The NFL will allow head coaches to designate a member of their sideline staff to initiate replay challenges, a league official confirmed Monday.
Traditionally, head coaches have been the only member of a team that can declare a challenge by throwing the red flag. But that will change in 2026 if a coach prefers to assign the task to someone else, a decision he would have to inform officials of before the start of the game.
The change was not announced during the NFL's annual meeting where rule changes are typically voted on. But each summer the league makes tweaks when finalizing its rule book that don't require votes from ownership.
Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1(a) now reads: "The head coach or head coach's pregame challenge designee can initiate a challenge by throwing a red flag onto the field of play before the next legal snap or kick."
There were 151 coaches' challenges in 2025, the highest total since 2019.
Some coaches have acknowledged challenging calls for emotional rather than strategic reasons, and a designated staff member could provide a firewall for such decisions. Because staff members can communicate through headsets, the head coach is likely to be heavily involved in the decision to challenge, even if the mechanics look different.
