New NFL Replay Rule- Chasing perfection

[Bobhaze]

In Jan, 1979, an infamous blown call took place in the AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh where Houston Oilers receiver (and future Cowboys receiver) Mike Renfro was denied a TD reception when an NFL back judge incorrectly ruled he did not get both feet inbounds.

The Steelers went on to win the game and eventually win SB XIII against the Cowboys two weeks later. That SB also had some controversial calls as well.

That famous Renfro play was used many times as grounds to eventually bring instant replay into the officiating of NFL games. In 1986, the NFL began to use use instant replay through a challenge system using the teams’ head coaches to determine when a play should be reviewed with a few other exceptions in last 2 minutes. For the most part, it has worked fairly well.

Fast forward to Jan, 2019, when the Saints were potentially cheated out of a SB appearance with a clearly blown pass interference call against the rams. At the owners meetings this week, a new instant replay rule has been approved by the owners.

Here’s how it works- The framework of the coaches’ challenge system does not change. Each team still gets two replay challenges per game and is awarded a third if it gets both of the first two right. Both offensive and defensive pass interference can be reviewed. A team cannot challenge interference in the final two minutes of each half, in part to avoid having coaches issue such challenges on Hail Mary passes on which there can be a jumble of players jostling for position in the end zone.

So....will this new replay opportunity make the game's most controversial plays fairer and more accurate? I hope so. But I somehow think that these boards will still light up after games this year- especially in games we lose, pointing out all the blown calls.

Seems to me as long as humans are involved in regulating the fairness of a game, there will still be mistakes and blown calls. It’s just always going to be there in some way. Not that we shouldn’t try to make it better. I just think expecting perfection in officiating is a fool’s game.

Thoughts?

 

[tyke1doe]

Was it the Renfro play or the Benny Barnes "pass interference" against Lynn Swann play? That play makes me to this very day.
Bogus call if ever there was one and led to our eventual defeat.
We should have beaten the Steelers that day but for Landry outsmarting himself and "saving/resting" Tony Dorsett, putting a one-armed, casted Randy White on the kickoff return team , Jackie Smith dropping an easy touchdown pass and the phantom Barnes pass interference.
Super Bowl 13 was the best Super Bowl ever!!!! Had the greatest collection of players/coaches to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Cowboys: Rayfield Wright, Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Jackie Smith, Tom Landry (Everson Walls, Drew Pearson, Harvey Martin, Cliff Harris and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, could/should be in the Hall also.)
Steelers: Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Mean Joe Green, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Chuck Noll.

 

[Diehardblues]

Was it the Renfro play or the Benny Barnes "pass interference" against Lynn Swann play? That play makes me to this very day.
Bogus call if ever there was one and led to our eventual defeat.
We should have beaten the Steelers that day but for Landry outsmarting himself and "saving/resting" Tony Dorsett, putting a one-armed, casted Randy White on the kickoff return team , Jackie Smith dropping an easy touchdown pass and the phantom Barnes pass interference.
Super Bowl 13 was the best Super Bowl ever!!!! Had the greatest collection of players/coaches to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Cowboys: Rayfield Wright, Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Jackie Smith, Tom Landry (Everson Walls, Drew Pearson, Harvey Martin, Cliff Harris and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, could/should be in the Hall also.)
Steelers: Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Mean Joe Green, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Chuck Noll.

It was the Renfro play.

 

[Diehardblues]

In Jan, 1979, an infamous blown call took place in the AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh where Houston Oilers receiver (and future Cowboys receiver) Mike Renfro was denied a TD reception when an NFL back judge incorrectly ruled he did not get both feet inbounds.

The Steelers went on to win the game and eventually win SB XIII against the Cowboys two weeks later. That SB also had some controversial calls as well.

That famous Renfro play was used many times as grounds to eventually bring instant replay into the officiating of NFL games. In 1986, the NFL began to use use instant replay through a challenge system using the teams’ head coaches to determine when a play should be reviewed with a few other exceptions in last 2 minutes. For the most part, it has worked fairly well.

