PALM DESERT, Calif. — Instant replay might become a fixture in the NFL rule book for the next three seasons.

The league's competition committee, which met this weekend, is prepared to make the three-year recommendation to the owners, who begin meeting here on Monday. If so, it would be the first time in the nearly 20 years that the NFL has been experimenting with the rule that it will be implemented for more than a year.

"We think we have the support to get the three-year window," Bill Polian, the president of the Indianapolis Colts and one of the members of the rules-making committee, said Sunday. "We would leave it open for change from year-to-year, but the basic structure would remain in place."

That came as a somewhat scaled-down version of the NFL meetings opened — without nearly a third of the owners.

They were missing because many of the committee meetings were called off because of the trial in Los Angeles filed against the league by the Oakland Raiders. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue spent 11 days in California, keeping him from preparing as thoroughly as he might have.

There were also reports that some owners stayed away for fear of being served with subpoenas to testify at the trial.

But Joe Browne, the league's chief spokesman said: The trial had an impact on the meetings but it was because we didn't have time to prepare."

"And," Browne added. "We took care of a lot of business last winter. We don't have as much to get done."

One thing that will probably get done is making instant replay more permanent.

It was first installed in 1986 and taken out in 1991, each year barely winning or losing. A vote of three-quarters of the teams is required to implement it. It was revived two years ago with the coaches' challenge system.

But it has been discussed every year and never has it been put in — or ruled out — for more than one season.

This is not likely to be a busy meeting. Or rather, it is not likely to be a newsworthy one.

The league already has put off until late May — just before the June 1 deadline — realignment to eight four-team divisions. The move will be made for the return of Houston to the NFL as an expansion franchise for the 2002 season. Some of the options may be discussed at this meeting, but it still remains a contentious issue.

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"In the 40 years I've been in the league, the toughest thing we ever had to do was to realign in 1970," said Art Modell, owner of the Baltimore Ravens. "It's still one of the toughest things we have to do."

"I've always said I'd be surprised if it got done before May 31," Browne said.

Under the new scheduling format, each team will play only six division games — home and away against the other three rivals.

They also will play four games against another division from their conference on a rotating basis, four more against a division from the other conference and two more against conference teams based on the previous year's standings.

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