The NFL’s Competition Committee has unanimously approved the rule change allowing instant replay of pass interference calls. The change will be in effect for the 2019 season but was not approved for future seasons.
The decision comes one week after NFL teams were permitted to provide additional feedback on the rule proposal.
“According to the final rule, pass interference reviews after the two-minute warning of each half and during overtime will be initiated by the replay official,” notes Logan Reardon of NFL.com. “The replay official will only stop the game when there is ‘clear and obvious visual evidence’ that a pass interference penalty may or may not have occurred.”
The new standard of “clear and obvious visual evidence” has been put in place to avoid excessive stoppages.
The rule change will allow all passing plays to be reviewed for pass interference. A Hail Mary will be “reviewed in replay consistent with the guidelines for officiating the play on the field.”
