Reviewing penalty calls, including pass interference, are to be among proposals NFL owners will hear to expand replay when they meet next week in Phoenix, Arizona.
Greater use of replay has become a scorching topic since the National Football Conference championship game, when a non-call on a blatant pass interference and helmet-to-helmet hit by Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman likely cost the New Orleans Saints a Super Bowl trip.
However, that type of non-call would not be subject to review under the league’s competition committee’s proposal.
The committee is to present one proposal to make reviewable pass interference that has been called, plus looking at all scoring plays and turnovers negated by penalty.
In a second recommendation, pass interference and fouls for roughing the passer and unnecessary contact against a defenseless player would be reviewable as long as they are flagged. Both would be one-year trials.
However, members of the competition committee that reviews the rulebook each year do not sense strong support for a major expansion of replay.
“They are always sharply divided; people have very strong views on replay,” said Rich McKay, president of the Atlanta Falcons and cochairman of the competition committee.
For any rule change, three-quarters of NFL teams must vote yes.
“We welcome the discussion and we feel like this is a good way to expand it,” McKay added. “We have data that shows these are the most impactful plays and the ones we can change.”
Several teams also made replay proposals, including one by Kansas City that would address what happened in the Rams-Saints title game.
The Chiefs are proposing potential personal fouls not called on the field be reviewed after a coach’s challenge. Robey-Coleman’s helmet hit would have fallen in that category.
Washington suggested making all plays challengeable by coaches or reviewable by the officiating department in New York. The Redskins also want to add reviews of personal fouls, so those alterations would also apply to the Rams-Saints play.
Philadelphia suggested adding scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul as subject to automatic review, no challenge needed.
The Panthers, Rams, Eagles and Seahawks want to add review of designated player safety-related fouls whether called or not called on the field to what coaches can challenge. This could also be applied to the Robey-Coleman hit.
NFL operations chief Troy Vincent said that the committee met with everyone involved in such calls: players, coaches, officials, team owners and administrators.
“Officials have to live this out in real time,” Vincent said. “This was about working to keep a system in place from a mechanical administration standpoint on game day and the flow [of the game]. The officials felt just expanding the current replay process, what is reviewable, that this is the best start for possible solutions on some of the issues.”
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their