NFL Rule Update Allows Designated Staff Member To Throw Challenge Flags

Head coaches will no longer have to juggle a red flag with their game-day wardrobe.

The NFL is updating its rulebook for the 2026 season to allow head coaches to delegate replay challenge duties to a designated sideline staff member, ESPN reported Monday.

The updated 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.”

The league finalized the procedural modification during its routine summer rulebook adjustments, a process that does not require an ownership vote.

The adjustment comes after…

Read the full article at FOXSPORTS.COM