(Winnipeg) After just one game of the 2024 season, the Canadian Football League already finds itself with controversy on its hands.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo is having a problem with the new microchip-equipped footballs used by the Ambrosie League.
Castillo missed two of his three field goal attempts in his team’s 27-12 loss to the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, from 38 and 40 yards. He also missed a one-point conversion.
Last season, the 33-year-old kicked 46 of his 51 field goals to set a club record success rate of 90.2%.
The CFL has inserted microchips into its footballs to help generate advanced, real-time statistics in partnership with Genius Sports.
Several kickers around the league, including Brett Lauther of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who is also vice-president of the league’s Players’ Association, have indicated that these microchips have a negative impact on kicking accuracy.
Alouettes kicker David Côté made his two field goals, from 22 and 19 yards, but missed a convert.