Instant replay

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For other uses of the term "Instant replay", see Instant replay (disambiguation).

Instant replay refers to a system where plays in a sporting match can be reviewed (or replayed) using recorded video feeds of the sporting match. This was introduced in broadcast television to allow the viewer to get other views of sports plays during the game. It was combined with Slow Motion to give viewers a better idea of the development of the game.

Instant Replay Challenge takes advantage of the video technology and introduces it into the rules of the game itself in order to ensure that the correct call is made on the play.

Instant replay is used in many professional sports leagues including the National Hockey League, the National Football League & Canadian Football League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball.

The first use of Instant Replay occurred December 7, 1963 during the Army-Navy Game played in Philadelphia and telecast by CBS-TV. The program was directed by one of CBS Sports' top directors, Tony Verna. ^[1] A personal account of the telecast can be found in the autobiography of the game announcer Lindsey Nelson (Hello Everybody, I'm Lindsey Nelson.)

Confusion caused by other claims of the first use of Instant Replay is probably best explained by the difference between "In-Game" Replays--replays shown while the game was still being telecast but not immediately after the play on the replay. None of the replays could occur until the middle of the 1950s when Ampex developed a commercially usable videotape. For a recap of the technical data, see www.cedmagic.com/history/instant-replay-hs-deck.html.) Director Verna's account of how he was able to combine the limited abilities of the videotape machines can be found in two of his early books, "Live TV " and "Global Television" (both Focal Press) and a 2008 book "Instant Replay, The day that changed Sports Forever" from Creative Publishers International.)

Slow-Motion Replays, often referred to as slo-mo, were introduced by ABC-TV's "Wide World of Sports" in 1960. ABC-TV Engineer Bob Trachinger developed the process, but it could not be "Instant" because the original images had to be reprocessed to slow the motion. ABC-TV Sports Director (also later ABC-TV News Director) Roone Arledge gives his account of the development of slo-mo in his autobiography "Roone". Unfortunately, he also claims to have created the idea of Instant Replay. In Tony Verna's book "Instant Replay," there is an explanation of a German film camera from 1935, a camera mounted on a truck that also contained a film processor and was able to produce images within a minute and a half. The idea came early, but the "Instant" part of "Instant Replay" had to wait until Director Verna was able to combine an audio signal with the unreliable counters on the videotape machines in order to be able to reproduce the image immediately after the play occurred.

Replay made its Canadian debut in 1955, by George Retzlaff at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during a broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada.^[2] Jim Wheeler erroneously claims to have invented Instant Replay in 1964.^{[citation needed]}

Starting with the 2005 season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association allowed the use of instant replay for all Division I-A football conferences, just a year after the Big Ten Conference experimented with replay. Instant replay is used sparingly in college basketball to resolve issues of time and score (such as whether a shot is a three-pointer) or to determine which player should shoot free throws following a foul.

[edit] American football

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Instant replay in American football. (Discuss)

[edit] National Football League

Bill Cowher, former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, throws the red challenge flag (visible in the upper left corner of the picture), indicating his desire to challenge the referees' ruling.

The National Football League first adopted a limited Instant Replay system in 1986^[3], though the current system began in 1999, bringing in the opportunity to "challenge" on-field calls of plays. The current system mirrors a system used by the now defunct USFL in 1985. Each coach is allowed 2 opportunities per game to make a coach's challenge. Prior to the 2004 NFL season, the instant replay rule was slightly changed to allow a third challenge if both of the original two challenges were successful.

A challenge can only be made on certain reviewable calls before the two minute warning and only when a team has at least one time-out remaining in the half. When a coach decides to challenge a call, he throws a red flag onto the field, indicating the challenge to the referees. Up until the 2005 season, coaches could also signal a challenge via an electronic pager, now used only by the replay assistant.^[4]

The referee has 60 seconds to watch the instant replay of the play and decide if the original call was correct. The referee must see "incontrovertible visual evidence" for a call to be overturned. If the challenge fails, the original ruling stands and the challenging team is charged with a timeout. If the challenge overrules the previous call, the call is reversed with no loss of a timeout. ^[5]

Because of the limited number of challenges, and the possible penalty of a lost timeout, coaches must reserve their challenges for key plays. A questionable call may not be challenged once the next play is underway, so coaches may be forced to make a quick decision without the benefit of seeing a replay on television or on the stadium screen. Often players on the field will signal to the coach if they believe the play should be challenged.

