Patrick Mahomes suggests technology could help goal-line officiating
By Keith Farner
Published:
Football officiating near the goal line has long been an issue that has frustrated players, coaches and fans. But technology may come to the rescue soon, beyond things like the pylon cam and other recent changes to camera angles.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes suggests that a microchip could help signal a touchdown when the ball crosses the goal line.
“I’ve always thought the chip in the ball has to happen sometime, where if you cross the line, it just tells you a touchdown,” he said on this week’s WHOOP Podcast (via Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star) per Bleacher Report. “But it’s also the human error thing. It’s kind of like baseball, balls and strikes. It’s just part of the game. The biggest thing to me is when they get in the pile by the end zone, there is literally no way to tell if he’s in the end zone or not. It’s like you said, it’s just whatever they call. … I’m sure it’ll happen soon enough.”
As B/R points out, implementing technology is easier said than done because of the many ways a ball can cross the goal line, and the more important issue is if a body part — say a knee or elbow — has touched the ground before the ball crossed the line.
In April, NFL owners approved the expansion of power for video replay officials, who can now contact the in-game officials to discuss “specific, objective aspects of a play when clear and obvious video evidence is present,” even if a challenge flag hasn’t been thrown.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
