The NFL has generally resisted using replay review to put, as they say, a “flag on the field.” That could be changing.
During an NFL health and safety media briefing on Friday morning, NFL chief football administrative officer Dawn Aponte said that, in the offseason, the league will explore the possibility of using replay to call penalties for safety-related infractions that the officials miss during the live action.
Replay could be used, Aponte said, for fouls involving blows to the head, use of the helmet, roughing the passer, unnecessary roughness, and more.
As recently explained, it makes no sense for replay to be available to overturn an erroneous facemask foul but not available to call a facemask foul that the officials missed. And the rule against grabbing a player by his facemask is one of the oldest safety-related rules on the books.
So how broadly could replay be used for safety-related infractions?
“We would like to introduce all and any opportunity and options for either putting a flag on the field or any way to try to address this in game,” Aponte said.
It’s a new topic, and it will require plenty of discussion with the Competition Committee, the NFL Players Association, and others before a rule change could be recommended to ownership.
As the universe of plays subject to replay grow seemingly every year, it makes sense. Any and every call that can be corrected via clear and obvious visual evidence should be subject to replay review — especially as to the rules intended to protect players from injury.
