I was still officiating in 1999 when instant replay was first instituted in the NFL. Back then, we said we would only look at plays that involved the ground, the lines and the end zones. That was it.
Well, that’s certainly not the case anymore. Replay is a crucial part of NFL games and has consistently evolved over the last 26 years.
The tentacles of instant replay continue to grow, although this might be for the best if it’s executed properly. This year, it will dip its toe into personal foul penalties.
Here’s how it will grow this season.
This season, instant replay is going to begin looking into fouls that are called on the field. It will not, however, be able to assess penalties.
For example, a facemask penalty if called on the field even though it was clear that it shoulder pad was grabbed instead. Replay can step in and pick up that flag. If a flag is thrown for a hit to the quarterback’s head, they can review it to make sure the defensive player did in fact make contact to the helmet.
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Is this a good development? Yes. Is it going to be flawless and complete right away? No. It’s at least a good start.
The next step will be the review officials being able to suggest that fouls are implemented when they weren’t called on the field. There were a few key moments last season where a blatant facemask or illegal forward pass went unpenalized.
For now, replay is going to chime in and let the referee on the field know they should pick up the flag. It’s (hopefully) a step forward in using instant replay for positive purposes.
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