{
  "id": 16875643,
  "title": "Isolated officiating issue, not overall problem, must be fixed by NFL",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/isolated-officiating-issue-not-overall-problem-must-be-fixed-by-nfl",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-28T09:03:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/isolated-officiating-issue-not-overall-090323665.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The NFL's officiating has been a recurring topic of discussion throughout the 2026 season. During Week 7, 14 games averaged 12.6 penalties with 101.3 yards. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton noted that if the TV audience is losing interest, the officials are doing their job well. However, the NFL faces an isolated issue with defensive pass interference and roughing the passer. According to NFLpenalties.com, defensive pass interference is up from 1.01 per game last year to 1.17 this year, while roughing the passer went from 0.33 last year to 0.47 this year.\n\nComparing penalty numbers from 1996 to 2026 reveals an increase in the number of penalties called. In 1996, the Week 7 games averaged 11.6 penalties for 90.5 yards, with only two games having fewer than 10 penalties and three games exceeding 100 penalty yards. In 2006, the average was 11.1 penalties for 85.7 yards, again with only two games under 10 penalties and four games surpassing 100 yards in penalties. The recent averages of 12.6 penalties for 101.3 yards show a troubling trend.\n\nThe league office should take notice of these issues, especially considering the scrutiny from high-profile games and stars like Tom Brady. The NFL could consider several solutions, including allowing coaches to challenge one penalty call per game, utilizing expedited replay reviews for pass interference and roughing the passer penalties, and permitting coaches to challenge penalties in the final two minutes of each half. Jaguars coach Liam Coen emphasized that while some penalty calls are legitimate, players must focus on fundamentals and techniques to avoid distractions caused by officiating.",
  "summary": "Does the NFL have an officiating problem or an isolated officiating issue? The answer is complicated.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}