NFL teams routinely seek explanations from the league when a controversial penalty or missed call changes the course of a game. These conversations are intended to help coaches understand how a play was judged and how they should teach it in the future.
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But the NFL doesn’t necessarily want these conversations to become public. That became an issue this week after Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay revealed what the league told his team about a controversial call that helped decide their loss to the Denver Broncos. He said the NFL told him officials made a mistake in calling a late pass interference penalty. However, this did not please the NFL, as they sent out a warning.
“Today, the league sent a memo to teams reminding them that all conversations regarding officiating must remain confidential,” the NFL said in its Friday communication, according to NFL Insider Ari Meirov’s X post.
The memo came days after McVay revealed the league had agreed with the Rams that a late defensive pass interference penalty on cornerback Josh Wallace should not have been called.
The controversial play came with just over a minute to go Sunday night. The Rams led 26-23 when Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw to Pat Bryant on third-and-6 from the Los Angeles 11-yard line.
Wallace threw what appeared to be a game-sealing interception, but officials flagged him for defensive pass interference. The penalty erased the turnover and gave Denver a first down near the goal line. Six plays later, Nix scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, putting the Broncos ahead 30-26 with 47 seconds left.
Los Angeles finally moved into Denver territory, but Matthew Stafford’s final pass to Davante Adams was intercepted.
McVay had sent the play to the league for review after the game, something teams routinely do to receive feedback on referees’ decisions. The Rams coach then revealed the answer during his press conference on Wednesday.
“They agreed with me,” McVay said.
Asked if that meant the league thought Wallace shouldn’t have been called for defensive pass interference, McVay said, “That’s correct.” »
McVay insisted he was less concerned about whether the league admitted an officiating error than he was about what the Rams might learn from the review.
“The goal is just to get good, consistent feedback,” McVay said. “The only thing that matters to me is how to educate our players.”
The NFL’s Game Operations Manual explains why commentary has become a problem. Teams can submit officiating questions and replay decisions after games, with the league’s officiating department expected to provide its factual opinion on whether calls were made.
But the same manual specifies that these conversations are confidential and warns that league disciplinary measures could be imposed on club personnel who violate this confidentiality.
According to Mark Maske, NFL reporter for Front Office Sports, “The NFL Game Operations Manual states: “All such conversations are confidential and should not be discussed publicly and League disciplinary action may be taken against club personnel for violations of this confidentiality.” »
It remains unclear whether McVay was allowed to publicly discuss the conversation. The NFL declined to comment, while the Rams did not immediately say whether the coach had received approval.
There is precedent for coaches discussing these evaluations publicly. Ravens coach John Harbaugh revealed last season that the league admitted to an officiating error after Baltimore’s loss to Pittsburgh, although he said he was authorized to make that information public.
The NFL previously experimented with replay reviews for pass interference, allowing such calls to be challenged during the 2019 season. The system was abandoned after a year, and judgments such as pass interference remained largely outside of replay review.
For the Rams, the loss remains on the record regardless of the league’s evaluation. Los Angeles is now 1-2 and must turn its attention to Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, while the NFL has made it clear that future officials’ conversations should remain behind closed doors.
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