My idea for NFL refs.

[Wolverine]

Lets be real. Most of these guys that call the games are just way way to old to be refs. Many times when I see the ref announce the call...to me they usually look like they are close to 100 years old.

They are just to old and slow. Their eye sight is to far gone to be refs in this game. So I have a good idea.

Make bein a NFL ref a real job. Pay them good money so it is worth it to them. Cuz it will be worth it to all NFL fans.

There are all kindsa good athletes in college that dont make it to the NFL. So with the ones who get good grades maybe offer them a job as a ref. Have them go through tests so you can pick out the best of the ones who apply for the job.

Then have them be refs in college for 3 years. THey cant be refs in the division they went to college. Then the refs who do the best job are hired as NFL refs.

So think about it. If they start doin the ref thing in college when they are 20 to 24 years old. After three years you have refs 23 to 27 starting to take over.

These refs would have the athetic talent and most would have the speed to keep up with the action alot better. They also have much better eyesight to.

No refs over 40 years old. Over 40 you are just to old to be callin the game. SOrry but that is just the way it is. Once you are past 40 you have to retire.


We can not just keep havin these sorry excuses for refs. The refs WON the game for the Steelers. They were the 12th man. Something needs to be done.

Maybe something like this would be a good start.


Also refs need to start bein fined for bad calls. And they should have to answer to the media after games for their calls.

 

[BigDFan5]

I blame the refs poor job on Zimmer

 

[notherbob]

Lets be real. Most of these guys that call the games are just way way to old to be refs. Many times when I see the ref announce the call...to me they usually look like they are close to 100 years old.

They are just to old and slow. Their eye sight is to far gone to be refs in this game. So I have a good idea.

Make bein a NFL ref a real job. Pay them good money so it is worth it to them. Cuz it will be worth it to all NFL fans.

There are all kindsa good athletes in college that dont make it to the NFL. So with the ones who get good grades maybe offer them a job as a ref. Have them go through tests so you can pick out the best of the ones who apply for the job.

Then have them be refs in college for 3 years. THey cant be refs in the division they went to college. Then the refs who do the best job are hired as NFL refs.

So think about it. If they start doin the ref thing in college when they are 20 to 24 years old. After three years you have refs 23 to 27 starting to take over.

These refs would have the athetic talent and most would have the speed to keep up with the action alot better. They also have much better eyesight to.

No refs over 40 years old. Over 40 you are just to old to be callin the game. SOrry but that is just the way it is. Once you are past 40 you have to retire.


We can not just keep havin these sorry excuses for refs. The refs WON the game for the Steelers. They were the 12th man. Something needs to be done.

Maybe something like this would be a good start.


Also refs need to start bein fined for bad calls. And they should have to answer to the media after games for their calls.

I don't think the poor officiating we have been seeing has anything at all to do with their age. Sometimes it's their motivation and sometimes they're not in a position to get a good view and sometimes refs just don't see things - there's a lot going on out there all at once and it's happening pretty fast.

I believe the majority of refs are honest and do a good job but I also believe a handful have agendas that skew how they call a game occasionally.

 

[Wolverine]

I blame the refs poor job on Zimmer

If a tree was to fall on you in the middle of a forest would anyone know you are missing.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

If a tree was to fall on you in the middle of a forest would anyone know you are missing.

who knows, but I do know if a tree fell on you, we would erect a monument in said tree's honor, and mark that day as a national holiday!

 

[Wolverine]

I don't think the poor officiating we have been seeing has anything at all to do with their age. Sometimes it's their motivation and sometimes they're not in a position to get a good view

I think the reason they are not in position alot is cuz they are just to old and slow.

Everyone of those refs in that Stealer game should be fired and never allowed back in. They were the Stealers 12th man. Super Bowl MVP should go to the refs.

The good things is all the complainin about the refs got to the NFL. They had to come out and say how the right calls were made. Yeah.....whatever. Makes the NFL look like even a bigger joke then SuperBowl 40 was.

