For the first time in the NFL, someone other than a head coach can throw a red challenge flag on the field. Jamie Squire / Getty ImagesAug. 10, 2026 4:39 pm EDT Updated Beginning this season, head coaches will no longer be the only ones with the ability to initiate a replay challenge, according to a change in the NFL rulebook.Rule 15 (Instant Replay), Section 1 (Initiating A Replay Review), Article 1 (Coach Challenges) 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.” Previously, only the head coach could carry the red challenge flag and throw it on the field to stop the game for a challenge.The rule change was not part of the previously announced rule changes earlier this offseason, but the league can make some tweaks to rules that don’t require a vote from the owners.It’s important to note that the rule is an either/or situation; it does not add to the total number of individuals allowed to initiate a challenge per team, which remains one, according to a league official who was granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak on the subject. That means that if the head coach chooses to designate a member of his sideline staff to initiate challenges, the head coach himself will no longer have the ability to throw the flag on the field. As has been the case, the coaching staff — on the sidelines and in the press box — can communicate through headsets, so the head coach would still be able to be involved in the decision-making process and offer the final verdict, even if another individual is actually carrying out the action of throwing the red flag on the field.Designating a sideline staff member for this is optional, so it remains to be seen how many head coaches will choose to delegate the responsibility rather than maintain it themselves.