CFL coaches face new challenge

League takes away one review in effort to curb misuse, writes Ted Wyman.

Say this for new CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie: He is proving to be a man of his word and of swift and decisive action.

With fan displeasure mounting over the use of challenge flags by coaches this season, Ambrosie promised last weekend he would look at making changes to the league’s video review system.

He made good on that vow Wednesday, as the league announced it will immediately limit coaches to one challenge per game, down from two.

“Fans have been very clear with me that they want a change,” Ambrosie said. “We are delivering that change.”

It’s a significant in-season correction, which will force coaches to be much more selective in the way they use challenge flags and should eliminate any frivolous attempts to draw penalties.

The change will take effect when Week 7 begins Thursday night with Toronto hosting the Calgary Stampeders.

“We have a super game,” Ambrosie said. “Our elite athletes are treating us this year to incredible plays, close contests and even miracle comebacks. Scoring is up, penalties are down, and games are shorter. The last thing we want to have in place is an artificial impediment to our fans’ enjoyment of it all.

“Video review, unfortunately, has become just that. It was put in place to fix egregious and indisputable mistakes that could affect the outcome of a game. It’s not being used that way now. Too many challenges and reviews are interrupting the game. Coaches, understandably since they are under pressure to win, have been using it to try to gain an advantage.”

All scoring plays and turnovers will still be reviewed by the command centre, but limiting coaches’ challenges should improve the flow of the game while still allowing an opportunity to prevent the most glaring errors by officials.

“It wasn’t but a short time ago that we didn’t have any challenges,” Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said.

“We’re still one better. We still have the opportunity to challenge a big play that can make a difference. The belief is this is going to make it a better fan experience and a better game. It would be good to have more flow in the game. It really would.”

It’s the second straight year the CFL has made a significant change to its rules regarding coaches’ challenges.

Last season, the league also responded in-season by making teams burn a timeout every time a coach made an unsuccessful challenge. That move did reduce the number of challenge flags over the remainder of the season, but it was clearly not enough.

There have been many challenges and video reviews this season that have raised the ire of the fan base, perhaps most notably a pass interference call against the B.C. Lions in the end zone last Friday that helped the Edmonton Eskimos to their fifth straight win. Fans on social media were irate after the command centre ruled pass interference against the Lions.

“This was a problem that needed solving and ultimately we’ve found a very elegant solution, a mid-course correction that can allow us to focus on letting the talent on the field decide the outcome of the game,” Ambrosie said.

Coaches have been using challenge flags in desperation at times, looking for illegal contact away from the play.

The commissioner said a complete review of the league’s challenge flag and replay/command centre strategy will take place at the end of the year.

He said all options will be on the table.