NFL footballs will soon have data chips inside of them to track ball placement and place-kicking, according to various reports.<br />ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert reported the technological development Sunday, indicating the footballs would be deployed throughout the 2016 preseason and in Thursday night regular-season contests.<br />The main purpose of this endeavor will be to determine the prospective impact of shortening the distance between the goal posts.<br />The NFL aims to measure how close extra-point and field-goal attempts come to the uprights.<br />The chips could help officials determine whether the ball crosses the goal line or determine specific location on plays near the first-down marker.
