CFL could soon make pass interference subject to replay review

[papasmurfbell]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/01/cfl-could-soon-make-pass-interference-subject-to-replay-review/

 

As a time when the NFL seems to be showing some willingness to fully embrace the ability of technology to improve the decisions made in real-time by middle-aged men whoare simultaneously trying to avoid getting wiped out by large young men in full armor, the CFL could soon be taking it to a new level.

According to the Canadian Press, the CFL’s Board of Governors will vote next Thursday on proposed rule changes that include expanding replay review to encompass pass interference.

As Wilkening (our unofficial CFL correspondent) explained it last month, the proposal goes both ways, allowing pass interference calls to be reviewed — and non-calls to be reviewed for a possible penalty.

Typically, the Board of Governors approves the proposals that come from the league’s rules committee. If/when that happens in this case, it would create some evidence for further study by the NFL on the question of whether a similar change should be made.

At some point, the NFL needs to consider embracing the possibility of using video to overturn this and other so-called “judgment calls.” If the evidence is sufficiently clear (i.e., indisputable) that judgment wasn’t properly exercised, why should horribly bad judgment be immune from reversal?

As the game grows, so does the importance of getting the calls right. Given that defensive pass interference remains a spot foul, too much hinges on the decisions made by officials without the benefit for the safety net that comes from replay review.