As the 32 NFL owners convene in Phoenix, AZ this week to conduct annual meetings and vote on multiple rule changes — proposed by the competition committee and by various teams — there is one item on the agenda that stands above the rest.
Rule 15 — Allow replay review for uncalled penalties.
The amendment proposal offers a way to correct the missed pass interference penalty in this year’s NFC Championship game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Washington Redskins are being mentioned with considerations for amending the rule, but they are looking to make small changes within the amendment.
Under the initial rule, as it would stand if passed, a challenging coach can tell the officials to review a play, looking for a missed penalty call. In this case, Saints coach Sean Payton would throw a challenge flag, telling the refs that they missed a pass interference call on a pivotal play in the NFC Championship. The Redskins are asking for the coach to be specific.
“Once a challenge is initiated,” the proposal states, via Redskins.com. “the Head Coach must provide the Referee with the specific player (jersey number) and the specific foul that was committed on the play, regardless of whether there was a penalty called by the on-field officiating crew.”
There are a total of 16 rule changes that are being proposed and voted on by NFL Owners. You can find the full list of changes and amendments here.
