chains at certain times when the play gets close.
The company argues that first downs and touchdowns are the major measuring points of any given football play. However, only the touchdown has an accurate line displayed to compare ball placement to result. Why not create a system that can use the same level of accuracy and precision on all plays. Many people associate great lunging and diving plays with trying to get to the end zone but a physical line on the field could elicit similar urgency and excitement in many more major plays. This would be beneficial for all parties involved. The players could know their objective on each and every play when attempting to get a first down. The viewers would not only watch this more exciting brand of football but they could also have a better knowledge of what happens during the actual game since it can be hard to see from far viewpoints within the stadium. This would benefit the NFL and stadiums since the live game would be a greater, more immersive experience which could lead to increased attendance and prices and higher revenue.
So, why isn’t the technology been put in place yet?
Well, one of the issues with the design is that referees still have to manually spot the ball after each play. With the current system, there is very little bias in spotting because there is no reference point on the field. The referee does the best they can with their visual cues with normally little knowledge of where the exact first down line is. With a visual marker such as the laser first down line, this could change. The referee may subconsciously be deciding whether the ball was a first down or not based on the on field first down line.
To combat this problem, the company has created the system such that the referee can turn the first down line on and off at will. This could allow the play to progress normally during the snap then render it after the play is over.
With a physical on field line, yellow would not be a viable color as it gets lost in the sunlight and natural light of the stadium. Other colors were too glaring or distracting to put on the field such as blue or red. However, a light green color stood out well on the field but didn’t detract from the viewing experience. It contrasted particularly well against the darker green football fields that tests were made on. One of the investors, Pat Summerall, even commented on the color of the real physical line, “Whoa, that looks like a painted line moving up and down the field!” This speaks to the realness of the first down line in the in-game experience.
Although the technology has not taken hold yet, the implementation of the physical first down line could fundamentally change football culture.