The NFL Made Pass Interference Reviewable For 1 Season, Then Dropped It
In 2019 coaches could challenge pass interference, called or not called. The league reviewed 101 of them, overturned 24, and let the rule expire.
Pass interference is the most consequential judgment call in football, and for decades it could not be reviewed at all. For the 2019 season, that changed. Then it changed back.
Why it happened
After a missed pass interference call late in the NFC Championship Game played in January 2019, owners approved a one-year trial that March. NFL.com reported the vote as 31 to 1. Offensive and defensive pass interference became reviewable, including plays where no flag was thrown, so replay could remove a flag or add one. Coaches could challenge; in the final two minutes of each half, the replay booth initiated reviews.
How it went
ESPN's Kevin Seifert tallied the season after it ended: the NFL reviewed 101 pass interference calls or non-calls and overturned 24.
The NFL reviewed 101 pass interference calls or non-calls and overturned 24.
How it ended
The trial was written for one season. In spring 2020 the competition committee did not propose extending it, so it never came to an owners' vote and simply lapsed.
- 01March 2019: owners approve a one-year trial, 31 to 1
- 022019 season: offensive and defensive pass interference reviewable, including non-calls
- 03101 reviewed, 24 overturned, per ESPN
- 042020: not proposed again, the trial expires
Quick answers
- Could NFL coaches ever challenge pass interference?
- Yes, for the 2019 season only, under a one-year trial approved by owners 31 to 1. It was not renewed for 2020.
- How many pass interference reviews were overturned in 2019?
- By ESPN's count, the NFL reviewed 101 pass interference calls or non-calls in 2019 and overturned 24.
- Why did the rule go away?
- It was written as a one-year trial, and in 2020 the competition committee did not put it forward again, so it expired without a vote.
Sources
- ESPN - Goodbye, pass interference replay review: Lessons learned from the NFL's failed officiating experiment (Kevin Seifert, May 28, 2020)
- ESPN - Pass interference now reviewable by NFL officials (2019)
- NFL.com - Pass interference replay not expected for 2020 season
- CBS Sports - Pass interference replay review will not be returning in 2020
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