After the 2-minute warning of each half, and in overtime, reviews can only take place if the replay assistant, who sits in the press box and monitors the network broadcast of the game, determines that a play needs review; coaches may not challenge during these times. In those cases, the replay assistant will contact the referee by a specialized electronic pager with a vibrating alert.

One concern about replay that was addressed some years ago was the situation where a coach would seek a review of a non-challengeable call (such as being forced out of bounds, or in some cases to challenge a runner down by contact). Prior to the rule being clarified, a team would lose the challenge and a time-out. The current rule does not penalize a team in such a case, provided the rule is not abused or taken advantage of. Currently, former Washington Redskins head coach, Joe Gibbs, has the worst challenge record in the NFL with only 7% of challenges being overturned.

The NFL replay system currently only covers the following situations:

• Scoring plays
• Pass complete/incomplete/intercepted
• Runner/receiver out of bounds
• Recovery of a loose ball in or out of bounds
• Touching of a forward pass, either by an ineligible receiver or a defensive player
• Quarterback pass or fumble
• Illegal forward pass
• Forward or backward pass
• Runner ruled not down by contact
• Forward progress in regard to a first down
• Touching of a kick
• Other plays involving placement of the football
• Whether a legal number of players is on the field at the time of the snap

Note that the spot of the ball may be challenged in certain cases. In such cases, a decision to respot football is not enough to win the challenge; Only when ball is respotted AND ruling on the field is reversed by remeasurement, the challenging team would not be charged their timeout.

The current replay system replaced a previous system used during from 1986 through 1992; procedure similar to that of college football was used. From prior to 1986, and from 1993-1998, there was no replay system utilized. While there is occasional controversy over the appropriateness of overturned calls, the system is generally accepted as an effective, and necessary way to ensure a fair game.

[edit] College football

Head referee talking with the replay official

In 2006, the NCAA Football Rules Committee enacted instant replay guidelines and added them to the football playing rules. For games involving two schools from the same conference, league policy determines whether replay will be used. For non-conference games, the home team makes the determination.

Plays involving the sideline, goal line, end zone and end line, as well as other detectable situations, are reviewable (e.g., fumble/no fumble, pass complete/incomplete, touchdown/no touchdown, runner down/not down, player or ball inbounds/out of bounds, clock adjustments). Most fouls (e.g., holding, offside, pass interference) are not reviewable, except that in 2006, illegal forward passes, handoffs and punts from beyond the line of scrimmage, and too many players on the field are reviewable and the foul may be called after replay review. Also, while the foul of pass interference is not reviewable, it can be overturned on review based on touching of the pass. By rule, pass interference cannot apply if a pass has been touched by any player before the foul occurs, and the touching of a pass is a reviewable call.

When replay is used, a Replay Official (usually a former college, NFL or XFL game official) reviews every play at its conclusion from a secure booth in the press box. Most plays are routine and the game continues without interruption. If, however, the following criteria are met, the Replay Official may interrupt the contest by paging the game officials to stop the game before the next play starts. The criteria are:

• There is reasonable evidence to believe an error was made in the initial on-field ruling.
• The play is reviewable.
• Any reversal of the on-field ruling, which can only result from indisputable video evidence, would have a direct, competitive impact on the game.

Once per game, each head coach may also call a timeout and challenge the ruling on the previous play before the next play starts. A coach must have at least one timeout remaining in order to challenge (teams receive three timeouts per half). If the challenge is successful and the on-field ruling is overturned, the team keeps its timeout. If not, the team loses its timeout. In either event, the head coach may not challenge again during the game.

After reviewing the play from available video angles, the Replay Official decides if the call should be upheld or overturned. If the call is overturned, the Replay Official provides the proper information to restart the game, such as the team in possession, the yardline where the ball should be placed, the correct down and distance, and the correct time on the stadium clock.

