NFL challenge Rules: How many challenges are each team allowed per game?

The NFL is not the easiest game for casual fans to understand as there's a new rule every other day. There are a lot of ways to interpret them, and we can only partially exclude a few alterations to the more head-scratching ones.

So today, we will explain the NFL challenge rules, how many challenges each team is allowed per game, and then some. Let's get to the challenge, shall we?

How many challenges is each team allowed per game?

Each NFL team starts a game with two challenges, with the possibility that a third challenge will be added to their quota before the end of the game. To get the said third challenge, head coaches of the teams in play must be successful in both of their first two challenges.

Furthermore, challenges are dependent on the team having timeouts remaining. That's because if a side doesn't have a timeout left in that half, they cannot challenge a play for the rest of the game. It is also important to note that with two minutes left in a half, challenges are instigated by the replay official.

In cases where it is outside of the two-minute timeframe, the following plays are immediately reviewed:

1. Any scoring play
2. A turnover, and
3. Player disqualifications

Kindly note: There are zero limits to the number of official replays.

What happens if you lose a challenge in the NFL?

If a head coach challenges a play and loses, his team will lose a timeout. What is the rationale behind this? If a team has no timeouts, they cannot challenge.

Furthermore, when one of the team's initial challenges is unsuccessful, it simply means that the unsuccessful challenging team cannot get the third potential challenge for the game.

Is there a situation when you can't challenge a call in an NFL game?

Yes, there is a situation where a challenge will not be honored. This becomes the case when the intricacies of the challenge rules come into it. For instance, a team can only challenge if they have an available challenge or are out of timeouts.

Such scenarios include but are not limited to the following:

1. All fouls (except for the number of players on the field)
2. Spot of the ball and runner
3. Other situations include erroneous whistling, whether a player was blocked into a loose ball, and the like.

What plays can be challenged during an NFL game?

As much as the plays mentioned above cannot be reviewed in real-time via a challenge, some can be challenged by head coaches. Here are a select group of them.

1. Plays involving touching of either the ball or the ground
2. Possession
3. Goal-line plays
4. Plays on the sidelines
5. Plays at the line of scrimmage
6. Plays at the line to gain