 

[AdamJT13]

You want 23-year-old kids to referee NFL games?

Yikes.

 

[TexasReferee]

The age will never hold up in court...so forget that idea. Now being in shape should be a requirement. Each official should be required to be able to physically perform according to standards set by the NFL. If they can't perform then they are not hired.

Second, the debate for full time officials will continue. If this happens, then I see officials forming a union with negotiations on going about game fees, retirement packages, etc. What happens when the officials strike? Is this what the NFL wants because eventually the fan will pick up the tab.

I think that the NFL should reduce their rules and make it easier for officials to make calls. Does any official throw the flag for the "horse collar" rule. Even in this year's super bowl it was not called. So eliminate it. Revise the rules for pass interference and stop giving the advantage to the offense.

Bottom line...the NFL can fix this but they need to look at these issues objectively, not from a monetary view.

 

[Muhast]

younger refs scare me more. They will be biased after playing with those guys a couple years before

 

[blindzebra]

This is the most ridiculous thread ever, and with all the Bledsoe-loving, Zimmer-hating drivel out there, that says a lot.

Care to guess what age the average official starts officiating? Most start in their early to mid 20's.

It takes several years to get a handle on the nuances of the rules, understanding the philosophies of officiating, making positioning and mechanics second nature.

That means, unless you are some kind of ref-savant, you are pushing 30 before you have a full varsity high school schedule or get a whiff of college ball. The difference from Pop Warner to high school is pretty big and takes a couple of years to be proficient. The same goes from HS to college ball, and that adjustment is even greater. The jump from college to the NFL is huge.

Under your "plan" a typical official will reach the NFL at 30-35, 3-4 years to actually excel at that level, and the time they become solid, you force them to retire.

It's laughable.

An official's prime is 35-55, and at that high of a level, experience and judgment is a hell of a lot more important than being in the player's peer group.

This 40+ year old official needed a good laugh, and a hint for the clueless, I'm a much better official at 40 than I was at 30, and there is no comparison to when I was 25.

I'll bet not a single official in the world, would tell you different.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

This is the most ridiculous thread ever, and with all the Bledsoe-loving, Zimmer-hating drivel out there, that says a lot.

Care to guess what age the average official starts officiating? Most start in their early to mid 20's.

It takes several years to get a handle on the nuances of the rules, understanding the philosophies of officiating, making positioning and mechanics second nature.

That means, unless you are some kind of ref-savant, you are pushing 30 before you have a full varsity high school schedule or get a whiff of college ball. The difference from Pop Warner to high school is pretty big and takes a couple of years to be proficient. The same goes from HS to college ball, and that adjustment is even greater. The jump from college to the NFL is huge.

Under your "plan" a typical official will reach the NFL at 30-35, 3-4 years to actually excel at that level, and the time they become solid, you force them to retire.

It's laughable.

An official's prime is 35-55, and at that high of a level, experience and judgment is a hell of a lot more important than being in the player's peer group.

This 40+ year old official needed a good laugh, and a hint for the clueless, I'm a much better official at 40 than I was at 30, and there is no comparison to when I was 25.

I'll bet not a single official in the world, would tell you different.

yeah, there's a reason the NFL employs refs with double-digit years of NFL reffing on their resume, and it's not because they want the slowest and fragilest guys out there, and I agree with another thing, this thread is the most ridiculous I've ever come across

 

[jackrussell]

You want 23-year-old kids to referee NFL games?

Yikes.

:laugh2:

"Dude, you're like, way off sides."

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

I've had similar threads about NFL Officials and bad calls that have impact on the outcome of games. This is a very interesting thread about a very interesting issue. Let's break it down together and figure out some possible resolutions.

