Starting in 2026, NFL head coaches won't be the only ones allowed to throw the red flag.

A league official confirmed Monday that coaches can now hand off replay-challenge duties to another member of their sideline staff — though they'll need to tell officials who that person is before kickoff.

The update wasn't part of the rule changes voted on at the NFL's annual meeting. Instead, it's one of the smaller adjustments the league makes each summer while finalizing its rulebook for the upcoming football season, changes that don't require owner approval.

The rulebook now states that either the head coach or a designated staffer can throw the flag before the next snap or kick.

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The NFL introduced instant replay back in 1986, but coaches didn't gain the ability to challenge calls with the red flag until 1999. Before that, reviews were triggered by a replay official in the booth, not the coaches on the sideline.

Since then, the technology behind replay has kept evolving — high-definition video arrived in 2007, along with freeze-frame tools and more camera angles to work with. Ahead of the 2021 season, the league rolled out the Hawk-Eye SMART system at Art McNally GameDay Central (AMGC), the hub for all replay reviews. Today, that gives the NFL access to every angle of the field, with AMGC staff monitoring action throughout each game and stepping in whenever a play goes to review.

This latest tweak to the challenge process comes after a busy year for replay challenges — coaches reportedly threw the flag 151 times in 2025, the most since 2019. Some coaches have admitted to challenging plays out of frustration rather than strategy, so having someone else make the call could help take emotion out of the decision.

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