Instead of full-time managers, the NFL is gradually adopting technology to support on-field calls. The latter will get a boost if/when other sports accelerate the use of naked-eye digital enhancement.
Baseball is heading towards a major change in the calling of games. According to David Lennon of News dayby Sports Business Journalone electronic system for marking balls and strikes is coming.
Although this does not replace the process of incoming and outgoing referees punching the air and/or moonwalking After a player is caught looking at a 2-2 inside splitter, he will be available when challenges are made for the call behind the plate. It will likely imply that each team will have three challenges, with no reduction in the number remaining for each challenge that prevails.
There will also be a narrow window – possibly just two seconds – for the pitcher, catcher or batter to make a challenge.
“The technology is incredible,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “I mean, it’s good up to a hundredth of an inch. It’s unbelievable how accurate the technology is. The technology is viable with any geometric shape of the attack zone. You just tell him what to call it and that’s what he will call it. The piece of technology is really in great shape.”
There are concerns that the strike zone will be more “hitter friendly” because it is believed that Manfred wants more offense.
There are two main hurdles to overcome before it can be used. First, determine the strike zone for each batter. Two, define the attack zone parameters.
“We will have to come to an agreement with the players on the geometry of what it is called,” Manfred said.
The simple fact that baseball is about to make a revolutionary change to such an inherently human aspect of calling a game shows that many aspects of officiating an NFL game can be reduced to digital analysis. The easy part is placing the ball in relation to the goal line. But many other things could also be determined through chips and other devices, if the NFL is able to get creative and is willing to spend the money.
