Replay officials of NFL games will be given more influence in the 2021 season, decided league owners on Wednesday among other new rules in response to coaches' request for more oversight of officials.

Replay officials usually sit in the press box during the game. From the new season, they can consult with referees on certain "specific, objective aspects of a play when clear and obvious video evidence is present."

That does not mean replay referees can throw lags on their own. But instead of participating in plays under review only, they are granted the power of offering advice based on what they've seen on broadcast replays in the areas of possession, completed or intercepted passes, the location of the ball relative to the boundary or end line, and whether a player is down by contact.

As for coaches, they won't need to throw challenge flags to get replay officials to work anymore. Of course, what they asked at the beginning was more robust. For example, the Baltimore Ravens wanted to add a full-time sky judge. According to Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL competition committee, neither his side nor the owners want that.

"I think we should try this. We have the technology. We have really good technology. It sits in the booth with the replay official, and it sits in New York. I think what we thought, and what the coaches' subcommittee thought, was let's use that technology and let's try to improve the crew. I do get nervous when it goes beyond that," said McKay.

Other new rules approved included:

Running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, defensive backs and linebackers can all wear numbers in the single digits.

The receiving team on kickoffs will be limited to nine players within 25 yards of the ball. This will be on a one-year try-out.

The area where players are prohibited from blocking below the waist will be expanded.

No overtime in preseason games.

If two passes are completed behind the line of scrimmage, it will be a loss of down.