ARTICLE 1. There are two methods to stop a game to review a ruling on the field.
a. The replay official and their crew shall review every play of a game. The replay official may stop a game at any time before the ball is next legally put in play (Exception:Rule 12-3-6d) whenever they believe that:
1. There is reasonable evidence to believe an error was made in the initial on-field ruling.
2. The play is reviewable.
3. The outcome of a review would have a direct, competitive impact on the game.
b. The head coach of either team may request that the game be stopped and a play be reviewed by challenging the on-field ruling.
1. A head coach initiates this challenge by taking a team timeout before the ball is next legally put in play (Exception:Rule 12-3-6d) and informing the referee that they are challenging the ruling of the previous play. If a head coach’s challenge is successful, they retain the challenge, which may be used only once more during the game. Thus, a coach may have a total of two challenges if and only if the initial challenge is successful.
2. After a review has been completed, if the on-field ruling is overturned, that team’s timeout will not be charged.
3. After a review has been completed, and the on-field ruling is not overturned, the charged team timeout counts as one of the three permitted that team for that half or the one permitted in that extra period.
4. A head coach may not challenge a ruling in which the game was stopped and a decision has already been made by the replay official. However, a head coach may challenge an aspect of the same play if that component of the play was not considered by the replay official as part of the initial review.
5. If a head coach requests a team timeout to challenge an on-field ruling and the play being challenged is not reviewable, the timeout shall count as one of the three permitted team timeouts during that half of the game or the one permitted in that extra period.
6. A head coach may not challenge an on-field ruling if the team timeouts are not available or have been exhausted for that half or in that extra period.
