'Sky Judge' Official Is a No-Brainer for the NFL

In the third quarter of Sunday's Alliance of American Football game between the San Antonio Commanders and the Birmingham Iron, San Antonio defensive back Duke Thomas laid an unnecessary late hit on defenseless Birmingham wide receiver Tobias Palmer.

The eight officials on the field missed the call.

In the NFL, where penalties generally aren't reviewable, Thomas would have gotten away with a dirty play, and his team wouldn't have been penalized even after the viewing audience was exposed to instant replays confirming that a personal foul was committed.

In the AAF, an immediate review was conducted by an extra official known as a "Sky Judge," who in this case was able to quickly ascertain via…