THE SIDELINES : NFL Noise Update: Only in Extremes

Indianapolis Colts General Manager Jim Irsay said today that he has been assured by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle that referees will call penalties for too much noise only in extreme situations during the 1989 season.

Irsay told a news conference that he had spoken to Rozelle on the telephone earlier today and been told that Rozelle would not order a complete reversal of the controversial anti-noise rule. The rule allows an official to charge a home team with a time out or to penalize it 5 yards when the visiting team’s quarterback indicates his teammates cannot hear signals because of noise from the crowd. The Colts were penalized for violating the rule five times in the third quarter of last Saturday’s 38-34 victory over Denver.

“The referees are meeting in Texas today, and the commissioner has assured me that only in extreme situations will the referee toss the flag and take away timeouts,” Irsay said.