During its February meeting, the NCAA Football Rules Committee approved an experiment to the rules for instant replay. The current rules require that the instant replay official make decisions on reviews from a secure location in the stadium press box without any communication with the outside. For the 2016 season, the rules committee is allowing an experimental exception for an approach that involves collaboration of the onsite replay official with one or more individuals at another location. The purpose of the experiment is to achieve improved game-to-game consistency and accuracy in the outcomes of the reviews.

 

At least three conferences will experiment with one or more instant replay officials at a command center removed from the stadium. These command center replay officials will be in contact with the onsite replay official; they will participate in the review via high-speed video and audio connection with the stadium replay booth. The decision on a review will still be made by the replay official at the stadium, but he or she will have the counsel and advice of the replay officials at the command center. 

 

Another approach that some conferences will use is to have the referee take part in the review via a tablet on the sideline, with audio connection with the replay official at the stadium. This should provide another method of allowing collaboration in arriving at a decision on the review. Also, the Referee will have a clear view of what happens on the play so that he may make a better informed announcement of the outcome of the review.

 

The rules committee will receive reports on these collaborative approaches next year. It will then be able to determine if one or more of these experiments will warrant a change in the rules for instant replay.