Not Blowing the Whistle

[bsfins]

I've noticed lately (especially) that the officials have been Extremely slow to make a call,it's a dead ball,down by contact,players are playing longer..then the officials step in and make a ruling....The Bears Texans game,Schaub obviously threw a forward pass,but the officials didn't make a ruling till after the bears picked the ball up ran 40 yards thinking it was a live ball.....

[Kirbyjr]

I have noticed this too this year and was wondering if it was some kind of "league coaching" making the refs blow the wistle later than usual on plays this year.

[run_to_win]

It only makes sense to let the play run it's course and allow replay to figure it all out. 

[Brian Fein]

agree with RTW.  I think after the Week 1 Ed Hoculi debacle, the officiating has bettered the situation by swallowing the whistle on questionable calls until you know for certain the play is dead.  They have the luxury of making a call and allowing replay to get it right.

[Dave Gray]

I think the fact that the Chargers ended up making the playoffs anyway will really dissolve that situation a lot.

They're going to have to review their rules in the offseason to figure out how to avoid situations where the ref knows he made a bad call, but is tied by the rules or the whistle blowing, or something like that.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

It only makes sense to let the play run it's course and allow replay to figure it all out. 

I agree here as well.  However, they need to get more cameras.  If the camera had the right angle in the Dolphins-Chiefs game, Ricky Williams fumble would have been overturned.

[NADS]

I have noticed this too this year and was wondering if it was some kind of "league coaching" making the refs blow the wistle later than usual on plays this year.

It came down at the beginning of the year (or last year) to wait a while before making a snap decision on close calls.  They make just as many quick calls as slow calls though.