Photo: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
What It Is
Instant replay is the technique of showing a play again right after it happens, and it debuted on live TV on December 7, 1963, during the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia. CBS director Tony Verna, who was 29, used more than a ton of videotape equipment to replay a play in about 15 seconds, at a time when cueing up a tape usually took about 15 minutes. He used it once that day, to show Army quarterback Rollie Stichweh’s touchdown run, and announcer Lindsey Nelson told viewers, “This is not live! Ladies and gentlemen, Army did not score again!” so no one would think Army had scored twice. One replay attempt had to be scrapped because the tape had been reused from an episode of I Love Lucy, and Lucille Ball’s face showed up over the football field. Replay spread quickly and is now a standard part of sports broadcasts.
Why It Matters
Instant replay changed what viewers expected from a game, since they could now see an important play a second time. It also changed the broadcaster’s job, because announcers had to explain what viewers were seeing and add new details as the replay played. Nelson’s quick warning shows how broadcasters think on their feet when something new happens on air. Replay later became part of how officials review calls in sports, including in the National Hockey League, which began using it to review disputed goals starting in the 1991-92 season. Today’s broadcasters still use replay to tell the story of a game, deciding which moments are worth another look.
