The Coach Replay button is officially in play on the NBC series, and it’s actually a super useful tool.

The Voice season 26 officially kicked off on September 23, and we certainly didn’t expect this to go down!

During the premiere episode on NBC, fans watched Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani and Michael Bublé look for potential competitors to participate on their teams. The first round of Blind auditions featured country singer Kendall Eugene vying for a spot with a cover of Morgan Wallen’s “Don’t Think Jesus.” Although the coaches didn’t initially turn around during the performance, Reba surprised everyone when she revealed a brand-new twist not even Kendall saw coming. She announced a new feature called a “Coach Replay button,” allowing him to tearfully become a member of her team.

“I don’t understand why I did not turn around,” Reba told Kendall in a clip posted on YouTube. “We’ve got this new thing this year that is a Coach Replay button … I’m gonna use mine.”

When folks realized The Voice implemented something new to up the coaches’ game, they couldn’t stop raving about how much they loved the idea of it.

“The Coach Replay is a nice touch. I feel many people don’t get a chair turn when they deserved it so I hope this stays for future seasons,” one person wrote in the comments. “Awww thank God for the replay back button!!! Yes to Reba for pressing the button!!! He sure does have a good voice! He will do great on Reba’s team!!! Let’s go!!! 🙂🙂,” another declared. “Whoever came up with the replay button needs a raise! 😭,” a different viewer added.

So, what exactly is the Coach Replay button and how does it affect the rest of The Voice season 26? NBC Insider writes the purpose of the rule is for the coaches to be able to get an artist even if they initially didn’t turn their chairs around for the musician. But there are some caveats to the change:

Coaches can only use the function one time throughout the Blind auditions.
As of right now, the Coach Replay button is only available in the Blind auditions.

NBC Universal

Well, it looks like we need to keep our eyes peeled to see Kendall’s journey … and the possibility of more Coach Replay moments!

Adrianna Freedman
Editorial Assistant

As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.