Rule 12: Instant Replay

Teams’ Participation in Instant Replay

• 12-2-1

• Not required to be used in out of conference games

- Home team decides if replay is used or not

Replay Exceptions: No Booth Officials

• 12-2-1

• The R is the sole decision maker on reviewed plays

- May include one additional crew member to consult with them throughout the review process

• Replay equipment must be located outside the limit lines of the field and both team boxes

- A separate and secure location in a tent or similar structure that is away from fans, sideline personnel, and players must be provided

• Replay will only be initiated for called targeting fouls and a coach challenges

- The head coach is able to challenge targeting if they have a timeout and challenge available

Reviewable plays: Scoring plays

• 12-3-1

• A potential touchdown or safety

- Exception: Not a safety that is awarded from a nonrenewable foul

• Field goal attempts (including on a try)

- Exception: Not if the ball is ruled to crossed the end-line over the hight of the uprights

Reviewable plays: Passing plays

• 12-3-2

• A pass rolled complete, incomplete, intercepted anywhere in the field of play or EZ

• A forward pass touching a player (eligible or ineligible), the ground, or an official

- If the touching occurred beyond or behind the line is also reviewable

• Forward pass or handing when a ball carrier is or was beyond the neutral zone

• Forward pass or handing after a change of team possession

• Pass ruled forward or backwards

• Location of the ball when it is obvious that the ball in the field of play or EZ and there is a ruling of intentional grounding

Reviewable plays: Pass ruled forward and incomplete

• 12-3-2

• Only reviewable if

- The ball goes out of bounds

- There is a clear and immediate recovery by either team in the immediate continuing action

- There is conformation by an on-field official of who recovered the ball

• If replay overturns the forward pass ruling and there is a clear and immediate recovery the ball is awarded to the recovering team at the spot of the recovery

- All advance in nullified

Reviewable plays: Dead ball and loose ball

• 12-3-3

• Loose ball by the potential passer ruled a fumble

• Loose ball by a passer ruled an incomplete forward pass

• Live ball not ruled dead in the possession of a ball carrier

• Loose or live ball ruled dead in the possession of a ball carrier

• Ball carrier’s forward progress, spot of fumble, of spot of out-of-bounds backwards pass; with respect to the first down or goal line

• Catch of recovery of a fumble by a player other than the ball carrier on a forth down or try before there is a change of possession

• Ball carrier in or out of bounds

- Ball carrier ruled out of bounds only reviewable in case of potential safety / touchdown or there is a loose / live ball ruled dead in the possession of a ball carrier and there is a clear and immediate recovery of the ball in the continued football action

• Catch / recovery / touching by a inbounds or out of bounds, including an eligible receiver who has been out of bounds that returned inbounds

• A loose ball touching on or behind the sideline, GL, end line, pylon, or breaking the plane of the GL

• Catch or recovery of a loose ball in the field of play or end zone

• Forward fumble out of bounds with respect to a first down

Reviewable plays: Loose or live ball ruled dead in the possession of a ball carrier

• 12-3-3

• Only if a clear recovery of a loose ball is made in continued football action

• Ball is awarded to the recovering team at the spot of the recovery

- All advance is nullified

• If a passer is ruled down or out of bounds and the decision is reversed

- Someone caught the ball: The ball is awarded to that team at the spot of the catch or interception

- Incomplete pass: The down counts as it normally would in an incomplete pass situation

Reviewable plays: Ball carrier in or out of bounds

• 12-3-3

• Ruled in bounds

- Always reviewable

• Ruled out of bounds

- Reviewable in cases where there is a potential touchdown or safety that is not a result of a non-reviewable foul

- Reviewable in cases where there is a loose or live ball ruled dead in the possession of a ball carrier and there is a clear and immediate recovery by either team

Reviewable plays: Kicks

• 12-3-4

• Touching of a kick

• Player beyond or has been beyond the neutral zone when the ball is kicked

• K advancing the ball after a potential muff or fumble by R

• A scrimmage kick crossing the neutral zone

• Blocking by members of the kicking team before they are eligible to touch the ball on an onside kick

• A player who is or has been out of bounce touching / recovering a kick or loose ball

• R advancing after a fair catch signal

Reviewable plays: Targeting

• 12-3-5

• The replay official will review all targeting fouls

- All elements of targeting must be confirmed for the foul to be enforced

• In games with replay officials the coach can not challenge for targeting

- Coaches can challenge in a game where there is no replay officials

Reviewable plays: Miscellaneous

• 12-3-6

• Personel on the field

- The amount of players on the field during a live ball

- The amount of players when there is a flag down for illegal sub.

