NFL changed instant replay without changing it

The NFL changed instant replay, but they didn’t actually change it. It is just still the same old broken system with a new coat of paint.

The NFL announced a major overhaul of the instant replay rules on Tuesday, complete will a lot of self-congratulatory statements about finally “addressing a major issue.” The problem is that they didn’t actually change replay in a meaningful way. It is still the same old broken system.

The “massive overhaul” is nothing more than a wording change. Instead of listing the 30-ish types of plays that can be challenged, they now primarily list the things that cannot be challenged. Oh goodie! Too bad they still have no idea what a catch is.

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The only thing that actually changed was they added “administrative” calls to the things that can be challenged. Team can now challenge when the refs accidentally give an opponent an extra down, or when they back a team up six yards for a false start instead of five. You know, the type of things that happen once every three years or so.

What still isn’t reviewable: mistakes the refs make that actually happen.

When a receiver flops like a Spanish soccer player and gets a PI call despite there being no contact: not reviewable.

When a defensive end is tackled from behind to stop him from sacking a QB but doesn’t get the holding call: not reviewable.

When an offensive tackle is called for holding when he’s not actually touching any defender: you guessed it, not reviewable.

The list does on and on. The NFL is holding this up as this massive change, but it won’t actually prevent the refs from screwing up the calls that matter most.

Also not being changed is the limit on challenges when coach has been correct on all their challenges. Because it totally makes sense to punish a team for correcting the mistakes the refs made, right?

They also kept the idiotic policy of “taking with the league office” during the review process. So we keep the extra-long delay for reviews despite the fact that having the league office get involved didn’t actually mean they were more likely to get the call right.

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The system is still broken. It is good to see the NFL trying to fix it. It would be nice if they’d stop “trying to fix it” and just fixed it.