Huge changes are in store for the NFL rulebook for the upcoming 2019 season. Tuesday night the league owners approved a rule revision that would enable officials to alter pass interference calls or call missed pass interference calls in NFL games.
The rule change gained traction in recent days, spurred by an egregious missed pass interference call in the NFC Championship game that likely cost the New Orleans Saints a chance to play in Super Bowl LIII.
The rule change was voted for by every NFL head coach and all but one NFL owner. In the NFC Championship, referees missed a blatant pass interference penalty by Los Angeles Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman on the Saints’ Tommy Lewis that would have given New Orleans a first and goal with less than two minutes to go in the game.
NFL’s Competition Committee also admitted the Brandin Cooks play at the end of this year’s Super Bowl would have been ruled pass interference, giving the Rams the ball at 1-yard line, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 27, 2019
The new replay rule is officially a one-year trial, but just like the new kick off rules in 2018, it’ll likely remain on the books. The kick off rule was officially enshrined into law Tuesday as well.
Coaches will be able to challenge pass interference calls as well as toss their challenge flags if they feel a PI was missed. In the last two minutes of each half, only the replay booth and NFL officiating office can call for a review.
Reviewing PI is awful. This is a horrible overreaction. Just terrible. Pass interference is subjective. Games are now going to take forever. Replay has so many flaws and now throw more at us? Refs need to get it right. This is a bad day.
— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) March 27, 2019
Other rule changes instituted at the league meetings were banning blindside blocks and the ability to enforce a personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a kickoff, even if it happens before an extra point or two-point conversion. Teams can still enforce the penalty on the extra point if they so choose.
There will be no chances in the NFL’s overtime rules, which would have been the talk of the offseason before Robey-Coleman clobbered Lewis in the late championship game. The Kansas City Chiefs proposed a rule that would allow both teams an overtime offensive possession, even if the first team scores a touchdown. The league shelved that proposal until next season.