Fast forward to Jan, 2019, when the Saints were potentially cheated out of a SB appearance with a clearly blown pass interference call against the rams. At the owners meetings this week, a new instant replay rule has been approved by the owners.

Here’s how it works- The framework of the coaches’ challenge system does not change. Each team still gets two replay challenges per game and is awarded a third if it gets both of the first two right. Both offensive and defensive pass interference can be reviewed. A team cannot challenge interference in the final two minutes of each half, in part to avoid having coaches issue such challenges on Hail Mary passes on which there can be a jumble of players jostling for position in the end zone.

So....will this new replay opportunity make the game's most controversial plays fairer and more accurate? I hope so. But I somehow think that these boards will still light up after games this year- especially in games we lose, pointing out all the blown calls.

Seems to me as long as humans are involved in regulating the fairness of a game, there will still be mistakes and blown calls. It’s just always going to be there in some way. Not that we shouldn’t try to make it better. I just think expecting perfection in officiating is a fool’s game.

Thoughts?

It’s not about making PI more fair or accurate. It’s about a bad call changing the outcome of the game.

 

[AlienBoy]

What's so bad about having coaches challenge whatever play they want? They only have 2, possibly 3.

 

[Bobhaze]

What's so bad about having coaches challenge whatever play they want? They only have 2, possibly 3.

Nothing.

 

[Flamma]

Was it the Renfro play or the Benny Barnes "pass interference" against Lynn Swann play? That play makes me to this very day.
Bogus call if ever there was one and led to our eventual defeat.
We should have beaten the Steelers that day but for Landry outsmarting himself and "saving/resting" Tony Dorsett, putting a one-armed, casted Randy White on the kickoff return team , Jackie Smith dropping an easy touchdown pass and the phantom Barnes pass interference.
Super Bowl 13 was the best Super Bowl ever!!!! Had the greatest collection of players/coaches to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Cowboys: Rayfield Wright, Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Jackie Smith, Tom Landry (Everson Walls, Drew Pearson, Harvey Martin, Cliff Harris and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, could/should be in the Hall also.)
Steelers: Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Mean Joe Green, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Chuck Noll.

That was a disappointing loss if there ever was one. Dallas got multiple turnovers and on one play Terry was mauled by Hegman and Henderson giving them the 14-7 lead and sending Terry's brain back to Louisiana. Yet they still managed to crawl out of that and take a big lead.

 

[Beaker42]

Was it the Renfro play or the Benny Barnes "pass interference" against Lynn Swann play? That play makes me to this very day.
Bogus call if ever there was one and led to our eventual defeat.
We should have beaten the Steelers that day but for Landry outsmarting himself and "saving/resting" Tony Dorsett, putting a one-armed, casted Randy White on the kickoff return team , Jackie Smith dropping an easy touchdown pass and the phantom Barnes pass interference.
Super Bowl 13 was the best Super Bowl ever!!!! Had the greatest collection of players/coaches to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Cowboys: Rayfield Wright, Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Jackie Smith, Tom Landry (Everson Walls, Drew Pearson, Harvey Martin, Cliff Harris and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, could/should be in the Hall also.)
Steelers: Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Mean Joe Green, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Chuck Noll.

Please don’t ever mention Jackie Smith’s name again. One of only a couple guys I’m sad to say ever suited up for us. Damn him for dropping that TD pass.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Here’s how it works- The framework of the coaches’ challenge system does not change. Each team still gets two replay challenges
per game and is awarded a third if it gets both of the first two right.

Both offensive and defensive pass interference can be reviewed. A team cannot challenge interference in the final two minutes of each half, in part to avoid having coaches issue such challenges on Hail Mary passes on which there can be a jumble of players jostling for position in the end zone.
...
Seems to me as long as humans are involved in regulating the fairness of a game, there will still be mistakes and blown calls. It’s just always going to be there in some way. Not that we shouldn’t try to make it better. I just think expecting perfection in officiating is a fool’s game.

Thoughts?

