IRVING, Texas – The NFL is currently exploring the idea of increasing the number of actions eligible for assisted review.
Since the start of this 2024 schedule, officials have missed several plays that should have led to a penalty for grabbing the opponent’s face protector.
This notably happened twice during prime time during Thursday night games.
“When we rewatch this footage, we have the luxury of doing it from different angles, and in slow motion,” Troy Vincent, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, remarked Wednesday as part of the executives’ winter meeting. of the circuit.
“Sometimes things happen at an impressive speed, and add to that the fact that sometimes the player’s mask can be the same color as the gloves of the person trying to slow him down. There are a lot of things happening at the same time. Is this worrying? Yes, because these are calls that need to be made. This is a big mistake. This is why we are considering the idea of allowing teams to challenge when something like this goes unnoticed. This is one of the categories of actions that seem favorable [à modifier le règlement] », Commented Vincent.
During a Minnesota Vikings comeback attempt against the Los Angeles Rams on October 24, quarterback Sam Darnold saw an opponent escape without penalty after he grabbed his face protector.
Same thing when Bucky Irving made a run for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers late in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons on October 3. An offensive holding penalty was called down the stretch, and Atlanta eventually rallied for the victory.
“This year, it’s really the action that comes up most often in discussions,” admitted Vincent.
Hitting a defenseless player, as well as tripping, catches made after claiming immunity and illegal punt formations will also potentially be reviewed by officials beginning in the 2025 season.
The Goodell circuit is also considering adding the option to review sequences in which a player taunted his opponent.
