The NFL proposes contingencies for replacement refs in hopes of avoiding another ‘Fail Mary’
The NFL is preparing for the possibility of replacement officials in the 2026 season, proposing a rule change for one season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct any “clear and obvious” mistakes by on-field officials in case of a work stoppage. The competition committee released its proposed rule changes for next season on Tuesday, including some small tweaks to the kickoff rule and allowing the replay center to eject players for flagrant acts on plays that were not penalized on the field. The changes will be considered by the owners at next week’s league meetings in Arizona and would need to be approved by at least 24 of the 32 teams to be implemented.
The biggest proposal regards the contingency if there is a work stoppage with the officials and the league once again uses replacement officials as it did to start the 2012 season. The current collective bargaining agreement with the NFL and the NFL Referees Association expires on May 31. The NFL used replacement officials for the first three weeks of the 2012 season with several mistakes and bad calls being made.
The tipping point came at the end of a Monday night game in Week 3 between Green Bay and Seattle when the Seahawks won the game on a disputed TD catch known as the “Fail Mary. ” The league later said the touchdown should have been negated for offensive pass interference. The outrage reached the White House with President Barack Obama calling for the lockout to end, which it did a few days later, prompting an apology to fans from Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Under the proposal from the competition committee, the replay center in New York would be able to advise the on-field officials on any missed roughing the passer or intentional grounding penalty, as well as any act that would have led to an ejection had a penalty been called. The replay center also can intervene to overturn calls that were made on several penalties, including illegal contact, face masks, roughing the passer, horse-collar tackles and intentional grounding. The replay center could also assist to overturn pass interference calls when there is clear evidence that there was “advertent tangling of feet when both players were playing the ball or neither player was playing the ball.
” In the final two minutes of either half or for all of overtime, the replay center would be allowed to overturn or throw a flag on any unnecessary roughness or an unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing a punch, forearm or kick; as well as leaping or leverage penalties on kicks. The replay center can also correct wrong calls based on running into or roughing the kicker. The DK Metcalf rule The committee also proposed allowing the officiating center in New York to eject players for committing a flagrant or non-football act on the field even it wasn’t called for a penalty.
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