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Associated Press
CHICAGO -- The Big Ten's experiment with instant replay went so well the conference is asking the NCAA to approve its use on a permanent basis for all Division I-A games.
The Big Ten's proposal will be considered by the NCAA Football Rules Committee in February. If instant replay can't be approved for widespread use in time for next season, the Big Ten is asking the NCAA for a one-year extension for its system, and to allow other conferences to experiment with it in 2005.
"After a full season, we believe that instant replay adds to the effective administration of this great game of college football," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Thursday. "We are hopeful that the NCAA will grant us permission to continue using the system next season and ultimately allow for permissive implementation of instant replay throughout Division I-A football."
The NCAA gave the Big Ten permission to experiment with instant replay for all of its televised games at conference stadiums last season. Under the Big Ten's system, a technical adviser watched the game from the press box and notified officials on the field via pager if he saw something questionable. Play was halted while the adviser reviewed the call using video from the television feed.
Calls could be overturned only if there was "indisputable video evidence," and judgment calls like illegal blocks and false starts were not eligible for review. Only calls like scoring plays, pass plays and number of players on the field could be reviewed.
The Big Ten said replay was used in 28 of the 57 games last season, with 21 of the 43 calls questioned overturned. Games where instant replay was used were three minutes longer on average, with reviews taking an average of 2 minutes and 39 seconds.
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