You are Tagliabu: How do you improve the officiating?

[JoeSixPat]

Simple answer - technology

Yuo can't smuggle a CD 1 inch out of Strawberries, but somehow the NFL can't apply the same technology to the football and goal line.

That and more cameras, and a uber-umpire to review all controversial calls (only in the playoffs) would be a good start

 

[CheerforTom]

One word, baby: robots.

 

[dante828]

There is always going to be human error, there is almost nothing you can do about that. I like the idea of finding some way to more accurately track the ball's position. Not sure how this could be done, but its something the league should spend money looking in to. As for PI, make it the same as defensive holding, 5 yards and a first down. The first down makes it serious without deciding the game on a 50 yard penalty (which has never made any sense anyway). Either do this or make it like a face mask, 5 yards for a minor infraction, 15 for a major. A general de-emphasis on calling penalties in big games may also help (Thanks Colts!). There will always be bad calls, but hopefully the penalties won't kill a team one way or the other.

As far as the suggestion goes for a mini screen for officials, I don't think this would work because clarity on a small screen will always be an issue, no one can make a judgment on a close call on a small screen.

 

[Fantasic4x50x54x59x55]

how about.. as soon at the yellow flags go flyin.. if someone on the field can catch it before it hits the ground..the penalty automatically is erased. :rocker:

 

[Brownfan80]

how about.. as soon at the yellow flags go flyin.. if someone on the field can catch it before it hits the ground..the penalty automatically is erased. :rocker:

This is by far the best idea ever.

 

[mgteich]

There would no longer be completed long passes. It would pay to mug anyone who beat you to the ball. No 15 yards for PI just doesn't work.

One free penalty isn't compensation for anything. It would be used when needed to change the complection of the game. 3rd and ten, the ball is going 35 yards downfield to the endzone. The player is mugged. The flag is thrown. The drive will continue, but No, wait, the coach had used his free mugging pass. 3rd and 10. NOT!

Reduce PI to a 15 yard penalty, and allow each team one free pass on a penalty in addition to the challenges. The one free pass would become a strategic element for both teams that could also be used to compensate for an unfair call.

 

[dante828]

There would no longer be completed long passes. It would pay to mug anyone who beat you to the ball. No 15 yards for PI just doesn't work.

This is incorrect, since there are many a times receivers bust open without anyone covering them. Though this is a good point, 15 yards is not insignificant. Would it change the game, yes. But then you have to decide if you like how PI is affecting key games now. Making PI a 15 yard penalty keeps the game in the players hands, where it should be.

 

[IcyPatriot]

One word, baby: robots.

ROBOT IS AVAILABLE...HE'S BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR MANY YEARS

 

[Tunescribe]

ROBOT IS AVAILABLE...HE'S BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR MANY YEARS

I can see it now. Hobbs gets beat on a slant and the robot starts flailing his arms and shouting "Danger, Bill Belichick! Danger! Danger!"

 

[ilduce06410]

pretty close to that now

I think they could make it better very easily. Just add a replay official for each game and a small, wireless earpiece for the referee. Any real close plays could be discussed by the officials, like they do sometimes now and they would have the advantage of an "EYE IN THE SKY" for their discussions.
Or the "EYE IN THE SKY" could quickly tell the ref to call a huddle....The fans would never know which calls were aided and which were not. I figure even if they only help overturn 1 or 2 crucial bad call each game...it would be a step in the right direction.
Also, do away with that dumb red flag...it sometimes helps overturn calls but it almost always kills 2-minute drills. I think it's exciting to see a Brady, Manning, Palmer at one end of the field with 3 timeouts to spare....it's not the same when they have only 1 or 2. Then they gamble to much and the drive never materializes.

There is a ref in a structure next to the press box. he IS wired to the referee. i IMAGINE there are times when the "eye in the sky" tells the referee to slow
down, there might be a red flag.

What i don't know is the role (if any) that the eye plays when officials get together and discuss a play. BUT keep in mind that the eye guy is formally a game official and a member of the crew. i've read (espn, i think) that camraderie with the "eye" guy has improved. maybe field officials get rotated up there, too.

 

[OldEnglandPatriot]

15 yards for PI, the perfected solution (?)

