Every year in the NFL offseason, new rules are discussed and some are approved for the upcoming season. This year is no different. The NFL may look at expanding replay to have every play be able to be challenged. According to NFL.com, Oakland Raiders’ Head Coach Jack Del Rio said, “You know, Bill Belichick brought up a great point in our owners meetings last year about allowing a coach to challenge any play if he decided it was worthy enough. So I’m in favor of that. If we have an opportunity to get something right, let’s use that opportunity and let’s get it right.” In theory this seems like a great idea. Coaches want refs to get the calls right. Expanded replay might assist them in doing so.
The problem is everything can’t be challenged. Teams can’t challenge if a whistle was blown for the play being over. Most penalties can’t be reviewed. The only one that can be is if a team believes there were too many players on the field for the opposing team on a play.
If NFL coaches want to expand replay, eliminate coach’s challenge and adopt the same rules that college football uses. College football only allows the replay booth to look at the plays. The replay booth alerts the official on the field that they want to review the previous play. This has assisted college football in getting calls right.
As it stands right now in the NFL, the replay booth automatically looks at turnovers and scores, except during the last two minutes of a half and overtime. Why not change the rule to have the replay booth instigate the reviews? Coaches wouldn’t have to throw a flag to tell the refs they want a review. The reply booth would buzz the official on the field that they want to look at the previous play. This could allow for more than four replays per game. It might make the game a little longer but to get the calls right would be worth it.
What needs to be done now is for the Competition Committee to listen to a proposal. If the committee likes the recommendation they will send it for a vote by ownership. This would be the right way for the replay booth and the officials to get the calls correct.
How do you think the NFL should expand replay?
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