NFL: Replay Remains a Frustrating Tool

Games during the NFL's opening playoff weekend, the wild card round, luckily avoided any game-altering rulings (or non-rulings) through replay -- but the process remains a persistent trouble because the system does not work.

Two examples came in one game during the weekend.

First, in the Ravens-Patriots game Sunday, the muffed punt/fumble recovery should have been reviewed. It was a mistake on Baltimore's part not to challenge the play, and coach John Harbaugh offered only cryptic excuse for not challenging the play afterward.

Still, teams should not be in that position. Just as college football does, every play during every game should be reviewed from a central position upstairs. If a play matters enough during the final two minutes, when NFL rules do require all replays be initiated by league officials, then other plays throughout the game matter as well. How often have we heard a game could turn on one play?

That arbitrary two-minute mark, and the insistence on team initiated challenges rank as the biggest drawbacks of replay in pro football. Timeliness is another troublesome matter.

Second from Sunday, Baltimore challenged the spot of a run by quarterback Joe Flacco and was successful. But it was close, and confusing.

He was initially ruled out at the 8-yard line but after review, the ball was spotted at the 6-yard line. That in itself seemed to signal the Ravens would win their challenge -- but that's not how the NFL rule works.

After the ball was spotted, a measurement for a first down was then conducted. Only once it had been confirmed as a first down was the challenge ruled successful.

If the ball had been short of the first down -- even though it had moved nearly two full yards -- the challenge would have been ruled unsuccessful and the Ravens would have lost a timeout. That just seems illogical ... because the team was challenging the spot of the ball. If the ball moved 2 yards, that would seem to be a success. Not so with the NFL's replay rules.