In several instances during the 2024 NFL season, officials have missed clear facemask fouls, frustrating fans and players alike. Last month, NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson shed some light on the issue, explaining that officials, specifically the referee and umpire, often miss such infractions because they're positioned behind the play.
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Anderson also noted that replay assist could be expanded by 2025 to include obvious facemask fouls, potentially reducing the number of missed calls.
However, during Monday night's Vikings-Rams game, it seemed like the league office may have taken a step toward that goal earlier than expected, as written by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
In the fourth quarter, L.A. running back Kyren Williams had his facemask grabbed by Minnesota linebacker Blake Cashman. Initially, no penalty was called. But then, referee John Hussey conferred with umpire Terry Killens, Jr. After their brief discussion, Hussey announced the penalty.
On the broadcast, Joe Buck remarked, "We never saw a flag." This led ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk to respond, "No, and I don't know where that came from. They definitely talked about it afterwards, and I don't know where it came from."
Buck followed up, asking, "Am I wrong in saying that they cannot throw a flag in essence from New York?" Yurk, while dodging the question directly, said, "Yeah, I don't think it came from New York. I did see a flag come in late. And so I think they talked about it on the field. I don't think they would have thrown this from New York."
Yurk's comments suggest a bit of uncertainty, but his reluctance to directly address the issue likely stems from the ambiguity surrounding the league's procedures for replay review on facemask penalties. According to the rules, replay assistants or the league office are not allowed to instruct officials to throw a flag for a missed facemask penalty. However, as we've seen before, the NFL's approach to ensuring accuracy often takes precedence over strictly adhering to procedural rules.
The failure to make facemask fouls reviewable via replay in the past has been widely criticized as a major oversight. With replay assist potentially playing a bigger role in these situations moving forward, fixing missed facemask calls after the fact could help avoid unnecessary scrutiny and controversy. However, since it's not always clear when and how replay assist is activated, fans and broadcasters alike are left to speculate, fueled by their own observations of the game.
This lack of transparency remains a significant problem. The NFL continues to operate with minimal clarity regarding when replay assist or review is deployed, leaving everyone in the dark about the process. In stark contrast, other leagues, like the UFL, have perfected the art of showing fans the discussions that lead to rulings being overturned or upheld.
While the league may ultimately get the call right, the real issue lies in the secrecy surrounding replay decisions. Until more transparency is offered, fans and analysts will continue to wonder what's happening behind the scenes — and whether the NFL is truly prioritizing accuracy over maintaining its tight grip on the process.
