Yesterday in the Redskins v Vikings game Joe Gibb challenged a play charging that the Vikings had 12 players on the field after the Redskins has fumbled the ball away. The officials on the field had not called the penalty and so Joe Gibb wanted to use instant replay to establish that there was a rules violation. Gibb was right in that the Vikings did have one player that had not made it to the sidelines before the ball was snapped, he got the penalty, and Washington retained the ball.

Perhaps others have seen this before but this is the first time I had seen instant replay used to initiate a penalty. For me this opens a can of worms.

Rarely is there NOT holding at the line of scrimmage when film is reviewed after a play but unless the officials see it then it is not called. Does this mean that a team can request a review of the play so that holding will be called?

There is often holding and pass interference down field that is not called by the officials. Does this mean that a team can challenge that the penalty was not called?

There has always been the position that when playing football that if officials don't see it then it isn't a foul. With the right to initiated a penalty based upon film footage seems to throw that idea out the window.

I believe the NFL has set a bad precident in there actions on Sunday.