NFL Competition Committee Reportedly Implementing Changes for Playoffs

The NFL Competition Committee will implement administrative changes to officiating in the playoffs next month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. 

The alterations—which came after a committee discussion Tuesday—will involve "clock, down [and] penalty yards," per Rapoport, who noted how those changes could be implemented:   

Based on Rapoport's context, it appears the changes won't be drastic but rather involve more communication with the league's New York City offices on close down and clock considerations.

That wouldn't necessarily solve the ongoing debate about what constitutes a catch or the prospect of making reviewable a controversial penalty call.

But those changes could be on the horizon. In early December, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced he had formed a committee to address the catch rule. The catch committee is encouraging input from players, per Jarrett Bell of USA Today.

Two weeks ago, Goodell asked the competition committee to review how games are officiated, and Friday, he hinted on SiriusXM NFL Radio at the possibility of changes coming as soon as the playoffs (h/t NFL Communications):

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The facts are that the officials have done an absolutely extraordinary job, but they're going to make mistakes. We need to have that technology there and access to that to help them avoid those critical errors that can be decisive in a game. We're looking at that even in the context of this year's postseason.

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NFL officiating is as closely monitored—and scrutinized—as ever, particularly because technology has allowed audiences to see every fiber of the game under a microscope.

The league generally tries to avoid making changes midseason so a championship is not determined under different constraints than the preceding games. 

However, it's encouraging to see the NFL try to ensure erroneous officiating isn't the source of a team winning or losing the Super Bowl.