Instant Replay Instant replay was used in the N.F.L. from 1986 to 1991 to review questionable plays. In 1991 the Competition Committee decided to abolish it to shorten the games and bring back the human element. Instant replay was an excellent way to make clutch calls and should be reinstated into he National Football League. Instant replay can be used to make calls when nobody can tell what it should be. If a catch is made on the sideline it can be used to decide whether or not the receiver's foot was in. If the ball is fumbled it can be used to determine if the ball carrier's knee was down. Referees many times make calls based on what they think