World Cup's VAR shows what NFL could do with technology

July 4, 2026 - 01:40

The ongoing World Cup has put video assistant referee technology, or VAR, under a global microscope. While the system has sparked plenty of debate among soccer fans, it also highlights something the NFL has struggled with for years: how to integrate advanced technology without slowing the game to a crawl. The key difference? Soccer's VAR uses a sensor inside the ball itself.

That small chip, embedded in the match ball, transmits data 500 times per second. It tells officials exactly when the ball left a player's foot or crossed a goal line. For the NFL, this raises an obvious question. Why does the league still rely on human spotters and slow-motion replays to determine things like first downs or fumbles? The "chip in the ball" idea has been discussed in football circles for over a decade, but the NFL has never fully committed to it. Instead, the league uses sensors in the shoulder pads for tracking, which is less precise for ball placement.

Soccer's approach proves the technology works in real time. Referees get an alert on their watch within seconds. The NFL could adopt a similar system for spotting the ball, eliminating the dreaded chain gang measurement and the endless debates over a half-yard. The challenge is not the tech itself. It is the league's long-standing resistance to change. If a World Cup ball can tell a referee exactly where it was, an NFL ball can do the same for a first down. The only thing missing is the will to make it happen.