The NFL is allowing head coaches to designate a member of their sideline staff to initiate replay challenges, a league official confirmed to ESPN's Kevin Seifert on Monday.
The change was not announced this spring at the NFL's annual meeting, where rule proposals are typically put up for a vote. However, it's typical of the league to make minor adjustments to its rule book each summer that often don't require a vote from team owners.
Prior to the rule change, head coaches had been the only member of a team who could throw a challenge flag. Clubs must now inform officials before kickoff if a coach prefers to assign the task to another staff member.
Teams recorded a combined 151 coaches' challenges in 2025, the highest total since 2019.
In the past, some coaches have acknowledged that they've challenged calls out of emotion rather than strategy. Under the new rule, designated staff members could help ease the burden on head coaches in such instances.
