Sunday’s Broncos-Panthers game produced a replay wrinkle that went a step beyond the usual challenge drama.
Denver coach Sean Payton threw the red challenge flag at a crucial moment and turned what had been ruled an incompletion into an interception. But the NFL also had to use replay to decide whether replay itself could be used on the play.
According to a pool report, NFL V.P. of instant replay Mark Butterworth said officials consulted video to determine whether Payton had gotten the flag down before the next snap.
“Replay can get involved to make sure that the head coach throws his challenge flag prior to the next snap,” Butterworth said. “We were actually able to use angles to show that the flag was out prior to the ball being snapped, and so we permitted the challenge.”
The sequence came after Panthers tight end poppe the ball into the air in the end zone, where Broncos safety Devon Key scooped it up before it hit the ground.
The rulebook does not directly spell out that replay can be used to decide whether replay should be used, but the league points to the first sentence of Rule 15, Section 9: “The Replay Official or designated members of the Officiating department may provide information regarding the correct application of the playing rules.”
Section 9 also gives several specific examples of when that kind of consultation is allowed, while noting the list is “including, but not limited to.” In other words, the NFL leaves room for other situations where the Replay Official or league office can help the on-field crew.
This was one of them: whether a coach properly activated the replay process. Which, in this case, meant replay was used to determine whether replay should be used.
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