The NFL competition committee is examining a potential change that would give replay officials the authority to call penalties for certain behavior on the field. The discussion centers on allowing replay officials to intervene on what the league describes as non-football acts, a term generally used for conduct that falls outside the normal scope of game action, such as behavior unrelated to playing the ball or executing a standard football move.
At present, replay officials primarily focus on reviewing specific types of plays, such as scoring plays, turnovers, and other reviewable situations defined by league rules. They do not have the power to independently throw flags; instead, their role is to assist in determining whether a call on the field should be upheld, reversed, or adjusted based on clear visual evidence. Any shift that empowers them to assess and initiate certain penalties would mark a notable expansion of the use of video review in officiating.
The conversations within the competition committee reflect ongoing efforts by the NFL to refine how games are officiated and to balance real-time decision-making with the capabilities of modern replay technology. Granting replay officials the ability to flag non-football acts could be framed as an attempt to address incidents that might be missed by on-field officials due to positioning, sightlines, or the speed of play.
However, broadening the replay official’s authority also raises questions that the committee would need to address. These include how such a rule would be implemented in real time, what specific actions would qualify as non-football acts under the rule, how quickly decisions would need to be made to avoid disrupting game flow, and how responsibility would be divided between on-field crews and the replay booth.
The competition committee regularly reviews rules and procedures during the offseason and brings formal proposals to team owners, who must approve any changes before they take effect. At this stage, the concept of allowing replay officials to throw flags for non-football acts is under discussion only; the league has not announced a formal proposal, adopted any rule change, or provided a detailed public framework for how such a system would operate.
Any eventual decision would be part of the league’s broader, ongoing evaluation of officiating standards, player conduct oversight, and the role of technology in supporting accurate and consistent enforcement of the rules.
