The replay assistance programme, which has sped up on-field decisions without prolonging game disruptions, is one of the NFL’s good recent innovations. Replay assistance abilities have been strengthened as a result of a regulation modification made during the annual league meeting held in Orlando.
Replay assist can provide guidance on intentional grounding, roughing the passer, and hits out of bounds penalties as of this season. They are still unable to convert non-calls into penalties, though. Here is some additional context from ESPN:
The NFL will now allow replay officials to move into the area of penalty enforcement for the first time. They will not be allowed to initiate a formal review on intentional grounding, roughing the passer or hits out of bounds. Nor can they suggest a flag be thrown. But they will be authorized to suggest a real-time reversal of a penalty on “specific, objective aspects of a play when clear and obvious video evidence is present,” according to the rule. Previously, replay officials advised officials on calls such as catch/no-catch, possession and down by contact, advice that on-field referees can accept or reject.
The ability to overturn erroneous roughing the passer penalties and “wasn’t actually out of bounds” roughness flags is a positive development, but the inability to convert no-called into penalties when such offences aren’t officially reviewed seems like a real problem.
Fans of the Seattle Seahawks might remember this horrendous intentional grounding call that Carson Wentz missed during the 2020 season. On this drive, the Philadelphia Eagles should have been looking at a second and forty, but instead they would score a touchdown. Replay officials are still unable to overrule this missed call to a flag under the new regulations.
The expansion of replay assistance is good but it’s not a cure-all, and given how NFL officiating is forever scrutinized on a weekly basis, a cure-all is probably impossible to find.
One of the positive implementations from the NFL in recent seasons is the replay assistance program, which has helped expedite on-field decisions without causing extended game disruptions. Thanks to a rule change at the annual league meeting in Orlando, replay assistance powers have been strengthened.
Effective this season, replay assist can advise on called intentional grounding, roughing the passer, and hits out of bounds penalties. However, what they still can’t do is reverse non-calls into penalties. Here’s a little more background from ESPN:
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