I think 15 yards for pass interference makes a WHOLE lot of sense, and I think the suggested problems of (a) 'it paying to mug people downfield' and (b) 'what about if its a last-second hail mary?' can both be solved. By me

My suggestion is that after PI and a 15 yard penalty in the last two mins of the game or half, the offence is given a FREE DOWN. This means exactly what it says; they get to run a play without the clock running, the results of which only count if they are positive for the offence - so a sack, interception, fumble etc can occur but do not affect field position or possession. If one of those things happen, the offence now simply begins on 1st and 10 with the ball spotted wherever the 15 yard PI penalty just put it.

I would equate this idea to things like the free throw in basketball, or the 'free hit' that even stuffy old cricket has recently added to its new format, whereby after a 'no-ball' has been 'pitched' (trying to make this comprehensible to Americans!) the batter is pitched a ball which he can score from but cannot be got out on.

The more I think about this idea, the more sense I think it makes: It makes interference in the end-zone less of a killer during most of the game, penalizes the defense more harshly in the last 2 minutes, and gives the offense another shot if the play occurs as time expires.

Comments?

 

[DaBruinz]

While the idea of having a sensor in the ball is a good one, there is also a problem with it. That problem is exactly what happened during the SB. Where Big Ben didn't make it in (my opinion), yet he put the ball over after he was already down. How would the sensor KNOW that the play was already dead? Would there be a time stamp on it so that the "Eye in the Sky" could look and see when Ben actually put the ball across and if that was before or after the whistle?

 

[Tunescribe]

While the idea of having a sensor in the ball is a good one, there is also a problem with it. That problem is exactly what happened during the SB. Where Big Ben didn't make it in (my opinion), yet he put the ball over after he was already down. How would the sensor KNOW that the play was already dead? Would there be a time stamp on it so that the "Eye in the Sky" could look and see when Ben actually put the ball across and if that was before or after the whistle?

Maybe the whistle could be engineered to deactivate the sensor, or the ref could deactivate it somehow manually ... But as soon as the whistle sounds you know the play is dead.

 

[Michael]

While the idea of having a sensor in the ball is a good one, there is also a problem with it. That problem is exactly what happened during the SB. Where Big Ben didn't make it in (my opinion), yet he put the ball over after he was already down. How would the sensor KNOW that the play was already dead? Would there be a time stamp on it so that the "Eye in the Sky" could look and see when Ben actually put the ball across and if that was before or after the whistle?

If there was a light that went on you could check that against the replay to see when it came on. But, I'm not holding my breath on technology improving the officiating. If you had a broken sensor then what? It doesn't seem like a viable solution.

I think all scores except kicking should be automatically reviewed. Further any penalty that removes a score (such as a PI call on the offense during a play where the offense scored) should be automatically reviewed. All turnovers should be automatically reviewed. Also there should be a NFL committee that audits all NFL games. Going over each play. Recording all infractions on the field, whether or not they called and rate them on a severity scale. Amongst other items. This information should be posted by Friday of the following week on the web with names and uniform numbers of officials of each game. That would be a good start.

 

[gomezcat]

I think 15 yards for pass interference makes a WHOLE lot of sense, and I think the suggested problems of (a) 'it paying to mug people downfield' and (b) 'what about if its a last-second hail mary?' can both be solved. By me

My suggestion is that after PI and a 15 yard penalty in the last two mins of the game or half, the offence is given a FREE DOWN. This means exactly what it says; they get to run a play without the clock running, the results of which only count if they are positive for the offence - so a sack, interception, fumble etc can occur but do not affect field position or possession. If one of those things happen, the offence now simply begins on 1st and 10 with the ball spotted wherever the 15 yard PI penalty just put it.

I would equate this idea to things like the free throw in basketball, or the 'free hit' that even stuffy old cricket has recently added to its new format, whereby after a 'no-ball' has been 'pitched' (trying to make this comprehensible to Americans!) the batter is pitched a ball which he can score from but cannot be got out on.

The more I think about this idea, the more sense I think it makes: It makes interference in the end-zone less of a killer during most of the game, penalizes the defense more harshly in the last 2 minutes, and gives the offense another shot if the play occurs as time expires.

Comments?

Those are interesting ideas. If a turnover occurred on the free down, would it count? I might also add the penalty TD, where a team is given a TD where it is clear that only their opponents' foul play stopped them from doing so. It works very well in Rugby.

BTW, I'd suggest giving up now on trying to explain cricket.
It's hard enough to explain to most casual English fans as I found out trying to explain what LBW is and isn't, etc, to my better half. We had some great debates last summer about the Ashes on here with Ozpat. He was very gracious, I have to say- for an Aussie, that is!

