The trained observer, who will be appointed not by the schools but by the conference, will serve as another line of defense when it comes to identifying concussions and other serious injuries that may go unchecked by teams and on-field officials. The observer will have the power to buzz in from the replay booth if he or she notices a possible injury was missed, forcing officials to stop the game and remove the player from the field to get checked out.
It’s a policy that was piloted by Florida last season, according to SEC head of officiating Steve Shaw, and the conference used the experiment with the Gators to help gather more information.