NFL Lets Staff Throw Replay Challenge Flags in 2026 After 151 Coach Challenges
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Aug 10
NFL Lets Staff Throw Replay Challenge Flags in 2026 After 151 Coach Challenges
3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Aug 10
Summary
Starting in 2026, NFL head coaches can name a pregame sideline designee to initiate replay challenges by throwing the red flag, ending the coach-only requirement.
Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1(a) was updated in the finalized rule book rather than at the annual meeting, so the tweak did not require an ownership vote.
The change follows 151 coaches' challenges in 2025—the most since 2019—and gives teams a buffer against emotional, in-the-moment challenge decisions.
Head coaches are still expected to drive those calls through headset communication, with the new rule mainly shifting who physically throws the flag.