NFL wants expanded replay technology for playoffs

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell aims to implement increased replay technology for playoffs.

Less than a week ago, seasoned referee Pete Morelli and his officiating crew were pulled from Sunday Night Football and reassigned to a day game as punishment for making several major errors during the previous week’s 49ers-Cardinals game. It wasn’t the first prominent incident involving poor NFL officiating this season, and it probably won’t be the last, as football fans have had to suffer through controversies involving clock mismanagement, an errant whistle, an illegal bat call, and of course the elephant in the room of just what – exactly – constitutes a catch these days.

The hoopla has not been lost on commissioner Roger Goodell and the league offices. Goodell recently told Bob Papa and Shannon Sharpe of SiriusXM NFL radio that something needs to be done to help officials see more accurately what fans and analysts are seeing on their television sets, and the NFL plans to address this situation sooner rather than later – hopefully even in time for the upcoming postseason.

"“The technology is so extraordinary and we’re seeing things we never saw before. We have to understand that and recognize that. You all as broadcasters or the fans in general get to see things, and we have to make sure our officials have access to that kind of technology in a way that’s not overly disruptive to our game, so that they can get the same type of input when they’re making decisions and avoid those critical errors… and we’re looking at that even in the context of this year’s postseason. We’re looking at that how we can do that on a more regular basis.”"

If Goodell is serious about implementing these changes before the playoffs arrive, he’ll need to work fast. There are only four weeks left in the regular season, and the NFL would surely like to avoid the rampant controversy that underscored last year’s postseason – the picked up flag in Lions-Cowboys, the eligible vs. ineligible receivers in Patriots-Ravens, and of course Dez Bryant’s game-winning/game-losing catch/non-catch in Cowboys-Packers.

To err is human, and it’s unrealistic to expect perfection from anyone, including game referees. But it’s encouraging to see the NFL taking steps to aid their much-maligned ‘zebras’ on the sidelines.