I think everyone so far is in agreement that running out of challenges like what happened on Sun to the riders isn't the best rule and needs to be improved.
Possible changes:
a) Challenge any time you have a timeout, lose the challenge, lose the timeout (no freebie)
b) Unlimited challenges, if you lose you either lose a timeout, or, if you don't have one, you are assessed a delay of game penalty.
c) A system like we have, with one freebie "challenge" timeout. So your first UNSUCCESSFUL challenge burns that before it attacks your timeout and then delay of game penalties.
I also think any call should be challengable. There have been a ton of calls that go bad that are "unchallengable". Along with that, I don't think challenges should be allowed to be withdrawn. If the challenge flag is thrown, either the ruling on the field is reviewed and overturned, or a timeout or delay of game penalty is assessed.
Video review is there so they get the call right. If it doesn't work, it's become a liability. Fix it or get rid of it, because right now, we also all seem to agree, it's broke.
The only change I would like to see is that you start with 2 challenges and 2 time outs....Lose a challenge, lose a timeout. If you lose the second challenge in the first half, you lose the second half timeout.
However, should you win a challenge, you still have it in the bank
Get rid of the chalenge system completely and have Tom Higgins on the TSN panel with Dunnigan,Schults,Climie.
Give him full power to over rule all refs....He would have a direct line to an earpiece in the head refs ear for every game....
Every single play would be reviewed....including bogus pass interfence callls...including bogus offside calls...
Remove every offical off the field except for one head ref while your at it.
Add 4 cammers and bring in those tennis computers to determine where punts go out of bounds and if a player steped out of bounds.
Get rid of the idiots...bring in the machines....MODERNIZE.... If the CFL actually did this the NFL would follow within 5 years...thus calming the Canadian inferiority complex that we were actually doing something inovative and not just ripping off the yanks
Those tennis camera systems are amazing...I think that they could be used in lots of other areas. I was surprised that Olympic events like Shotput still rely on some guy sticking a flag into the grass where the ball hit. Surely they could use the tennis camera system?
If they did come up with a way to computerize the boundary lines, couldn't they do the same with the goal line, to determine if and at what point the ball broke the plane? And maybe come up with some way to determine whether a player's forward momentum was enough for a first down? Some of that technology may be not be available yet, but maybe someday...
Anyway, I've always thought that if you win a challenge you shouldn't be charged for it. One unsuccessful challenge per half should eliminate your right to challenge for the remainder of the half. No freebies. The only way this would extend the game is if the officials are repeatedly making bad calls against one team. This could only happen if the officials are biased, which we all know they are not. And if the officials confiscated the challenge flag once a team has used all their challenges, coaches couldn't slow down the game by throwing the flag over and over again.
every scoring play, or potential scoring play should be reviewed at any time during the game
The refs should be able to call up to the replay booth for a review any time they're not sure or want a reconfirmation.
You'd think the league and the ref's would want to get it right. And how can they on a play like that Rider TD, that happened so fast, and with all those bodies flying around?
Can you imagine if a team lost a playoff or Grey Cup game on that missed call? The non call on Doug Flutie's fumble in that Grey Cup game over 10 years ago is still talked about. Why wouldn't the league want to protect the integrity of the game???
I think the current system is fine. The only improvement in the area of challenges should be better calls by the officials and some improvements to the camera's available and the quality of them.
And how long do you think the games would go then?
Replay system is fine as is. Maybe one more challenge if your first two are correct. Teams shouldn’t put themselves in the position that one call effects the game. Mistakes are going to be made.