College football instant replay started in the 2004 season, when reviews were used experimentally in the Big Ten Conference only. In the 2005 season, all conferences were allowed to use instant replay. Among Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (see Division I-A) conferences, the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West Conference, Pac-10, and SEC used replay in 2005. The Sun Belt and Western Athletic did not.

In 2005, the Big 12 initially sought to provide field monitors which would allow the on-field referee to assist the replay official; however, by the first game of the season, they decided to only provide equipment to the instant replay booth. Conference USA used a similar system, but the on-field referee made the decision after viewing a TV monitor on the sideline. The Mountain West Conference was the only league to allow a head coach's challenge. Each head coach got one challenge per half. If the call was overturned, the challenging coach kept his timeout and got a second challenge for that half. If not, the challenging coach lost one of his three timeouts for the half. No more than two challenges per half per coach were allowed.

There is not currently an Instant Replay equipment standard, each conference must choose (and purchase) its own equipment. Therefore, systems are quite disparate: they can be as complex as the high-tech custom systems similar as those used in the NFL to as simple as several large screens hooked up to TiVo boxes.

In 2005, the Big Ten, MAC, and SEC only allowed broadcast video (for games that are televised) to be used to determine the correct call. The other conferences allowed broadcast video and scoreboard video. Most conferences provided video equipment for games that were not televised.

Instant replay was first used in post-season games in the 2005 season. It was used in all 28 bowl games as well as the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, nee 1-AA), Division II and Division III national championship playoff games.

[edit] Canadian football

The Canadian Football League board of governors approved the use of instant replay starting in 2006.^[6] The CFL system appears to be modeled largely on the NFL's, although some differences have been incorporated to accommodate differences between the two codes:

• CFL teams are allowed two challenges per game - there is no provision for a third challenge.
• Since CFL teams are only allowed one time out per half (as opposed to three in the NFL), the first challenge has no effect on time outs whether successful or not. Only if the second challenge is unsuccessful will the time out be charged.
• Teams cannot challenge in the final three minutes of the second half or in overtime, however a replay official may initiate a review during these times (the CFL uses a three minute warning, not the two minute warning used in the NFL).

[edit] Basketball

In NBA basketball, the officials must watch an instant replay of a buzzer beater to determine if the shot was released before time expired. Beginning with the 2007-08 season, replay also can be used in determining players being ejected from contests involving brawls of flagrant fouls.

In college basketball, the same procedure may also be used to determine if a shot was released before time expired in either half or an overtime period. In addition, NCAA rules allow the officials to use instant replay to determine if a field goal is worth two or three points, who is to take a free throw, whether a fight occurred and who participated in a fight. The officials may also check if the shot was made before the expiration of the shot clock, but only when such a situation occurs at the end of a half. Such rules have also required the NCAA to write new rules stating that, when looking at instant replay video, the zeros on the clock, not the horn or red light, now determine the end of the game.^[7]

In Italy, host broadcaster Sky agreed with LEGA A for the adoption of instant replay for special tournaments and playoff games, and in 2005, for the entire season. Instant replay would be used automatically on situations similar to the NCAA, but coaches may, like the NFL, have one coach's challenge to challenge a two or three point shot, officials may determine who last touched the ball in an out-of-bounds situation, or back-court violations.

The adoption of instant replay would be crucial in the 2005 LEGA A championship between Armani Jeans Milano and Climamio Bologna. Bologna led the best-of-five series, 2-1, with Game 4 in Milan, and the home team leading 65-64, as Climamio's Ruben Douglas connected on a three-point basket at the end of the game to apparently win the LEGA A championship.

Officials, knowing the 12,000 fans on both sides would learn the fate of the series on their call, watched replays of the shot before determining it was valid.

The ULEB will adopt instant replay for the 2006 Euroleague Final Four and made a rule change determining the lights on the backboard, not the horn, will end a period, thus assisting with instant replay.^[8]

On April 6, 2006, FIBA announced instant replay for last-second shots would be legal for their competitions.