 

[shirtsleeve]

How about some plain old fashioned common sense? There is surely a clear difference between the body check or Jack Tatum/Darrell Stingley style hit that is clearly dangerous, versus a WR and a DB jostling for position. PI to me is where someone has been unfairly denied a reasonable chance of going for the ball, not something where a flag was thrown for the merest contact- so, if my stiff arm throws you way off track when we are about to go for the ball, then that is PI. However, if you and I bump each other a bit, then you should let that go. I like the idea of a 15 yard penalty for it, as well.
As for Roughing the Passer, I am more inclined to say that it shouldn't be called unless it is clear intent. Otherwise, pass rushing will be limited and the NFL gives QBs too much of a pass as it is. I WANT VIOLENCE!
I've said this elsewhere, but another rule change that they should consider is outlawing the cut block. I happen to hate it.
As for holding, perhaps the rule needs to be re-written. It doesn't take account of the change of angle on kick and punt returns, where a legitimate block becomes a hold very quickly. I think it was NSPF who said that it has reached the point where there is a decent return and you wait for the flag. It has become stupid.

Excellent points, all.

Except I'd like a 10 yard and no automatic 1st down for PI, all incidental contact not be penalized, and jamming the reciever allowed until the ball is in the air.

I totally agree with the rtp penalty. I also dont like that throwing the passer with force bit either. Needs to be eliminated. Let those D linemen do their jobs! And rip some freakin skulls!

(hmm, can you tell my fav. two plays in football are the blindside sack and the scissor tackle against an overextended WR?)

Agree. Eliminate those cut blocks. Should be illegal. Bout time we start protecting the front 7 and feeding them some raw QB meat!

 

[gomezcat]

I totally agree with the rtp penalty. I also dont like that throwing the passer with force bit either. Needs to be eliminated. Let those D linemen do their jobs! And rip some freakin skulls!

(hmm, can you tell my fav. two plays in football are the blindside sack and the scissor tackle against an overextended WR?)

Agree. Eliminate those cut blocks. Should be illegal. Bout time we start protecting the front 7 and feeding them some raw QB meat!

Yeah! Somebody else out there understands that QBs are there to be hit, or at least made to look stupid from time to time. They certainly get paid enough for the privilege of playing! OK, I don't want to see piles of injured QBs but the game is rapidly becoming touch football.

 

[DarrylS]

I agree with some type of technology, I also think that the concept of full time officials is a good thing, but along with this suggest a couple of more:

1. Continual replay in the booth, have a couple of other refs in the booth continually reviewing films and if something is iffy then they automatically review it. It may slow down the game, but am only talking about those instances once or twice a game that are really questionable. This is even more important in playoff games, say have two folk in the booth an experienced ref and a rules guy, who have the authority to review any play.

2. Review of the refs performance, the NFL is a league that is rewarded for performance on all levels, have a review system of peers, players and coaches to assess whether or not that ref is meeting the current benchmark. If you don't cut it you are out, if you do you get the primo slots.

 

[OldEnglandPatriot]

Those are interesting ideas. If a turnover occurred on the free down, would it count?

No, a turnover on the free down would not count. The result of the free down would only count if it resulted in gained yardage for the offence.

I must admit, I'm disappointed with the lack of response to this idea, as I really think it would improve the current handling of pass interference.

Let me repeat the suggestion: PI would be reduced to a 15 yard penalty, but in the last two mins of the game or half, the offence is also given a FREE DOWN. This means exactly what it says; they get to run a play without the clock running, the results of which only count if they are positive for the offence - so a sack, interception, fumble etc can occur but do not affect field position or possession. If one of those things happen, the offence now simply begins on 1st and 10 with the ball spotted wherever the 15 yard PI penalty just put it.

It makes interference in the end-zone less of a killer during most of the game, penalizes the defense more harshly in the last 2 minutes, and gives the offense another shot if the play occurs as time expires.

 

[shirtsleeve]

Yeah! Somebody else out there understands that QBs are there to be hit, or at least made to look stupid from time to time. They certainly get paid enough for the privilege of playing! OK, I don't want to see piles of injured QBs but the game is rapidly becoming touch football.

Great minds think alike!
Football is supposed to be a game of violent hits. A true blue collar game, where the high priced superstar (readverpaid boss) gets absolutely destroyed by the D lineman or cornerback (read: hardworking Joe, little guy).

Its about time the game returned to its roots. Man, I LOVED the 2004 Pats. Devastating, intimidating, in your head defense and a no flash, slowly grind you into submission offense. Thing of beauty.