Replay Assistance Rule

In 2025, Instant Replay will have an expanded ability to advise on-field officials on specific, objective aspects of a play and/or to address game administration issues when clear and obvious video evidence is present. 

Replay officials and designated members of the NFL officiating department can advise on-field crews based on clear and obvious video evidence. The expansion of the replay assistance rule facilitates the administration of the game and limits stoppages on certain rulings, reducing the need for challenges and booth reviews by sharing information in real-time.

In 2021, the NFL first expanded its replay rule to allow replay officials and designated members of the officiating department to assist on-field officials in specific, limited game situations.

How does Replay Assist Work?

Replay officials located in NFL stadium replay booths and designated members of the NFL officiating department in Art McNally GameDay Central at the league office in New York may provide on-field officials with objective information regarding on-field rulings, the correct application of playing rules.

Before, replay officials were only permitted to provide input on limited administrative issues and during replay reviews. Now, they can proactively assist in situations where clear and obvious video evidence is quickly available to assist the on-field officials on objective rulings.

The assistance rule applies to plays where there is clear and obvious video evidence to proactively address specific objective rulings, such as spot of the ball or a foul, complete or incomplete pass, and touching of the ball or a line:

• Penalty enforcement
• Confirmation of the proper down
• Spot of a foul
• Game clock administration
• Possession of a loose ball
• Complete or incomplete pass
• Loose ball touching a boundary line, goal line, or end line
• Location of the football or a player in relation to a line or the pocket area
• Player down by contact (when not ruled down on the field)
• Late hits out of bounds

For the 2025 season, the NFL Competition Committee expanded replay assist to include objective input if a foul is called for: 

• Roughing the passer based only on a hit to the passer’s head or neck area
• Intentional Grounding only if relative to the pocket or ball landing beyond the line of scrimmage
• Unnecessary roughness based only on:
  • Forcibly contacting a runner when he is out of bounds
  • Forcibly hitting a defenseless player’s head or neck area
• Twisting, pulling or turning the facemask or helmet opening
• A horse-collar tackle
• Tripping
• Roughing or running into the kicker

How Does the Rule Affect Coaches’ Challenges?

Coaches are still responsible for challenging rulings that are not automatically reviewed by replay officials. However, certain rulings that would have been challenged previously can now be addressed through the new replay assistance rule. Replay officials or designated members of the officiating team in New York generally can assist until the play clock is at 20 seconds remaining.

If a coach is still not satisfied — even after replay assist — he can still challenge a reviewable ruling. If he throws his challenge flag before the replay official or the team in New York make their decision, it becomes a coaches’ challenge and his team risks losing that challenge. In these situations, coaches are often best served to throw a challenge flag only after the time for a replay assist has passed.