Sounds good enough for me. There’s supposed to be a time limit right now, but it’s too long and never followed. The NFL Referees Association has to get over the dogma that the head ref must be the final arbiter of calls.
They could also take a cue from the NHL and use the home office as a call-center-like location for all games. They already have this room set up, but it does not have any contact back to the stadiums.
Above all, the time limit must be strictly adhered to, although I’d say 40 seconds might be a more reasonable time limit. It would match the play clock time.
What exactly is the problem that needs to be fixed?
I’m guessing that the imagined problem is that instant replays take too long. However, excepting the last two minutes of a half thing, coach’s challenges aren’t too common (I’d guess an average of what, 1.5 challenges per game?).
Even if it takes 60 seconds to review the play, and a maximum of what, another 60 seconds for the ref to run off the field, cue up the replay, and the ref to run back on the field, we’re talking what, like four minutes of wasted time per game?
I love football, but let’s get some perspective. There’s about 12 minutes of actual playing time in an NFL game, but it takes about three hours and five minutes to complete a game. If people are upset about pauses in the action during a game, I propose that the play clock be reduced by five seconds.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the Instant Replay system. They just need to use it the way it was intended, as several sportscasters pointed out after last week’s horrible call reversal at the end of the Steelers game: the only calls that should be overturned are ones that are, on review, OBVIOUSLY, head-slappingly incorrect.
The only part of the current rule I’d change is that if you use a challenge, and are correct, you get to keep your challenge. The current rules give you 2 per game. If you are right twice, and then a third time is needed, you are screwed. I used to think that 2 (+ the 2 minute warning thing) would be plenty, but that state of reffing lately seems to be slipping, while the state of replay technology is getting better & better.
Also, it’s frustrating when the refs don’t call for replay inside of 2 minutes when the play is close, but I wouldn’t change the rule. I’d just send a memo to refs that when in doubt, call for the replay.
Why? I understand letting the on field be a tie-breaker, but I don’t think the standard should be that high for overturned. If the reviewers think a call is probably wrong, I would rather it be overturned. The point is to get the calls right.
Coaches should be able to challenge pass interference calls. In almost every game there are horrible PI calls. Granted, this would probably be used much more by the defensive team, but it would force coaches to pick and choose wisely when to toss the red flag.