NFL needs to change its replay system.

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Ramstien

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Why am I not surprised, the NFL just can't be trusted anymore to get things right or even attempt to get things right.
 

RamFan503

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nah the only thing they review without challenges are turnovers and scores.
Not so. And we all witnessed it in the playoffs last year.
This wasn't just about official replays. The New York Command Center after 2021 is now allowed to correct simple errors without official review. The types of plays are limited but they can do simple things.. like correct the clock. Or correct the spot of the ball. They can call down at any time and say.. actually it was obviously short.. please spot it at the 45.. or whatever. This has happened in other games.

Quick fixes from the replay official​

With an ongoing push from coaches for a sky judge or a booth umpire — the former term which originated during the meteoric fall of the Alliance of American Football — the unanimously opposed Competition Committee held its ground and initiated a review of options. Entering 2021, the committee proposed, and owners approved, a new rule that would allow the replay official to intervene between plays to make some obvious corrections.

There is a lot of overlap with the calls that are subject to the replay official’s intervention and a coach’s challenge. So how is this going to work?

First, the replay official would have to see something abundantly clear on video within a narrow scope:

  • Whether or not the pass was completed or intercepted
  • Whether or not a loose ball touches a boundary line or the goal line
  • Correct a spot when the location of the ball relates to the boundaries, line of scrimmage, line to gain, or the goal line.
  • Correct a spot to an earlier part of a run where a runner was down by contact but not ruled down.
The Fact that they just said.. oh its not in 2 minute and you don't have timeouts, so we can't look at it or correct it are wrong. New York is allowed to correct a bad spot at any time.
And I thought it worked great in the playoffs last year. Why they said they couldn't do it in this case is pure bullshit.
 

dieterbrock

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This wasn't just about official replays. The New York Command Center after 2021 is now allowed to correct simple errors without official review. The types of plays are limited but they can do simple things.. like correct the clock. Or correct the spot of the ball. They can call down at any time and say.. actually it was obviously short.. please spot it at the 45.. or whatever. This has happened in other games.

Quick fixes from the replay official​

With an ongoing push from coaches for a sky judge or a booth umpire — the former term which originated during the meteoric fall of the Alliance of American Football — the unanimously opposed Competition Committee held its ground and initiated a review of options. Entering 2021, the committee proposed, and owners approved, a new rule that would allow the replay official to intervene between plays to make some obvious corrections.

There is a lot of overlap with the calls that are subject to the replay official’s intervention and a coach’s challenge. So how is this going to work?

First, the replay official would have to see something abundantly clear on video within a narrow scope:

  • Whether or not the pass was completed or intercepted
  • Whether or not a loose ball touches a boundary line or the goal line
  • Correct a spot when the location of the ball relates to the boundaries, line of scrimmage, line to gain, or the goal line.
  • Correct a spot to an earlier part of a run where a runner was down by contact but not ruled down.
The Fact that they just said.. oh its not in 2 minute and you don't have timeouts, so we can't look at it or correct it are wrong. New York is allowed to correct a bad spot at any time.
What was integrated was the replay assistance which allows coaches the opportunity to challenge more calls, I dont think this changes the outcome
https://operations.nfl.com/officiating/instant-replay/replay-assistance-rule/
 

Tano

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What was integrated was the replay assistance which allows coaches the opportunity to challenge more calls, I dont think this changes the outcome
https://operations.nfl.com/officiating/instant-replay/replay-assistance-rule/
The way I read it - that is not the case.

I am still confused by the wording but it appears the replay assistance can review the play without a coach's challenge if it is obviously a bad call.

And Pickens being down before the first down marker was an obvious call to make. The replay assistance should have kicked in.

I hope McVay is asking the NFL why it didn't kick in.
 

dieterbrock

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The way I read it - that is not the case.

I am still confused by the wording but it appears the replay assistance can review the play without a coach's challenge if it is obviously a bad call.

And Pickens being down before the first down marker was an obvious call to make. The replay assistance should have kicked in.

I hope McVay is asking the NFL why it didn't kick in.
This is clearly stating that they can push for it and if not granted they can use a challenge
I dont know if McVay was all up in their grill, he sure had enough time to do so being 2 minute warning hit
 

Tano

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This is clearly stating that they can push for it and if not granted they can use a challenge
I dont know if McVay was all up in their grill, he sure had enough time to do so being 2 minute warning hit
Well with Donald yelling "it is a bad spot" over and over, I am sure McVay pushed them.

I wish we could hear why the replay assistant did not overturn it.

I mean the Browns ruling was stated by the NFL that it was a bad call.

They should at least explain the Ram game as well.
 

dieterbrock

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Well with Donald yelling "it is a bad spot" over and over, I am sure McVay pushed them.

I wish we could hear why the replay assistant did not overturn it.

I mean the Browns ruling was stated by the NFL that it was a bad call.

They should at least explain the Ram game as well.
They didn't have the authority to review it, otherwise you'd be hearing about it from a rules perspective.
Fans think every call goes against their team in bias.
Pittsburgh fans feel the same way, that the refs tried to screw them
I have yet to see Steratore or any official site claim that they could have reversed it. Probably because they couldnt
 

RamFan503

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What was integrated was the replay assistance which allows coaches the opportunity to challenge more calls, I dont think this changes the outcome
https://operations.nfl.com/officiating/instant-replay/replay-assistance-rule/
I think you are reading it very wrong. And I'm basing a lot of that on watching them actually do it during the playoffs. Coaches weren't running to officials. They were making corrections quickly when the booth reviewed a questionable call.

