As the NFL weighs the possibility of numerous changes aimed at speeding up games, the most significant alteration could end up being a major adjustment to the replay system.
League commissioner Roger Goodell explained in an appearance on ESPN's "Mike and Mike" on Thursday that, starting in the 2017 season, vice president of officiating Dean Blandino will be in contact with officials during replay reviews and have the final authority on the ruling.
"We are going to centralize the replay back here in New York," Goodell said, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "Dean Blandino will have the final decision. We think that will move it much quicker."
Having one primary decision-maker for all review situations could certainly go a long way toward moving along what too often ends up being be a drawn-out process.
Beyond the speed of the game, though, perhaps such a change could also help bring some consistency to an officiating system that has been the target of some deserved criticism over the years.
Goodell also explained that, rather than waiting for a commercial break to end, officials will be told to announce the reviewed call immediately. Doing so could potentially avoid further delays, as teams could be lined up and ready for a snap soon after the broadcast returns.
Among the other potential changes Goodell outlined on Wednesday were reducing the frequency of commercial breaks, running the play clock after extra points, standardizing when the clock starts after a player runs out of bounds, and standardizing the length of halftime.
