Rule proposal would allow replay center to make calls for replacement officials

The NFL Competition Committee will consider the most if/then rule it has ever considered when it meets later this week.

The proposal, for only one year, would permit instant replay officials to make or correct judgement calls, only if NFL games are officiated by replacement officials.

According to the Competition Committee’s proposal, the effect of the rule would be:

For one year only, allows the Officiating department to correct a clear and obvious miss made by on-field officials that impact the game in the event that there is a work stoppage involving the game officials represented by the NFL Referees Association and during the period that replacement game officials are utilized as the on-field officials.

The current labor agreement between the NFL and the officials union, the NFLRA, expires May 31. The league is currently sending out letters to small college officials to call NFL games if there is a work stoppage.

A leverage move by the NFL?

This does not give the impression that the NFL has confidence that the replacement officials will be able to call a clean game. But the NFL wants this rule in place avoid further “Fail Mary” situations – a call that single-handedly ended the disastrous 2012 NFL lockout of its officials.

This rule change could buy the NFL more leverage over the NFLRA – as it could correct errors that impact the outcome of a game. But, after so many stoppages to correct errors, it will become obvious that the replacement officials are not up to snuff and the regular officials should be back on the field.

Here’s hoping that this rule proposal never has to be activated this season.