There may be no red flags, but ACC football will have instant replay next year.
The conference will adopt instant replay on an experimental basis for the 2005 season, using a system employed by the Big Ten last year.
“The system that was used by the Big Ten this past season received very positive reviews and had minimal impact on the flow and length of the games,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. “Everyone connected with college football—whether you are a fan, coach, player or official—wants a correct ruling on the field, and we believe that this is another step in the right direction of enhancing the quality of officiating and fair play.”
ACC faculty representatives unanimously approved the replay proposal at this week’s winter meetings. The reps and other conference officials heard presentations from David Parry, national coordinator of college football officials and coordinator of Big Ten football officials, and Tommy Hunt, coordinator of ACC football officials.
The NCAA Football Rules Committee decided last week to allow conferences to try instant replay like the Big Ten did last year.
“After a full season, we believe that instant replay adds to the effective administration of this great game of college football,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney said.
After seeing the success in the Big Ten this season, Duke head coach Ted Roof said Tuesday that he was in favor of the change for the upcoming season.
“I think we have great officiating in the ACC, but I am all for anything we can do to improve the overall quality of the game,” Roof said. “Statistics have shown that instant replay does not lengthen the time of the game, and it will be an asset to our league.”
The ACC is not the only conference that will use instant replay in 2005. The Big Ten will continue to utilize the system, and the Big 12 will join the ACC as a replay newcomer. Big 12 Assistant Commissioner Bob Burda said the conference will either decide to carry out a Big Ten-style plan, one similar to that of the NFL or a blend of the two.
The Big Ten replay system involves a booth official who halts the game if he believes there is a disputable call and reviews the available video footage. This procedure does not involve either coaches or on-the-field officials. This is unlike the NFL system, which is run through a coach’s challenge mechanism until the final two minutes of each half. The NCAA is allowing conferences to experiment with different forms of instant replay, and Burda said he did not expect the NCAA to pick one system to implement throughout Division I.
“I think the NCAA will leave it at the conference level and let conferences determine what suits them best,” Burda said.
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