CFZ A few ways to improve officiating

[CowboysDrew]

The only time you hear whining on this forum about the refs is after a Cowboy loss...these refs go through rules and evaluation every year.....You can throw a flag on almost every play, I just rather they concentrate on flagrant penalties instead of tick tack ones like hand checking or hitting a QB below the waiste etc....I find the quality of football play in this league in serious decline

You mistake me for whining after a loss. I was merely making a observation on the OP's post of something I felt has been needed for a long time..

I don't blame the refs for Sunday's loss.

 

[Captain-Crash]

do away with penalities let the meanest toughest team win.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I just thought of another thing that they could do. They should create a pipeline for ex-NFL players to become refs. There are players who could probably use such a pipeline to still be able to stay involved in the game but are past their playing abilities. Perhaps they can create an academy for ex players to learn how to ref or become replay officials.

 

[FVSTONE]

I think it's been said many times and ways that the officiating in the NFL is bad. This thread is not about that. In fact, I think it's worth checking out a video from 5 Point Vids (a Giants fan tbf) who did a video about the science about bad officiating. I think it will help understand why officiating has it's issues. One of the big issues that is mentioned is the vantage point and the lack of use of technology. After all, the refs are human. They only have two eyes each for a crew of about 6-8 refs on the field. So, that's about 12-16 eyeballs that are on the field that have to be able to make the calls. That's basically where this thread comes into play. This thread will examine a few ways to improve officiating. Most of these will be tech solutions as these are the best ways that I can think of to help.

• Put a chip into the ball - football is a game of inches, and where the refs spot the ball makes a massive difference between a TD, first downs, Turn over on Downs, etc. Sometimes, as was the case in the Rams Steelers game or on the Hurts scramble against us, the refs might not be able to tell, based on an angle, where the ball was when the knee hit. If the ball had a chip in it, then there could be a signal that gets sent to the replay booth to show exactly where the ball was when the knee hit. Thus, when a player is in a pile, then they just have to match up where the chip is compared to the knee. This should make spotting the ball much easier. Besides, in European Football/soccer, the match balls have a chip in them to help the refs to be able to know if the ball did indeed cross the line. They can do something similar in the NFL.
• Make penalties/plays where a penalty could be called reviewable - this doesn't necessarily mean that a coach would have to challenge it, though this could be useful if the refs don't pick it up. Rather, similar to how the refs will be told quickly by the replay officials that a turnover should be quickly overturned, they can be told quickly by someone with a controller who can quickly spot an infraction on a replay. For example, when Schoonmacher was hit prior to the ball getting there, the hit could be part of the review so that they can make the correct call based on the entirety of the play, as opposed to just reviewing the parts that they can review with the current rules.
• Make the refs full time - this would help because, as opposed to having the refs have side jobs, they can spend their offseasons getting better and honing their craft. They can attend seminars where they can focus on certain aspects that they may not be able to focus on at this time.
• Better technology for replays - the replay speed in the XFL and USFL is impressive compared to the NFL. If you have watched an XFL game, you'll notice that they have people with an Xbox controller who can zoom in and do all kinds of different things in a rapid time to spot different things in a replay. Pat McAfee has pointed this out several times on his show. I think using some of the technology the XFL uses would help improve the NFL because all aspects of the play could be more rapidly reviewed. This means that they are able to review the play and get back to play more quickly. Thus, the concern for questionable officiating can be reduced because the technology used is better able to help the refs make the right calls.

The NFL makes hand over fist weekly. Surely they can afford these techniques if even the XFL is able to afford it. I think these methods would help improve officiating immensely.

Personally, I thought the refs did an excellent job when they helped the Cowboys goes 80 yards in seconds against the Eagles. BUT, because the Cowboys have to be one of the most undiscipline teams in the league they pretty much nutted up in the last 20 something seconds and the Eagles were laughing and backing slapping each other all the way to the WIN column.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Personally, I thought the refs did an excellent job when they helped the Cowboys goes 80 yards in seconds against the Eagles. BUT, because the Cowboys have to be one of the most undiscipline teams in the league they pretty much nutted up in the last 20 something seconds and the Eagles were laughing and backing slapping each other all the way to the WIN column.

There were bad calls one way and another. The bad officiating is a problem around the league. I'm talking about solutions that would help fix issues around the league.

 

[davey999]

What monetary advantage would the NFL have in doing this? None. Move on.

 

[sbark]

Its part of the allure of the game. .

