CFL rules committee suggests changes to enhance game flow, fan experience

REGINA The CFL’s rules committee wants to limit when coaches can challenge plays to enhance the flow of play and overall fan experience.

A recommendation tabled by the committee Wednesday requests coaches no longer be able to challenge a play following a television commercial. It approved, coaches would have to throw their flag within the first 30 seconds of the break rather than be allowed to wait the entire duration before doing so.

The committee also wants to change what coaches can challenge, limiting what can be contested on roughing-thepasser calls when a quarterback is in the act of throwing or slides head-first across the line of scrimmage. It suggests unnecessary roughness penalties against the passer behind the line of scrimmage, such as facemasking or horse collar tackles, as well as actions that occur when the quarterback crosses the line of scrimmage with the ball no longer be challengeable.

In addition, the committee requested the replay official only change a call that was clearly wrong rather than try to officiate plays to ensure they’re right.

“What we’ve done is take three of four things that as a package will make the whole coach’s challenge process better,” said Glen Johnson, the CFL’s senior vice-president of football and chairman of the rules committee. “There will be less of them, they’ll be shorter, they won’t impact the flow of the game.