PatsFaninAZ
In the Starting Line-Up
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I don't know that anyone would dispute that the game is getting too fast for the officials. They also are clearly being asked to do alot by keeping up with the quarterback protection rules. There also is not only a talent difference in the league, but also an intelligence difference. Ed Hochuli doesn't just know the rules, he understands them, and so he is better able to exercise judgment during a game and over his crew. But even the great ones are having problems. Add in the fact that there is plainly a difference in each head referrees' definition of indisputable evidence, and there is a fairly wide inconsistency right now.
There are no easy fixes, but one thought I had was to simply do away with down by contact. There is really no good reason to require it. I can't really see anything wrong with the college rule that if you're down you're down, no matter how you got there. Is there some compelling need to have a guy who slips get back up? The rule would hurt teams and help them equally over the course of the year.
This would make so many other calls easier. Whether or not the runner was down is not itself the main thing that is being looked at on replay, but I'd say a good 40 to 50 percent of the time it is part of the whole play that needs be judged and it would take one element out of the equation and give refs a little less to think about. Just a thought.
There are no easy fixes, but one thought I had was to simply do away with down by contact. There is really no good reason to require it. I can't really see anything wrong with the college rule that if you're down you're down, no matter how you got there. Is there some compelling need to have a guy who slips get back up? The rule would hurt teams and help them equally over the course of the year.
This would make so many other calls easier. Whether or not the runner was down is not itself the main thing that is being looked at on replay, but I'd say a good 40 to 50 percent of the time it is part of the whole play that needs be judged and it would take one element out of the equation and give refs a little less to think about. Just a thought.