The Canadian Football League is currently overhauling every aspect of its game, and it looks like the replay center will be a topic of conversation this offseason.
“The process of the game is extremely important. I think every league in the world of a similar nature – not just football – is trying to simplify this type of process,” CFL commissioner Stuart Johnston said during a speech in Winnipeg.
“I know that at the winter meetings in January we will discuss how we can maintain excellence in what we do, but also simplify the process and speed up the game.”
The league's replay center, formerly known as the command center, underwent a mandate change last year to focus on the league called it a “clear and obvious principle.” The change was made amid intense criticism from fans and replay officials limiting the ability to cancel games only if they were given an unobstructed view of the action and unmistakable evidence of error.
The replay center recently came under fire again, this time from BC Lions owner Amar Doman. The timber magnate posted a screenshot on social networks Tommy Neild's winning touchdown in the Western Final, captioned “not a trap.” a sentiment later echoed by general manager Ryan Rigmaiden.
Saskatchewan franchise defenseman Trevor Harris began Gray Cup week by dismissing complaints from Vancouver. telling Doman and the Lions to “get over it.” He also noted that he didn't even know the play was on review until the referee announced that Nield's touchdown had been cleared by the replay center.
It's a common complaint among CFL fans: It's completely unclear when the replay center will stop the game to conduct an inspection. Coaches' problems are one thing, but the replay referee sometimes intervenes at unexpected times.
These glitches are a problem given Johnston's commitment to the gameplay, which has been called one of the reasons to move to a 35 second game clock next year.
The importance of gameplay is actually written into the CFL rule book. Page 68, which outlines the replay rules, states that the replay center should not cause “significant delays to the progress of the game” in the very first sentence.
While the goal is to have fast, fluid football games, the league may be in a no-win situation. If officials do something wrong (and they always do, at least occasionally, since they are human), everyone expects correction. If the replay center steps in to fix something, everyone expects it to happen instantly.
Johnston, who is in his first year in the job, has strong faith in league officials and noted that review parameters are not just a CFL issue.
“I believe we have world-class referees, and part of what I've really enjoyed learning is running football operations and dealing with our referee crew. I watch them every week doing one of the most difficult jobs I can imagine, and they do it exceptionally well. We have very strict controls on every play in every game, and it's impressive how efficient they are,” Johnston said.
“The replay center tries to support these incredible referees with everything that may be clear and obvious but can be missed. I sat and watched the full game in the replay center just to get an idea of what it was like. I was incredibly impressed with the communication that happens from this team to the field.”
As for what the replay center will look like in 2026, that's still under consideration.
