Referee Reform

[SalemPats]

I agree that something has to give - I know these guys are under an unbelievable amount of pressure, and we have the luxury of HD, replay, slo-mo etc, but the system is still broken.

Firstly, Take todays broncos game - that gift PI call that Welker got near the end to basically seal the game, it wasn't even close, that should NEVER have been called. I know there was holding by another Charger on the play, but that irrelevant - the call on Welker never should have happened.

The Jets game - calling us for a penalty that's NEVER been called before - or since, especially when the Jets had done it that game, too!

The Carolina game, the PI on Gronk.

The SAME ref that made the BS non-call flag pick up in the Carolina game was doing the Chargers game today - that ref should never get a sniff at the playoffs after clearly costing a team a W during the regular season.

Maybe the solution here isn't more technology, or opening up replays or challenges - but not rewarding the mediocre and below refs with post season games? Jerome Boger last year was a prime example of that, along with the bozo that had the Chargers game today.

Secondly, I agree the rule book needs a big overhaul, with an especially long look at all the changes and emphasis since Polian pooped his diapers a few years ago. PI should have less of a game changing impact, and they need to clear the rules as to what PI is - if they're going to call ANY contact, thats OK, they just need to do it consistently. It's too much of a judgement call right now.

It's simple, They need to hire full-time referees where during the week they prepare for the game ahead, meetings on how to call certain types of plays and a central location for reviews where the pressure is off them.

Then before the game they can tell the coaches what to watch for so they can tell their players.

 

[UK_Pat37]

The league is going to have to confront reform of the current referee system this offseason. This has been the worst season for referee performance in recent memory.

Any team can point to blown calls, and there seem to be more examples of the league admitting game-changing mistakes this season. Lots of overturned calls.

I think few fans point to bias - the evidence for incompetence is overwhelming.

And it's hard to point at any individual terrible referee - there is enough blame to spread around fairly evenly.

Potential solutions:

Younger referees - build a cadre of 30-year olds to complement the 60-year olds who may struggle with the speed of the game.

More referees total - add a group of referees, and treat them like players. That is, aggressively measure them game to game with a panel of reviewers and rank them for game performance. Players are rated every game, and those that don't perform sit or are released. Rather than simply allocate post-season games, allocate all games based on performance. Those that are culled out can apply for roles at the college level.

More referees per game - maybe it's just not possible to move quickly enough to get in proper position.

Leverage technology better - when 10 million fans can see it's a touchdown and the seven guys on the field cannot, there should be a simple solution. Add seniority to the replay official - make him/her the 'captain' of the team and the highest-paid role, and give him/her the authority to overturn calls - if done within 30 seconds. The fact is that the casual viewer now has far greater ability to judge calls than the guys on the field, with a single angle at enormous speed. Given the super-slow-motion high-definition replays we see, it's amazing how often the guys on the field picked up the position of the ball. But 90% accuracy, when all the fans can see the actual result, isn't acceptable.

As a baseball fan, I can see a similar need. Now that technology can determine balls and strikes, and safe or out, it's frustrating to rely upon 60-year old men with obstructed angles. Video technology has advanced faster than the referees could keep up. It's time to accept that and utilize technology and reform to improve the game.

They tried to do a lot about it when renegotiating with the referees during the lockouts. But fan pressure was almost certainly a key factor in the league dropping a few of their key principles to get a deal done quicker.

For example, they wanted a refereeing 'subs bench' where those underperformed would be replaced by another crew and also give a crew a bit of rest here and there if they needed it. They had to drop it during the lockout.

Refereeing is HARD. I think fans aren't able to comprehend that and that there will always be mistakes.

 

[neuronet]

Had similar thread here a week or so ago...
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...95/1086663-nfl-needs-hire-full-time-refs.html

 

[primetime]

When you consider all the hundreds of millions bet on NFL games and some of the unsavory characters involved in betting, you have to assume that most games are rigged. You might scoff at this, but look at professional basketball.

Since holding takes place on every play, it is easy for a ref to rig a game with a few holding calls, but this year it seems that the refs are not as subtle about rigging games as in the past. Just look at which team gets the ticky-tacky holding call or pass interference calls and you can figure out which team will not beat the spread.

It's not the NBA that you should look at, despite the Donaghy case. I actually don't think American games are that bad off, because American sports have security divisions and tight relationships with federal law enforcement. I don't think rigging goes on in the NFL.

Instead, look at professional soccer. Even European games at the highest levels of competition are fixed. That's because there's not just hundreds of million, but billions, of dollars going through gambling rings in China. Americans are small fries on the gambling circuit - East Asia moves massive money, and a lot of it is on prop bets. These are easier to influence than the outcomes of games - how many flags get thrown in a game and on whom would be examples of prop bets that are very easy to influence.

I don't think it happens, but it could. That's an argument for paying the officials well, for one thing.

But really, there's one change that could make all this academic. Make defensive pass interference a 15 yard penalty.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

It's not the NBA that you should look at, despite the Donaghy case. I actually don't think American games are that bad off, because American sports have security divisions and tight relationships with federal law enforcement. I don't think rigging goes on in the NFL.

>That's an argument for paying the officials well, for one thing.

.

I definitely think they are fixed, every last one. It could explain the parity in NFL also since gamblers can make more money on the underdog.