NEW YORK (AP) — NFL officiating was not a hot topic in the formal owners meetings that ended Wednesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell noted.

“There was talk on several occasions in the context of what the competition committee is looking to propose and implement and how to adjust to those rules,” Goodell said.

But there were no formal discussions on the floor during the two-day meetings.

Officiating has been a super-tense issue this season, in part because of several rules changes or points of emphasis, particularly regarding roughing the passer and helmet use in tackling.

Criticism of calls has come from almost everywhere: players, coaches, owners, media and fans. They reached a fevered pitch in September when Clay Matthews drew two flags for roughing the passer and reaction ranged from rage to describing the calls as “textbook tackles.”

Overall, roughing-the-passer calls are down since the competition committee clarified to game officials the techniques used in such hits during a conference call last month. There were 34 roughing calls through the first three weeks and 19 in the three weeks since the call.

“They always want consistency,” Goodell said, “but we will always have calls that are not clear. The focus of trying to protect defenseless players is something very important and we have a tremendous commitment to that.”