I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3096
To mandate the use of instant replay in the event of conflicting calls in
a professional sports league game played in the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 14, 1996
Mr. JACOBS (for himself and Mr. BURTON of Indiana) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To mandate the use of instant replay in the event of conflict-
ing calls in a professional sports league game played
in the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ‘‘The What-Really-Hap-
pened Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. MANDATORY INSTANT REPLAY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In a professional sports league
game played in the United States, the head referee, or
another referee designated by the league, shall—
(1) in the event of conflicting calls, review in-
stant replay to determine the correct call; and
(2) enforce the call determined to be correct
under paragraph (1).
(b) LEAGUE DUTY.—It shall be the duty of a profes-
sional sports league to make instant replay available to
the head referee or the designate.
SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT.
(a) FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.—The Federal
Trade Commission shall have the power to examine and
investigate a professional sports league to determine
whether such league has been or is engaged in any act
or practice prohibited by this Act.
(b) RELIEF.—If the Federal Trade Commission de-
termines a professional sports league has been or is en-
gaged in any act or practice prohibited by this Act, the
Commission may take action against such league by the
issuance of a cease and desist order as if the league was
in violation of section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission
Act.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘conflicting calls’’ means an occa-
sion when 2 or more referees make different calls re-
garding a given action of a player;
(2) the term ‘‘call’’ means a decision, made dur-
ing a game by a referee, concerning the permissibil-
ity of a player’s action under the rules of the profes-
sional sports league;
(3) the term ‘‘instant replay’’ means a video
record which may be viewed immediately after the
event which gave rise to the conflicting calls;
(4) the term ‘‘referee’’ means an official ap-
pointed to decide, to rule on plays, or to supervise
the conduct of a professional sports game;
(5) the term ‘‘head referee’’ means a referee
who has the final authority as referee;
(6) the term ‘‘professional sports league’’ means
an association—
(A) whose teams compete in football, bas-
ketball, baseball, or hockey;
(B) whose teams have been engaged in
competition in such sports for more than 7
years;
(C) which is composed of 20 or more pro-
fessional sports teams;
(D) which has adopted, accepted, or put
into effect rules for the conduct of the profes-
sional sports teams which are members of that
association and for the regulation of contests
and exhibitions in which such teams engage;
and
(E) which earns annual gross revenues ex-
ceeding $500,000,000 (adjusted annually for in-
flation); and
(7) the term ‘‘professional sports team’’ means
any group of professional athletes organized to play
a sport in a professional sports league.
Æ