More Automatic Instant Replays Next Year

[cj]

At his annual press conference, just as Periera predicted, Goodell spoke about possibly expanding instant replay without challenges to include all possible scores i.e. if a play is ruled not a touchdown, the replay official would be able to initiate a review outside the last two minutes of each half without having a team wasting a challenge or whatever citing the last game of the season between the Lions and Packers when the Lions receiver bgot both feet down, it was ruled not a touchdown and the Lions were out of challenges. He did express his concern that replays were taking too long. Now if you look at the thread about Periera's view into the future, he suggested the replay official make the decision without the ludicrous referee going under the hood. In many many cases, as I noted in my replay, within 15 seconds in many cases we know whether the play was called correctly or whether it should be reversed. Very few of these calls require the amount of time it takes. In those cases, I am sure the replay official can easily discuss the matter with the NFL office and together they can make the clal (the referee could be in on this discussion too). The biggest problem with the original ir was the failure of the communicatins sytems. I wonder if Periera knew soething was coming when he nade his supposition....I also think, as I said, that in terms of crew morale, it's far better the final decision rests outside the crew. I mean, at least this is my opinion, that while when it is obvious and there is a reversal, a crew member would be thankful an error could be corrected. But sometimes the call is so absurdly close that even the replay could go either way in which case there shouldn't be a rversal but...) and that might lead to some dicey words at one of those crew meetings the following weeks. If at lerast it's done by the lague office through the ir official, it just doesn't lead to this same consternation. But we discussed this elsewhere.

[FredFan7]

I always thought the proposed change made more sense.

[mike]

I like that would-be scoring plays can be reviewed. Too many close calls I have seen this year called TD just because it can be reviewed. If non-scoring plays that would become scoring plays are subject to booth review I think you will see more close calls called non-TD

[BTFS Admin]

I think the techonology has come along a ways since the mid-1980s to support such a change with how instant replay is handled. I don't think we'll have the long interruptions that killed the first version of replay if it went to the NCAA style of review.

[JAYJAYSTRIPES]

The NCAA style of review seems to work as good or a bit better than the NFL, if we need review at all...let them play ball!

[plbell627]

I agreer that the IR's be done along the line of the NCAA they don't have 5 minute IR's. Check it get it done let's play football.

[cj]

The problem with the current system was so dramatically borne out in Sunday's NFL Championship game. There was only one ir used the whole gme namely on the 38 yard completion. Belechek was almost forced to challenge under the circumstances without the benefit of having his own guys look at it to see it was cleary a good catch. It cost him a time out. That lost time out came back to haunt him big time as with the extra time out on 2nd down from the 6, the Pats can play straight up defense and not allow Bradshaw to score and try to stop the Giants on third down and call the two time outs one of which they didn't have because of the challenge. Perhaps the whole sequence would have been different. Teams should not be put into that situation. The whole challenge sytem and the referee going under the hood has outlived its usefulness. Time to enter the 21st century.