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For the game to be stopped, the outcome of the review must have a direct, competitive impact on the outcome of the game.
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Scoring and change of possession plays must be cleared by replay before play is resumed.
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All targeting fouls called on the field are reviewed by rule (Rule 12-3-5).
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The replay crew must know the ruling on the field before determining if a play is significant and should be reviewed. That includes knowing what penalties were called, the down and distance of the next play, and who recovered any loose ball.
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As a general guideline, catch/no catch, player down, or player out of bounds should have a difference of at least 10 yards to be significant; However, obvious errors and other factors (e.g., score, time remaining and field position) can affect application of this guideline and cause plays with less than a 10-yard impact to be reviewed.
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Advance of a kick after a fair catch signal was given is reviewable. Replay must determine if advance created an advantage (Rule 12-3-3c).
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Reviewing whether a player made the line to gain is significant on third and fourth down. First or second down may be significant in late game situations when the clock is a factor.
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When a play does not meet the competitive effect standard, but a clear shot comes up immediately with television highlighting an obvious mistake the Replay Official should correct it with an O2O review. (For example, a short pass is ruled complete but clear and immediate evidence shows the receiver caught the pass out of bounds.)
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In lopsided games, the replay crew should stop play only if it is 100 percent certain that the play will be overturned.
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Look for smoke (e.g., player reaction to a play), which indicates there may be an issue with a play.
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Everything is magnified in overtime.
