Rule 15 — Instant Replay
Section 1 — Initiating a Replay Review
Article 1 — Coach Challenges
Each team is permitted a minimum of two challenges that will initiate Instant Replay reviews:
- (a) The head coach initiates a challenge by throwing a red flag onto the field before the next legal snap or kick.
- (d) Each challenge requires an available team timeout. A team that is out of timeouts may not attempt a challenge.
- (e) If a challenge is unsuccessful, the team will be charged a timeout.
- (f) A team will be permitted a third challenge if it is successful on at least one of its challenges.
Penalty: For initiating a challenge when a team has exhausted its timeouts: Loss of 15 yards enforced as a foul between downs.
Article 2 — Replay Official Request for Review
Only the Replay Official may initiate a review of a play: that begins after the two-minute warning of each half; throughout extra periods; when points are scored; that is a Try attempt; and when on-field officials rule interceptions, fumbles recovered by an opponent, failure to reach the line to gain on fourth down, possession by the kicking team at the end of any kick, or a disqualification of a player.
Section 2 — Replay Reviews
All Replay Reviews will be conducted by the Replay Official on site at the stadium. Reviews are conducted in consultation with the Referee.
Article 1 — Changing a Ruling
An on-field ruling will be changed only when the Replay Official determines that clear and obvious video evidence warrants a change.
Article 2 — Scope of Review
Once a review is initiated, all reviewable aspects of a play may be examined and are subject to change.
Section 3 — Reviewable Rulings
The Replay System covers the following play situations:
- Plays involving possession.
- Plays involving touching of either the ball or the ground.
- Plays governed by the goal line.
- Plays governed by the boundary lines.
- Plays governed by the line of scrimmage.
- Plays governed by the line to gain.
- Number of players on the field.
- Game administration (penalty enforcement, proper down, spot of a foul, status of the game clock).
- Disqualification of a player.
- Other reviewable plays (direction of a pass, illegal forward pass, field goal or Try attempt, illegal forward handoff, ball touching a foreign object).
Section 4 — Non-Reviewable Plays
The following aspects of plays are not reviewable:
- (a) Whether an erroneous whistle sounded.
- (b) Whether a ball was illegally batted or kicked.
- (c) Whether a passer intentionally grounded a pass.
- (d) Whether an ineligible receiver was downfield before a pass.
- (e) Whether a receiver was illegally contacted.
- (f) Whether a block was illegal.
- (g) Any aspect not listed as reviewable in Section 3.
Section 5 — Game Clock Administration
Article 1 — Resetting Game Clock
When a ruling is changed in replay, the game clock will be reset to the time when the ball should have been declared dead.
Article 2 — 10-Second Runoff
When a changed ruling results in a running clock for plays that begin after the two-minute warning, the clock is reset to the time when the play should have ended, and the clock will run for 10 seconds from the reset time.
Section 6 — Timeouts Following Review
Article 1 — Unsuccessful Challenge
A team that makes an unsuccessful challenge is charged a team timeout.
Article 2 — Charged Timeout Restored
A charged timeout taken after the two-minute warning will be restored if a review changes the ruling.
Section 7 — Fouls
Replay Officials may instruct the on-field officiating crew to disqualify a player if a foul is determined to be flagrant based on available video evidence. The determination must be made before the ball is next legally put in play.