National Standard
The Football Bowl Subdivision will continue to follow the national protocols and standard for the NCAA FBS Instant Replay system adopted by the the Collegiate Commissioners Association prior to the 2007 season. To view that document, visit the football page on TheMWC.com.

Definition
Instant replay is a system utilizing electronic means to review and assist game officials with certain on-field decisions as listed.

Eligibility for Instant Replay

Participation

1. Any member institution may use instant replay. This rule is permissive, not a requirement. If instant replay is used, it must be used in full compliance with this rule.
2. For any non-conference game, if the home team is using instant replay, the visiting team does not have the option of declining its use for that game. If the home team is not using instant replay, the visiting team does not have the option of requesting that it be used in that game.

Reviewable Plays

Side Line, Goal Line, End Line
Reviewable plays governed by a sideline, goal line or an end line include:

1. Scoring plays, including a runner in possession of a live ball breaking the plane of a goal line. This includes field goal attempts only if the ball is ruled (a) below or above the crossbar, or (b) inside or outside the uprights when it is lower than the top of the uprights. If the ball is higher than the top of the uprights, the play may not be reviewed.
2. A pass ruled complete, incomplete or intercepted at a side line, goal line or an end line.
3. A runner or pass receiver ruled in or out of bounds. If runner is ruled out of bounds, the play is not reviewable.
4. Recovery of a loose ball in or out of bounds in the field of play or an end zone.
5. A loose ball touching a side line, goal line or an end line.

Passes
Reviewable plays involving passes include:

1. A pass ruled complete, incomplete or intercepted anywhere in the field of play or an end zone.
2. A legal forward pass touched by an originally ineligible receiver.
3. A legal forward pass touched by a defensive player.
4. A fumble ruled on the part of a potential passer. (Note: If the on-field ruling is forward pass and the pass is incomplete, the play is not reviewable).
5. A forward pass or forward handing ruled when a runner is beyond the line of scrimmage.
6. A forward pass or forward handing ruled after a change of possession.
7. A pass ruled forward or backward when thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. (Note: If the pass is ruled forward and is incomplete, the play is not reviewable.)

Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous reviewable plays include:

1. A runner judged not to have been down by rule.
2. A ball carrier judged to have been down by rule when the recovery of a fumble by an opponent or teammate occurs in the immediate action following the fumble and is prior to any official signaling that the ball is dead.
   (Note 1: If the ball carrier is judged down by rule and the replay official does not have indisputable video evidence as to which player recovers the fumble, the ruling of down-by-rule stands.)
   (Note 2: If the ruling of down-by-rule is reversed, the ball belongs to the recovering player at the spot of the recovery and any advance is nullified.)
3. A ball carrier judged to have been out of bounds when his immediate action takes him into the opponent's end zone and is prior to any official signaling that the ball is dead.
4. A runner's forward progress with respect to a first down.
5. Touching of any type kick by any player.
6. The number of players participating by either team during a live ball.
7. A scrimmage kicker beyond the line of scrimmage when the ball is kicked.
8. Clock adjustment when a ruling on the field is reversed. The replay official may correct an egregious game-clock error.
9. A fumble recovery by a Team A player during fourth down or a try and before any change of possession.
10. A kick that is advanced by the kicking team after a muff or fumble by the receiving team.
11. Correcting the number of a down. (Note: The correction may be made at any time within that series of downs or before the ball is legally put in play after that series.)
12. Any person who is not a player interfering with live-ball action occurring in the field of play.

Limitations on Reviewable Plays
No other plays or officiating decisions are reviewable. However, the replay official may correct egregious errors. This excludes fouls that are not specifically reviewable.

Personnel, Equipment and Location

Personnel
Instant replay personnel shall consist of the number of persons needed to operate the replay equipment within the necessary time constraints. A minimum of three persons shall be utilized to insure that all plays are reviewed in an efficient and a timely manner. Such persons are normally referred to as replay official, communicator and technician. Additional persons may be used as needed.

Equipment
The type of equipment used to carry out necessary instant replay duties shall be determined by each conference or member institution utilizing instant replay.

Location

1. All equipment used in making a decision during the replay process and the personnel using that equipment shall be located in a separate, secure location in the press box. This room shall not be available or accessible to any person not directly involved in instant replay.
2. Additional telephonic equipment needed to allow instant reply personnel to communicate with the game referee when a game has been stopped for a play review shall be located on a side line near the field of play and preferably outside a team area. Such equipment shall provide the game referee and the replay official a secure and private means of communication.

Initiating the Replay Process

Game Stop
There are two methods to stop a game to review a ruling on the field.

1. The replay official and his crew shall review every play of a game. He may stop a game at any time before the ball is next legally put in play whenever he believes that:
   1. There is reasonable evidence to believe an error was made in the initial on-field ruling.
   2. The play is reviewable.
   3. Any reversal of an on-field ruling, which would result from indisputable video evidence, would have a direct, competitive impact on the game.
2. 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 and informing the referee that he is challenging the ruling of the previous play. If a head coach's challenge is successful, he retains the challenge, which he may use only once more during the game. Thus, a coach may have a total of two challenges if and only if his intial challenge is successful.
   2. After a review has been completed, if the on-field ruling is reversed, that team's timeout will not be charged.
   3. After a review has been completed, and the on-field ruling is not reversed, 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.
   5. If a head coach requests a team time out to challenge an on-field ruling and the play being challenged is not reviewable, the timeout shall count as one of the three permitted his team during that half of the game or the one permitted in that extra period. If all team timeouts have been used, a delay penalty will be assessed.
   6. A head coach may not challenge an on-field ruling if all the team's timeouts have been used for that half or in that extra period.

When to Stop a Game

1. A game may be stopped, either by the instant replay official or by a head coach's challenge at any time before the ball is next legally put in play.
2. No game official may request that a game be stopped and a play be reviewed.

Reviewing an On-Field Ruling

Procedures

1. When a game is to be stopped either by the replay official or by a head coach's challenge, the designated officials on the field will be notified by a buzzer system or other appropriate means.
2. The referee shall announce that the ruling on the field is being reviewed. If the game has been stopped due to a head coach's challenge, the referee will so indicate in his announcement.
3. All reviews shall be based upon video evidence provided by and coming directly from the televised production of the game or from other video means available to the replay official.
4. After the referee has conferred with the replay official and the review process has been completed, he shall make one of the following announcements:
   1. If the video evidence confirms the on-field ruling:
      "After review, the ruling on the field is confirmed."
   2. If there is no indisputable (conclusive) evidence to reverse the onfield ruling:
      "After review, the ruling on the field stands."
   3. If the on-field ruling is reversed:
      "After review, the ruling on the field is [followed by a brief description of the video evidence]. Therefore, [followed by a brief description of what the reversal means]."
5. If a ruling is reversed, the replay official shall supply the referee with all pertinent data as needed (next down, distance, yard line, position of the ball, clock status/adjustment) in order to resume play under the correct game conditions.

Time Restrictions

1. There is no restriction on the number of times the replay official may stop a game to review an on-field ruling.
2. Once a game has been stopped to review a play, regardless of how it was stopped, there is no time limit for the review process.

Reversing an On-Field Ruling

Criterion for Reversal
In order to reverse an on-field ruling, the replay official must see indisputable video evidence through one or more video replays provided to the monitor.

Instant Replay System

In 2007, the Mountain West partnered with DVSport, Inc. The MWC will continue to utilize DVSport's instant replay equipment for the 2008 season.