Every offseason, the NFL considers possible adjustments to game operations—including refereeing. Replay officials may soon be given more power.

The NFL Competition Committee is currently discussing a far-reaching change in refereeing: In the future, replay officials (video referees) will be allowed to throw flags themselves for certain offenses. This was reported by ESPN, citing ongoing discussions at the league meeting in Indianapolis.
So far, only on-field referees have been allowed to throw flags on the field. Replay officials can review plays at will and confirm or overturn on-field decisions, but they are not allowed to initiate new penalties. Even clear fouls that only become apparent in the replay remain unpunished if no on-field official has thrown the flag.

NFL: Changes to penalize clear offenses

The league plans to lift this rule, at least in part. Initially, the focus will be on so-called “non-football acts” – actions that have nothing to do with the actual game (e.g., punches, kicks, unnecessary roughness outside of the play).

NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said:
“You don’t want to just open Pandora’s box, but with things like non-football acts, you can narrow it down very, very tightly. That could be the first step toward bringing flags onto the field.”

Vincent also gave a specific example:

In the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe and Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs grabbed each other’s facemask.

Jobe then punched Diggs in the helmet – right on the sideline. No on-field official saw it, no flag was thrown. A replay official could have immediately penalized the scene and possibly even ejected Jobe from the field.

NFL: Owners mostly skeptical about referee changes

Vincent emphasized that the league wants to proceed very cautiously. They do not want to undermine the authority of the on-field officials.

Until now, NFL owners have always rejected such proposals because they feared that off-field decisions could replace on-field judgment. Whether and when the rule will actually come into effect is still open – discussions are currently ongoing.

The Competition Committee will continue to discuss the issue in the coming days. A final decision could be made in the next few weeks, before the offseason rule changes are officially announced.