"The referee may use technical equipment to determine on a last shot made at the end of each period or extra period, whether the ball has or has not left the player's hand(s) within the playing time."^[9]

[edit] Ice hockey

In the National Hockey League, goals may only be reviewed in the following situations:

• puck crossing the goal line completely
• puck in the net prior to end of period
• puck in the net prior to goal frame being dislodged
• puck being directed into the net by hand or foot
• puck in the net after deflecting directly off an official
• puck deflected into the goal by the high stick by an attacking player

The review may only be initiated by the on-ice referees or by the video replay judge; neither team can initiate a review. In the Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament, all goals scored are automatically reviewed to ensure they were legitimate; the NHL sometimes does this during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Also, many plays in the NHL are monitored in "the war room" at league offices in Toronto by head replay official (and former Winnipeg Jet) Kris King and his assistants, who can contact replay judges at games (usually high-level local referees) and ask them to review the plays, or to mete out punishments for plays that were not noticed by the on-ice officials.

[edit] Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball implemented a system similar to that in the NHL for the last month of the 2008 season and beyond. MLB became the last of the four Major North American professional sports leagues to implement instant replay review, in part due to replay's effect of lengthening an already long game, and partially due to criticism from baseball purists, notably MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who believe that replay would break the longstanding tradition of putting each game's fate in the hands of the umpires on the field.

Instant replay reviews may only be initiated by the umpire crew chief, and only to review boundary home run calls to determine:

• fair (home run) or foul
• whether the ball actually left the playing field
• whether the ball was subject to spectator interference

A technician and an official (either an umpire supervisor or former umpire) monitor all games occurring at any given time from MLB.com's office in New York City (similar to the NHL system). Though a player or coach may request a review, final determination of whether a play will be reviewed lies solely with the crew chief, usually after consultation with the rest of the umpiring crew. If a crew chief believes a replay is warranted, he will go to a special console installed at every ballpark, call the technician using the phone attached to the console, and the technician in turn will feed the appropriate footage to the television screen. Upon reviewing the footage, the umpire must see "clear and convincing evidence" that the call on the field was incorrect in order to reverse it. Additionally, in the case of a home run call that is reversed (e.g., to a double), the crew chief is responsible for the placement of baserunners where they should have ended up had the correct call been made. ^[10]

General managers voted 25-5 in November 2007 on this system.^[11]

Further to their advertising deal with MLB during the 2008 season, all monitors used for the instant replay will be SHARP Aquos models. [[3]]

Replay made its MLB debut at Tropicana Field on September 3, 2008 after Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees hit a ball near the left-field foul pole that was initially ruled a home run by third base umpire Brian Runge. Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon and catcher Dioner Navarro argued that the ball was foul and asked for a review. After a conversation among the umpires, crew chief Charlie Reliford allowed the replay to take place and after review, upheld the home run call.^[12]

The first instance of an umpire's call being overturned by instant replay also occurred at Tropicana Field. On September 19, 2008, in the bottom of the 4th inning with two men on, Carlos Peña of the Rays hit the ball just over the fence in right field. The umpires originally ruled that there was spectator interference, but after several minutes of viewing replays, the umpires returned to the field and signaled it a home run, extending the Rays' lead to 9-0 at that point.^[13]

Aside from the two aforementioned reviews at Tampa Bay, review was used four additional times during the 2008 regular season: twice at Houston, once at Seattle, and once at San Francisco.

[edit] Tennis

In tennis, systems such as MacCAM Auto-Ref and Hawk-Eye are used to replay close or controversial line calls during network broadcasts of the game, although Hawk-Eye replays are 3D renderings and not actual footage. Starting in 2006, the USTA began using Hawk-Eye to allow players to challenge close calls in some professional matches, starting with the NASDAQ-100 Open. Players are allowed three incorrect challenges per set, and one extra for a tiebreak. This technology made its Grand Slam debut in the 2006 US Open. In 2007 Wimbledon installed Hawk-Eye on centre court and court 1, leaving the older Cyclops on the remaining courts.