Problems:

Approximately 7 bad calls made by officials per NFL game (quoted
comments in an ESPN special)

Unqualified officials

Age of officials

Part-time officiating

Insuffucient number of officials on the field during games

Corrupt officiating

Camera deficiencies (replay cameras do not properly capture play frames)

Changes/Resolutions:

Zebra School - for NFL Officials. The school would be sponsored by the

Qualified "full-time" NFLOfficials (during the off-season conduct seminars,
conferences, workshops, mini camps and other forums constructed with
the sole purpose of reducing (not eliminating) human error as they apply
to on-field decisions.

Increased Technology - Place an digital instrument under the surface/plain
of the goal line (1 foot deep; from sideline to sideline), that could
detect/measure if the football actually breaks the plain of the goal.

Zebra Protective Equipment - Protective equipment (e.g., helmets, some
padding, and Other essential equipment that would allow officials to get
closer to the plays without fear Of getting their heads taken off during a
play on the field.

Just a few thoughts ...

 

[Hostile]

The obvious solution is to make it a full time job that pays these guys well for getting it right and has repercussions for getting it wrong.

For the most part the refs do a good job. They're human.

A big part of the problem is that some of the rules are pansy and open to interpretation. Pass Interference for instance. It's a joke. They need to give the rule some teeth and a definite criteria.

Refs should be in shape, but the age thing is beyond ridiculous. It isn't even worth addressing as a serious idea. Discrimination lawsuits are not good business. I'll leave it at that.

The NFL is a multi billion dollar industry and it entrusts the importance of games to part time employees. I think that's a bad idea. Every team should have refs visiting in the off season to explain the rules. They should be in school. They should have a spokesman on the competition committee.

It can be handled better.

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

It can be handled better.

I agree Hos.

 

[Longboysfan]

I don't think the poor officiating we have been seeing has anything at all to do with their age. Sometimes it's their motivation and sometimes they're not in a position to get a good view and sometimes refs just don't see things - there's a lot going on out there all at once and it's happening pretty fast.

I believe the majority of refs are honest and do a good job but I also believe a handful have agendas that skew how they call a game occasionally.

Not in position. That is the worst thing.
Also narrow focus on what you see.

Age is a slight factor. But if you keep yourself in condition I see no problem with being a field referee till your about 55.
The guy who runs the game - 60.
The NFL guys do have to go to training came and pass a physical test exery year. What they may not do is retest them during the year.

What I have learned in 15 years or so of reffing - soccer. Is move your feet.

 

[Rack]

Make bein a NFL ref a real job. Pay them good money so it is worth it to them. Cuz it will be worth it to all NFL fans.

As far as I know, they make 6 figures. I think it's in the 200K range (per year). That's more money then most people make doing real jobs.

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

As far as I know, they make 6 figures. I think it's in the 200K range (per year). That's more money then most people make doing real jobs.

Please don't misunderstand me, because you make a very good Point. But $200 per year in contrast to the Impact they have on People who make hundreds of thousands to the equivalent of millions per year ...it's just not a commensurate salry for "skilled NFL officials" not to mention
questionably-skilled, part-time so-called officials that are noticeably making more than their share of bad calls per game.

You've got to put that Into the mix also.

 

[DanTanna]

What gets me the most is the ******** review official getting a call wrong when the whole WORLD can clearly see the correct call.

It's like one of those commercials where the review ref gets under the camera hood and starts drinking Bud Light. It appears he has no interest in getting the call right <-- I know that is not true but appearances can be deceiving.

Remember when Polumalu intercepted a pass, rolled over and got up to run and the review ref missed it? Or the ForeSkin player that caught the ball in the end-zone and placed one foot down, a second foot down, his knees were then down, then his body was down, when his elbow finally hit he was practically horizontal to the ground and skidding across the turf and the ball comes out. No catch. Something needs to change.

 

[Zaxor]

I am by no means an expert and am hesitant to even embark on this journey... but what about adding 1 or 2 more refs both could be 25 yards in the back of the defense/offense and their job is watching the developing play to spot any fouls...just an idea as being further back provides a different view than the back judge or field judge would have