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The NFL – the most popular professional sports league in the United States – has made several changes to its rules over the decades.
In 2024, changes to the kickoff rules have come under scrutiny. Before the start of the season, the league adjusted these rules.
Instant replay policies have also undergone revisions in recent years, but former NFL head coach Tony Dungy is calling for a complete overhaul. Dungy argued that the current replay system has created a “credibility problem” for game officials and the NFL as a whole.
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Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy during an NFL game between the Pittsburg Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts on November 28, 2022 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dungy, who coached the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl title, cited a controversial call on a “push” play during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 38-20 Week 8 win over the New York Giants. The referees whistled the play to signal forward progression.
Giants passer Kayvon Thibodeaux knocked the ball out of the hands of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Thibodeaux came off the turf with the ball, but the referees ruled the quarterback’s progress stalled, meaning no change of possession occurred.
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A video replay of the play appears to show Hurts continuing to be pushed forward by a teammate. Under current rules, the part is not eligible for revision. Dungy urged the NFL to make every play reviewable.
The NFL Shield logo on the field at SoFi Stadium on November 25, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/magn Images)
The NFL has an expedited review system, intended to quickly correct clear and obvious errors.
“The NFL needs to get rid of these “non-reviewable” categories! You can’t let New York jump in and change the game by saying “expedited review told us…” – and then have obvious hiccups that remain unchanged. This is why the review process was put in place. We had a few in our GB-Pitt game and it was terrible. When you change some obvious actions and not others, you create a credibility problem and that’s what we have now,” Dungy wrote on X.
Tony Dungy on the set of NBC Sports before the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on September 8, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
Dungy also highlighted the plays he believes should have been called in the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday.
Months after an apparent missed pass interference call in the 2019 NFC Championship Game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that an expanded replay system would allow pass interference to be examined.
The expansion ultimately only lasted one season, with the league later making pass interference a non-reviewable play.