[edit] Rugby

Instant replay has been widespread in the rugby codes for many years, especially rugby league. Replay calls, from the referee, can vary from the correct grounding of a ball at a try or to decide whether a player is onside before they catch the ball, when they score. However, in rugby union, the video referee can only be called to adjudicate on a possible scoring play or events in the in-goal area. The decision to call on the video referee (now called "Television Match Official (TMO)" is made by the referee, then the call is made by the replay referee, who takes his place in the stand of the host team. He either tells the pitch referee by radio link-up or by the use of a big screen during televised matches. Unlike in the NFL, a coach cannot challenge a call made by the pitch referee.

[edit] Cricket

Cricket also uses an instant replay. It is used in the areas of run outs, stumpings, doubtful catches and whether the ball has crossed the boundary for a six or short of a four.

The International Cricket Council^[14] decided to trial a referral system during the Indian tour of Sri Lanka through late July and August of 2008. This new referral system allows players to seek reviews, by the third umpire, of decisions by the on-field umpires on whether or not a batsman has been dismissed. Each team can make three unsuccessful requests per innings, which must be made within a few seconds of the ball becoming dead; once made, the requests cannot be withdrawn. Only the batsman involved in a dismissal can ask for a review of an "out" decision; in a "not out", only the captain or acting captain of the fielding team. In both cases players can consult on-field teammates but signals from off the field are not permitted.

A review request can be made by the player with a 'T' sign; the umpire will consult the TV umpire, who will review TV coverage of the incident before relaying back fact-based information. The field umpire can then either reverse his decision or stand by it; he indicates "out" with a raised finger and "not out" by crossing his hands in a horizontal position side to side in front and above his waist three times.

The TV umpire can use slow-motion, ultra-motion and super-slow replays, the mat, sound from the stump mics and approved ball tracking technology, which refers to Hawk-Eye technology that would only show the TV umpire where the ball pitched and where it hit the batsman's leg and it is not to be used for predicting the height or the direction of the ball. Snicko and Hot Spot are not to be used.

[edit] Rodeo

The Professional Bull Riders organisation, beginning with the 2006-07 season, has instituted an instant replay system in cooperation with the Versus network.

A bull rider, a fellow competitor, or a judge may request a replay review by filing a protest to the replay official within 30 seconds of any decision.

Any competitor (it does not have to be the rider who is riding the bull in question, as fellow riders can observe the action and spot fouls by bull or rider) may file the complaint to the replay official by sounding a signal at the arena and pay a fee of $500 to PBR before explaining to the replay official why he is filing the request.

The replay official (usually a former bull rider) may request different angles and/or slow motion, as well as freeze particular frames. The replay judge will use all available technology to assess the call in question and supply his ruling. This includes using his own hand-held stopwatch to time bull rides, as the official eight-second clock used in PBR competition starts when the bull usually exits the bucking chute.

The replay will be used to evaluate timing issues, fouls against the rider for touching the bull or ground with his free hand or using the fence to stay on the bull, or fouls by the bull, such as dragging the rider across the fence.

If an appeal is successful, the $500 is returned to the competitor filing the request. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the $500 is forfeited and sent to PBR charities such as the Resistol Relief Fund to assist injured bull riders.

[edit] Other sports

NASCAR has instant replay rules for use in to determine if a car had crossed the pit entrance before the pit was closed for a yellow flag, and to determine final race positions when a race ends with a caution because the flag waved on the final lap, or when the flag waves during the final two-lap sprint.

Instant replay has been used at least once in a high school quiz bowl game. During a round of 16 playoff game at a tournament at Michigan State University in 2003, Rufus King High School (WI) needed to score 30 points on the final bonus to defeat Corunna High School (MI). After correctly answering the first two questions, the moderator prompted for the answer on the third question. Rufus King's captain gave the correct answer and was awarded the win but Corunna protested that the moderator had allowed more than a natural pause. The Tournament Director, who was moderating a game in another room, was summoned to the room where he noticed that a parent of one of the players had used a video camera to record the game. He viewed the disputed answer and determined that it should have been disallowed, giving Corunna the win by five points.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Notes

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