I see nothing in that rule you posted that says the coaches initiate a booth review. What I do see is the 20 second rule. I don't see how they would ever pull it off if the coach had to run to the ref every time. And frankly, I know for sure they weren't doing that last year. The booth changed several calls with virtually no stoppage besides the re-placing of a ball or correcting a ball being incomplete or complete, etc...

I kept remarking about how smoothly it was working and why the hell didn't they do this all along. The announcers keyed me in on the rule. I had never heard about it before then. Still I always wondered why they didn't just do like they do in college.
 

RamFan503

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I have yet to see Steratore or any official site claim that they could have reversed it. Probably because they couldnt
McVay couldn't have initiated a review. But by the rule, the NFL absolutely could have reviewed it. Find anything in that rule that says they couldn't.
 

dieterbrock

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I think you are reading it very wrong. And I'm basing a lot of that on watching them actually do it during the playoffs. Coaches weren't running to officials. They were making corrections quickly when the booth reviewed a questionable call.

I see nothing in that rule you posted that says the coaches initiate a booth review. What I do see is the 20 second rule. I don't see how they would ever pull it off if the coach had to run to the ref every time. And frankly, I know for sure they weren't doing that last year. The booth changed several calls with virtually no stoppage besides the re-placing of a ball or correcting a ball being incomplete or complete, etc...

I kept remarking about how smoothly it was working and why the hell didn't they do this all along. The announcers keyed me in on the rule. I had never heard about it before then. Still I always wondered why they didn't just do like they do in college.
I dont see anything being discussed stating where calls can be inadvertently reviewed, every mistake/call/penalty has a rebuttal from Steratore or the like. All that's said is that the Rams were screwed because they couldnt challenge.
There clearly wasnt an opportunity for that to be reviewed. As for the playoffs, I know they do have some rules different, OT for instance had been for example.
 

dieterbrock

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McVay couldn't have initiated a review. But by the rule, the NFL absolutely could have reviewed it. Find anything in that rule that says they couldn't.
If they could have, they would have. I dont think that rule applies. If the refs blew it, it would have been discussed.
 

RamFan503

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Per the rule:

"Now, they can proactively assist in situations where clear and obvious video evidence is quickly available to assist the on-field officials on objective rulings.


The new assistance rule applies to plays where there is clear and obvious video evidence to proactively address specific objective rulings, such as spot of the ball or a foul, complete or incomplete pass, and touching of the ball or a line:"
 

RamFan503

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Sorry. But just because they didn't, doesn't mean they couldn't or shouldn't have.
 

dieterbrock

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ARTICLE 2. REPLAY OFFICIAL REQUEST FOR REVIEW

Only the Replay Official or the Senior Vice President of Officiating or his or her designee may initiate a review of a play:

  1. that begins after the two-minute warning of each half;
  2. throughout any overtime period;
  3. when points are scored by either team;
  4. that is a Try attempt (successful or unsuccessful); and
  5. when on-field officials rule:
    1. an interception by an opponent;
    2. a fumble or backward pass recovered by an opponent or that goes out of bounds through the opponent’s end zone;
    3. that the offense failed to reach the line to gain on fourth down;
    4. possession by the kicking team at the end of any free kick or scrimmage kick down; or
    5. a disqualification of a player.
 

RamFan503

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ARTICLE 2. REPLAY OFFICIAL REQUEST FOR REVIEW

Only the Replay Official or the Senior Vice President of Officiating or his or her designee may initiate a review of a play:

  1. that begins after the two-minute warning of each half;
  2. throughout any overtime period;
  3. when points are scored by either team;
  4. that is a Try attempt (successful or unsuccessful); and
  5. when on-field officials rule:
    1. an interception by an opponent;
    2. a fumble or backward pass recovered by an opponent or that goes out of bounds through the opponent’s end zone;
    3. that the offense failed to reach the line to gain on fourth down;
    4. possession by the kicking team at the end of any free kick or scrimmage kick down; or
    5. a disqualification of a player.
That is the old rule that was modified by the 2021 rule change.
 

RamFan503

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That's from the 2023 rule book
I do see what you are likely referring to but it's pretty cloudy.

Article 2 Section E-3 says failure to reach the line to gain - which was not the ruling on the field. However, Article 9 section H appears to address exactly what happened in our game.

Clear as mud.
 

XXXIVwin

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I do see what you are likely referring to but it's pretty cloudy.

Article 2 Section E-3 says failure to reach the line to gain - which was not the ruling on the field. However, Article 9 section H appears to address exactly what happened in our game.

Clear as mud.
Cripes, I just wrote a longish response to this and then deleted the whole damn thing! Initially I agreed with the explanation provided by @dieterbrock , then I thought I agreed with the explanation provided by @RamFan503, and now I'm back in the muddled middle.

Regarding the Pickett fourth down play... at first I thought it was as the league says-- not reviewable.

Then I read Rule 15 Section 3 Article 9 point (h) which seems to allow the Replay Official to "advise" in this circumstance. This rule seemed to contradict Rule 15 Section 1 Article 2 point E-3.

Now I'm thinking that Section 3 rule is either "superseded by" or is "a subset of" the Section 1 Rule. My reasoning: The wording of several points in Section 3 are so vague that it would seem to encompass all sorts of things that are not reviewable.

Bottom line: I currently believe the refs correctly administered the letter of the law for a shitty rule. The NFL does this over and over... like with the "to the ground" bullshit rule.... the refs had to properly administer a crappy rule.

But gimme 20 minutes and I could change my mind again.

The NFL better look at the end of the Rams-Steelers game and try to allow for a way to let replay affect that play. If this were a playoff game or a Super Bowl, it would be even a bigger deal than it already is.