NFL Owners Approve New Rule Making All Pass Interference Calls and Non-Calls Reviewable
The NFL owners voted on Tuesday to approve a rule proposal that allows for offensive and defensive pass interference calls and non-calls to be subject to review.
According to the NFL Football Operations, coaches can now challenge the penalties in the first 28 minutes of each half, with the final two minutes subject to booth review. Coaches will still only be given two challenge flags per game. Owners passed the proposal 31-1. The Cincinnati Bengals were the only team to vote against pass interference replay reviews, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
The rule will also expand automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul as well as any extra point or two-point conversion.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL Competition Committee also admitted that the Patriots should have been called for pass interference on a potential scoring play to wide receiver Brandin Cooks, which would have given Los Angeles the ball at the one-yard line at the end of the game.
The major change to the rules stems from a blatant missed call in the NFC championship game that came with under two minutes left in the game. With the Saints facing third-and-10 on the Rams' 13-yard line, quarterback Drew Brees threw an incomplete pass to Tommylee Lewis. The Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman broke up the pass but appeared to make contact with Lewis well before the pass came.
Without what should've been a penalty against Los Angeles, the Rams got the ball back, kicked a game-tying field goal before beating the Saints 26–23 in overtime.
The Patriots beat the Rams to win Super Bowl LIII.
