The NFL is constantly looking to innovate and expand the league’s replay rule to allow replay officials and designated members of the officiating department to assist on-field officials for specific in-game situations in 2021.
Ahead of the 2024 regular season, the NFL expanded the replay assist system to include three new in-game situations as well. Here is a look at the new changes and how they affect the coaches’ challenges moving forward.
How Does Replay Assist Affect Coaches’ Challenges?
The NFL’s replay assist system doesn’t prevent coaches from challenging any reviewable ruling. Coaches are still responsible for challenging rulings and situations that replay officials do not automatically review.
If replay officials or designated members of the officiating team in New York do not assist before 20 seconds remain on the play clock, the coach is responsible for challenging any ruling in question. However, if the coach opts to challenge a ruling in that situation, it is officially the coach’s challenge, and they risk losing a timeout.
Therefore, coaches can challenge any reviewable ruling, even if the play was already upheld by a replay-assist ruling. Yet they are accepting the risk of losing a timeout, whereas that risk doesn’t apply if the NFL’s replay assist reviews the ruling.
How Does Replay Assist in the NFL Work?
Replay officials and select members of the NFL officiating department can now offer guidance to on-field crews when there is clear and obvious video evidence, thanks to the expansion of the replay assistance rule. This change aims to streamline game management and reduce stoppages for certain rulings.
Stationed in stadium replay booths and at Art McNally GameDay Central in New York, these officials are now able to provide real-time objective input on rulings and the correct application of game rules.
Previously, replay officials could only weigh in on administrative matters or during formal reviews. Now, they are empowered to assist on-field officials in real-time when clear and indisputable video evidence is available to aid objective rulings, such as ball placement, pass completions, or whether a player touched a line or the ball.
What Changes Were Made to Replay Assist in 2024?
Before the start of the 2024 regular season, the NFL added three new instances where the league’s replay assist ruling can be utilized. Before the new additions, there were nine total situations where the NFL’s new replay assistance rule applies.
- Penalty enforcement
- Confirmation of the proper down
- Spot of a foul
- Game clock administration
- Possession of a loose ball
- Complete or incomplete pass
- A loose ball touching a boundary line, goal line, or end line
- Location of the football or a player in relation to a boundary line, line of scrimmage, line to gain, or goal line
- Player down by contact (when not ruled down on the field)
For the 2024 regular season, the NFL Competition Committee expanded the replay assist system to include objective input on the following situations:
- Roughing the passer
- Late hits out of bounds
- Intentional grounding
Both roughing the passer and intentional grounding have become hot topics in recent years. Now the NFL has given the replay officials and designated members of the officiating department the ability to review both of those situations during the game.
Considering the potential ramifications of these costly penalties, it is imperative that coaches are no longer required to try and make judgment calls in these situations during the game. The NFL’s ever-expanding rulebook seems to be trending in the right direction with these new rule additions.