CFZ A few ways to improve officiating

[gtb1943]

This is the only one that will do anything meaningful.

Make them work in the offseason, put them in constant review programs, you know, make them actually accountable as real employees with a very good salary that they want to work to keep.

EXACTLY.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

LOL

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

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.

I like this idea.

 

[charron]

CANT WE JUST DO NO HOLDS BAR FOOTBALL...FULL CONTACT

 

[FVSTONE]

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.

I agree, I'm for anything that will help the officials to call a CLEAN game.

 

[plasticman]

The best way to solve officiating issues would be to not make them relevant.

When you are one of the top penalized teams consistently for 2-3 seasons, then officiating is the side effect, not the issue.

 

[MarcusRock]

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

On the route, Hitchens pulled at the TE's shirt tail so that could have been called holding. The TE did push off on Hitchens' facemask so that could have been a call. Hitchens then shoved his shoulder as he was opening up for the catch. Honestly should have been offsetting and replay 3rd down.

 

[Jake]

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.

The USFL uses a chip in the ball - they don't even have a chain gang for first downs - and it works. The NFL should absolutely steal that idea and use it.

The full time thing never adds up for me. Players and coaches are full time, watch lots of video, yet they have screw ups every week. The notion that making refs do that all year is going to get rid of mistakes doesn't fly. Besides, officials don't make millions like players and coaches. Expecting them to give up their livelihoods will end up with new officials for whom a ref salary is an upgrade. What kind of quality do you think that will attract?

I do think replay should be used more extensively, and each play reviewed like in college. The NFL just refuses to fully embrace technology. They'll say it would make the games too long, but the reason games take 3+ hours are the commercials. It has nothing to with the game itself, but that's not going to change.

 

[starman22]

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.

I agree with most of this, but the NFL as a whole, is no better than Jerry when it comes to publicity. They love all publicity and the more controversy the better.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

do away with penalities let the meanest toughest team win.

So basically a death match

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

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.

What nobody in here wants to talk about...is on that 1st eagles penalty on the last drive that took the ball from the 15 to the 50, an eagle pass rusher going against our left tackle got absolutely mugged and yanked backwards to prevent him from hitting Dak.... no call on the blatant offensive Holding....but the DPI was called (correctly called).

It was blatant DPI. It was also blatant Off Holding. If called correctly....offsetting penalties and replay the down from the 15.

But they missed that call and set Dal up at the 50.. That game is over if they call that play correctly.

Point being...there's dozens of high speed bang bang plays like that...every game.

THESE fans only see the calls that don't benefit us. They don't see (or don't look for) the multitude of referee calls/non calls that benefit us...like this one.

Hence.....their perception that were always getting screwed. There's probably 25 to 30 calls on each team that coulda been called by the letter of the law....that weren't.

It's rely not even the refs fault...it's just impossible for 6 or 8 officials to completed call every play between 22 men running 100 mph correctly. You can't add more officials (they would get in the way)....and you can't review every play (it would make the game unwatchable)

 

[MarcusRock]

What nobody in here wants to talk about...is on that 1st eagles penalty on the last drive that took the ball from the 15 to the 50, an eagle pass rusher going against our left tackle got absolutely mugged and yanked backwards to prevent him from hitting Dak.... no call on the blatant offensive Holding....but the DPI was called (correctly called).

It was blatant DPI. It was also blatant Off Holding. If called correctly....offsetting penalties and replay the down from the 15.

I just watched this on my video and there was no holding. It was Tyler Smith you were thinking about and he did not hold on that play. None of the 4 rushers were held and I ran the video to watch each of them.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

I just watched this on my video and there was no holding. It was Tyler Smith you were thinking about and he did not hold on that play. None of the 4 rushers were held and I ran the video to watch each of them.

Of course not.

We didn't get away with ANY penalties. We NEVER do.

The other teams always get away with 30 to 40 penalties. They ALWAYS do (at least when we lose)

It just makes sense.

 

[DogFace]

They tried making PI reviewable and I think the call was overturned like 2 times over the course of the season or something like that. The refs don't like when they are challenged on penalty calls.

I would like to have a reason when they decide to pick up a flag.

I would also like them to reduce the amount of time they spend standing around having a discussion after a call. What are you actually even talking about in there?

But all of this would just make it harder for the NFL to influence the outcome of games.

Yep. We’ve lost two games where there were 2 very impactful flags thrown then picked up. Replay showed the plays were correctly flagged. They must explain why.

 

[DogFace]

What nobody in here wants to talk about...is on that 1st eagles penalty on the last drive that took the ball from the 15 to the 50, an eagle pass rusher going against our left tackle got absolutely mugged and yanked backwards to prevent him from hitting Dak.... no call on the blatant offensive Holding....but the DPI was called (correctly called).

It was blatant DPI. It was also blatant Off Holding. If called correctly....offsetting penalties and replay the down from the 15.

But they missed that call and set Dal up at the 50.. That game is over if they call that play correctly.

Point being...there's dozens of high speed bang bang plays like that...every game.

THESE fans only see the calls that don't benefit us. They don't see (or don't look for) the multitude of referee calls/non calls that benefit us...like this one.

Hence.....their perception that were always getting screwed. There's probably 25 to 30 calls on each team that coulda been called by the letter of the law....that weren't.

It's rely not even the refs fault...it's just impossible for 6 or 8 officials to completed call every play between 22 men running 100 mph correctly. You can't add more officials (they would get in the way)....and you can't review every play (it would make the game unwatchable)

You wrote all that to talk about one missed hold tayt you say is obvious? There were a minimum of 7 bad ones against the Cowboys d line. So bad point.

Chase Daniel also mentioned in his breakdown of Dak that Eagles DB’s were holding all game long and didn’t get called for them once.

How many flags were picked up for the Eagles on key situations? Anyone can argue holds are missed, but it’s rare things like picking up a flag on an obvious penalty that you need to focus on. Has that ever happened for us? Name it if so and I’ll be happy.

 

[Whirlwin]

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.

Pay them give them benefits, make them accountable.

 

[Whirlwin]

Doesn't the game have enough stoppages and reviews as it is, you want more stoppages so an offical in the booth can review every penalty flag....

It would actually be faster

 

[Whirlwin]

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

And that’s the problem

 

[CowboyoWales]

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.

I like the idea as it will address:
a) missed calls (eg the one Micah hold where he was apoplectic)
b) subjective calls that are left to one of the judges (the one pass interference call, I think on Gilmore, where the ball was uncatchable).

I suppose they'd need to tighten up on whether the flagged issue had an effect on the play, but its possible..... ( @The Quest for Six ) to speed up the game i'd have a forfeited TimeOut for un-upheld challenges.

 

[MWH1967]

do away with penalities let the meanest toughest team win.

The 1970's says. Heck yeah!