League Officiating

[Dave Gray]

I don't know what it is -- if the rules have changed to allow for worse calls or what -- but something seems off.  It's like every game is hinging on these terrible calls.  And many of them are set up in a way that you can't really do anything about it.

The Washington game last night was a weird one.  
Vikings game had some craziness.
Raiders game.
Even ours.

I think that something needs to be looked at -- I'm not sure how or what to do so that the game doesn't slow to a halt.  But some of these things we call judgement calls, aren't.  Sure, the amount of contact on a PI might be a judgement, but a guy getting there early or not, isn't.

I have said this before, too, but I think that, especially with personal fouls, we need either 5/15 versions of some of these calls with 15 only called for egregious violations.


I also need an understanding of the rules.  Why is this play (at 2:11) flagged as unnecessary roughness.  There is no helmet to helmet.  He just hits the guy hard trying to dislodge the ball.   That was called a hit on a defenseless receiver.   What does that even mean?  Do you have to let them catch it?

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[CF DolFan]

A Jags player hit Dak Prescott yesterday cleanly and then released him as not to draw a flag. Dak went on to roll out and made a throw that fortunately wasn't completed. Players don't know what is and isn't allowed.

Reffing in the NFL has never been worse in my lifetime.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

One of the fundamental problems with twerking the rules is fans frequently apply prior year standards to the current year then complain even though the ref made the correct ruling for the current rules it doesn't match the fans expectations based on prior years officiating.

[Downunder Dolphan]

Reffing in the NFL has never been worse in my lifetime.

I've been watching NFL from the other side of the world for 40 years, and it just seems to get worse and worse each season. The mistakes at the end of the Commanders vs Giants game yesterday were an absolute disgrace.

The Superbowl is supposed to have the best officiating crew each year, but for several years now they have negatively effected the pinnacle game.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Everything should be reviewable, it's terrible that certain blown calls can't be reviewed and it effects the game. I don't care about "replay taking too long". They only play once a week and 80% of the reviewable plays are obvious, the refs just take long to pretend like they were close plays when they just blew the call.

I would literally have challenge flags for pass interference and holding calls. If you can use your judgement in real time to throw a flag, you can use your judgement in replay as well.

[CF DolFan]

Everything should be reviewable, it's terrible that certain blown calls can't be reviewed and it effects the game. I don't care about "replay taking too long". They only play once a week and 80% of the reviewable plays are obvious, the refs just take long to pretend like they were close plays when they just blew the call.

I would literally have challenge flags for pass interference and holding calls. If you can use your judgement in real time to throw a flag, you can use your judgement in replay as well.

I've always felt the head ref should sit in a booth and watch the game. If they see something obvious that should be overturned then they can stop the game and interject. Most of our bosses have never had an issue with stepping in so I don't think it's crazy that refs couldn't figure it out too. The main thing is to get the right call in a timely manner.

[Downunder Dolphan]

Everything should be reviewable, it's terrible that certain blown calls can't be reviewed and it effects the game. I don't care about "replay taking too long". They only play once a week and 80% of the reviewable plays are obvious, the refs just take long to pretend like they were close plays when they just blew the call.

I would literally have challenge flags for pass interference and holding calls. If you can use your judgement in real time to throw a flag, you can use your judgement in replay as well.

Yeah, I think once a play goes to the replay booth, every aspect should be under review. In the last year (or so) I remember a play where a coach threw the challenge flag for a fumble by the QB - the replay showed that while he did fumble before he was down, he was illegally hit in the head by the defender. The fumble was allowed because the illegal hit was not reviewable.

The point of a review is to ensure fairness and make sure the officiating on the play is correct - and it is failing far more regularly than it should. I wonder how much of this is due to the review process being moved to a central location? In the past there was a dedicated referee stationed in a review booth at every game for this, until it was all moved by the NFL to New York (I'm guessing as a cost-cutting measure?). It really should not make a difference, yet the process clearly is not as good as it should be.

[Spider-Dan]

The problem is that when they expand the scope of review - as they did with pass interference a few years back - it causes even more whining and moaning than whatever motivated them to expand it in the first place.

[EDGECRUSHER]

The problem is that when they expand the scope of review - as they did with pass interference a few years back - it causes even more whining and moaning than whatever motivated them to expand it in the first place.

I think the refs or league does that on purpose. Let's be honest, 99% of plays are obvious on review. If we can see the truth sitting at home, trained professionals can do it in a replay booth. They just don't want to because it makes them look bad.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I think the refs or league does that on purpose. Let's be honest, 99% of plays are obvious on review. If we can see the truth sitting at home, trained professionals can do it in a replay booth. They just don't want to because it makes them look bad.

99% of the calls are obvious to you, but not the trained professionals = Dunning–Kruger

[EDGECRUSHER]

99% of the calls are obvious to you, but not the trained professionals = Dunning–Kruger

You underestimate yourself. Did you see a guy's foot out of bounds or not? Did the ball hit the ground or not?

In real time, we can only guess as the game is too fast and we aren't on the field. On replay? Anyone with eyes is equal to the refs because of slow motion and multiple angles.

[Spider-Dan]

You underestimate yourself. Did you see a guy's foot out of bounds or not? Did the ball hit the ground or not?

The two examples cited at the start of this thread were personal fouls.

These are not "Did the ball hit the ground?" decisions.

[EDGECRUSHER]

The two examples cited at the start of this thread were personal fouls.

These are not "Did the ball hit the ground?" decisions.

Those are fairly easy to judge as well. If a CB grabs the arm of a WR and prevents him from making the catch, then that is pass interference. If an LT is holding the jersey of a pass rusher, then that is Holding.

In real time, I understand. Lots of players, lots of action. On replay? It really is simple with slow motion and multiple angles. Maybe a handful are very tough to make but the overwhelming majority are not.

[Spider-Dan]

In slow motion, there is offensive holding on literally every play.

[EDGECRUSHER]

In slow motion, there is offensive holding on literally every play.

It can initially be limited to pass interference calls to get the league's feet wet. As long asvthey start doing something against judgement penalty calls where the wrong team wins due to refree error.