Now....if collusion appears obvious, the Nfl could loose everything quikly
Refs should have mail in penalty calls. /sarc

 

[805BoysInBlue]

Same, its very weird when they do.
in 2014 against detroit we got saved when they picked up that flag for a pretty obvious PI on us, thought it was weird, seems like nothing has changed since then, refs keep on sucking.

What P.I? The Hitchens play?

 

[805BoysInBlue]

I just thought of another thing that they could do. They should create a pipeline for ex-NFL players to become refs. There are players who could probably use such a pipeline to still be able to stay involved in the game but are past their playing abilities. Perhaps they can create an academy for ex players to learn how to ref or become replay officials.

This wouldn't work. Scorned players or upset guys would make terrible calls. I know for a fact that if I was a ref Dallas is getting all the calls I can possibly help them with. Afterall, I still get my salary, I'd still be able to collect from gambling, and my favorite team also gets to win.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Adopt the XFL universal challenge system - you get one challenge per game, but you can challenge anything. Any penalty, spot, judgment call, etc.

If I was McCarthy, and we had this universal challenge, I would save it for the last drive of the game whether it be offense or defense because that is the most common time for the refs to screw Dallas out of a game.

Also, this, and all replays must be handled by a booth official and not the field officials as they proved on PI reviews that they can't keep their personal biases out of it.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Same, its very weird when they do.
in 2014 against detroit we got saved when they picked up that flag for a pretty obvious PI on us, thought it was weird, seems like nothing has changed since then, refs keep on sucking.

Why do you guys always leave out the part that the Lions committed a penalty on that play first?

 

[DallasEast]

• Put a chip into the ball - football is a game of inches, and where the refs spot the ball makes a massive difference between a TD, first downs, Turn over on Downs, etc. Sometimes, as was the case in the Rams Steelers game or on the Hurts scramble against us, the refs might not be able to tell, based on an angle, where the ball was when the knee hit. If the ball had a chip in it, then there could be a signal that gets sent to the replay booth to show exactly where the ball was when the knee hit. Thus, when a player is in a pile, then they just have to match up where the chip is compared to the knee. This should make spotting the ball much easier. Besides, in European Football/soccer, the match balls have a chip in them to help the refs to be able to know if the ball did indeed cross the line. They can do something similar in the NFL.

RFID chips have been in NFL footballs for years:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a40848969/rfid-chips-next-gen-football-stats/

All players' shoulder pads are chipped too. Where does anyone think most NextGen stats come from?

Football chips are location accurate to within six inches. The NFL hides behind excuses like where the ball is exactly when a body part touches the ground and it is not clearly viewable to the official or camera.

No matter how valid such excuses are, it should not prevent the chips from being an aid for spotting the ball. Officials do an overall good job of spotting but some of the spots are horrendous. People sitting at home can see the ball and the ballcarrier's body part hit the ground, usually in repeated slow motion. Then people at home watch an official place the ball sometimes a yard (or more) from where it should be.

That should be insane in 21st century NFL football. Heck. It should be outdated in college and some high schools too.

 

[Cowboy_svt]

What P.I? The Hitchens play?

Yeah that one, was just weird they called it then picked it up, i thought it was PI imo.

Why do you guys always leave out the part that the Lions committed a penalty on that play first?

Wouldnt have mind it being offsetting, i just hate bad officiating regardless if its us

 

[doomsday9084]

IMO, the biggest issue is that for a number of penalties, they occur on virtually every play. Pass interference on pass plays, offensive line holding and illegal contact downfield. Calling these penalties ends up being somewhat subjective which is just asking for trouble.

The game is really hard to officiate as a result of this. We don't want a penalty called on every play so we are asking refs to just call them on plays where it looks egregious to them.

 

[805BoysInBlue]

Yeah that one, was just weird they called it then picked it up, i thought it was PI imo.

Wouldnt have mind it being offsetting, i just hate bad officiating regardless if its us

It wasn't P.I. there's no face guarding in the NFL, that only applies in college

 

[ghst187]

Yep! Get rid of that clown!

 

[Cowboy_svt]

It wasn't P.I. there's no face guarding in the NFL, that only applies in college

i thought it was holding and PI, he had his arms on the receiver before the ball came.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

12 pressures is insane for a backup let alone a cornerstone. Sit him and let him get healthy.

 

[DallasEast]

Yep! Get rid of that clown!

Good luck. Goodell and the owners are as non-separable as a teenager and their cellphone.

 

[Vanilla2]

Will never happen. Too much money will be lost with proper officiating.