• Timing

- Clock adjustment and status when a ruling is reviewed and overturned after the 2:00 timeout

- There will be a 10-second run-off if replay overturns a play to a ruling that would not have stopped the clock (either team can use a timeout to dodge this run-off)

Reviewable plays: Under 2:00

• 12-3-6

• After 2:00 timeout

- Clock adjustment and status when a ruling is reviewed and overturned

- There will be a 10-second run-off if replay overturns a play to a ruling that would not have stopped the clock (either team can use a timeout to dodge this run-off)

Reviewable plays: End of the quarter

• 12-3-6

• Replay can restore time if the clock should have become dead by rule after the play ended or there was a granted team timeout

• Requiring factors for both

- Replay official has indisputable video evidence that there should be time on the clock when the ball became dead or a team timeout was granted

- If the clock is set to run on the R signal and team A does not wish to use a timeout there must be at least 0:03 on the clock in order to reset time, (clock start on snap can be any time)

- If in the 4th quarter: Score difference must be 8 points or less

• Requirements for timeout

- Timeout signal by an on-field official is in frame of the camera

• Replay can end a period if there is clear video evidence that the clock hit 0:00 before the snap

- Any personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conducts must be enforced

Reviewable plays: Miscellaneous

• 12-3-6

• Correction can be made anytime in a series of downs or after a series before the ball is next put in play after the series

• Any person who is not a player interfering with live ball reaction

• An injured player at the initiation of a medical observer

Reviewable plays: Penalty enforcement on overturned plays

• 12-3-6

• 5yd. and 10yd. fouls aren't enforced and become dead-ball fouls

- In other words “if they wouldn’t have happened if the play was called correctly they will not be enforced”

• 15yd. fouls are still enforced

Limits on reviewable plays

• 12-3-7

• No plays, other than those specifically listed, shall be reviewed

- Exception: Replays officials can correct obvious errors that will have an impact on the game, such as the game clock

Reviewable plays: Fouls replay can create

• 12-3-8

• A player making a forward pass or handoff when the entirety of their body and the ball is or has been beyond the neutral zone or there has been a change of possession

• A player kicking a ball when the entirety of their body and the ball is or has been beyond the neutral zone

• Blocking by a player who is ineligible to touch the ball on a kick

• The number of players on the field during a live ball or when their is a flag down for illegal substitution

• Touching of a forward pass by an ineligible player (originally ineligible or has become ineligible)

• A player who is or has been out of bounds touching or recovering a kick or loose ball

• Forward pass that becomes a second forward pass after the on-field ruling of a backwards pass was changed to a forward pass

• A clear and obvious targeting foul

Instant replay personel

• 12-4-1

• There will be as many people as necessary to operate the replay equipment in a timely manor

- At least 3 people by the names of replay official, communicator, and technician

• In a game with no booth the R will be tasked with reviewing plays

Replay stoppage to review

• 12-5-1

• Every play of the game will be reviewed

• All stoppages will happen before ball next put in play

• Criteria to stop

- There is reasonable evidence to believe an error was made in the initial-on-field ruling

- The play is reviewable

- The outcome of the play has a meaningful competitive impact on the game

Coach challenge

• 12-5-1

• Each team starts with 2 challenges

- If one of them is successful then a 3rd is awarded

• Criteria

- There must be an available timeout

- There must be an available challenge

- The play must have not been already reviewed by replay during a stoppage

Initiating replay stoppage

• 12-6-1

• A pager system or other means will be used to notify the crew on the field

R Announcement

• 12-6-1

• “Confirmed”: The video evidence confirms the on-field ruling

• “Stands”: There is no indisputable (conclusive) evidence to overturn the on-field ruling

- Not an option in matters of targeting, turns into an overturned ruling

• “Overturend”: There is indisputable (conclusive) evidence to overturn the on-field ruling

Restrictions on Replay Use

• 12-6-2

• Replay officials can stop a game an unlimited amount of times

• Replay expected to be completed in under 2 minutes

- Exception: The replay has end of game impacts or multiple aspects (just get it down efficiently)

Criteria to Overturn

• 12-7-1

• The replay official is convinced beyond all doubt that the on-field ruling is inaccurate

- Exception: Targeting, all aspects must be confirmed by replay to allow the foul