1) I would give each team a fixed amount of challenge *failures*. One or two. They should get to keep challenging as long as the refs keep screwing up with "indisputable visual evidence".
2) The limitation on the review time will exclude when the game most hangs in the balance. That makes no sense to me. If anything, I'd reverse it, and give that broader review only in the final two minutes of each half.
3) Without decent refereeing, it's hard to care about the outcome. Apathy definitely crept in this year after the many absurd calls against us. Can you imagine how Saints fans feel? They were totally and obviously robbed. Cheated out of a SB. That call increases *my* apathy toward the game. I bet any long time fan was sickened by it. The NFL *had* to do something to restore a hope for fairness. Offer some kind of correction over that travesty.

 

[tyke1doe]

It was the Renfro play.

Oh, you're referring to the Houston Oilers receiver. I was thinking Mel Renfro who played for the Cowboys. Doh!!!

 

[Diehardblues]

1) I would give each team a fixed amount of challenge *failures*. One or two. They should get to keep challenging as long as the refs keep screwing up with "indisputable visual evidence".
2) The limitation on the review time will exclude when the game most hangs in the balance. That makes no sense to me. If anything, I'd reverse it, and give that broader review only in the final two minutes of each half.
3) Without decent refereeing, it's hard to care about the outcome. Apathy definitely crept in this year after the many absurd calls against us. Can you imagine how Saints fans feel? They were totally and obviously robbed. Cheated out of a SB. That call increases *my* apathy toward the game. I bet any long time fan was sickened by it. The NFL *had* to do something to restore a hope for fairness. Offer some kind of correction over that travesty.

Bad calls has always been a part of the game. New technology just exposes it more. Before instant replay we didn’t really have any evidence.

Anytime there’s a judgement there’s going to be human error. If I was NFL I’d consider taking away instant replay. Stop showing it repeatedly on the big screen or on TV.

 

[Diehardblues]

Oh, you're referring to the Houston Oilers receiver. I was thinking Mel Renfro who played for the Cowboys. Doh!!!

Yea, the play against the Steelers that cost Oilers championship. Mike Renfroe did end up playing for Cowboys later in his career.

 

[links18]

In realtime or slow motion, many will still be judgement calls.

 

[Diehardblues]

This notion we need a perfectly called game is absurd. Every catch and TD has to reviewed. It’s just awful. Let them play. It’s gone way too far. Close used to be good enough. Lol

 

[Beast_from_East]

This notion we need a perfectly called game is absurd. Every catch and TD has to reviewed. It’s just awful. Let them play. It’s gone way too far. Close used to be good enough. Lol

I disagree...………...the technology is available to get the calls right.

It is not going to dramatically increase the length of the game, the coaches still have only two challenges.

What is not right is having a blatant blown call that everybody knows is wrong and have absolutely no way to correct it, see Saints game.

 

[noshame]

So....what if you're driving on a defense in the final minutes and the opposing coach uses the two reviews just to rest and strategize his defenders.

 

[Echo9]

So....what if you're driving on a defense in the final minutes and the opposing coach uses the two reviews just to rest and strategize his defenders.

Then it costs the other team 2 time outs...like it does now.

 

[Silly]

Part of the problem is spotting the ball on PI. It should just be a ten yard penalty. I don't PI should end up moving a team 30 or 40 yards down the field.

 

[Diehardblues]

I disagree...………...the technology is available to get the calls right.

It is not going to dramatically increase the length of the game, the coaches still have only two challenges.

What is not right is having a blatant blown call that everybody knows is wrong and have absolutely no way to correct it, see Saints game.

I understand but it’s a game played by humans and there’s going to be human error and poor judgements. Perfection isn’t required.

This adjustment in the rules should address most of the issues. But I’m sick of every catch and TD being reviewed. I just don’t need the game to be perfect.

It’s not perfectly played. Why does it need to be perfectly called?

 

[Brax]

It’s not about making PI more fair or accurate. It’s about a bad call changing the outcome of the game.

Problem is who views it, we see replay that doesn't fix bad calls routinely in games weekly, unless it it brutally obvious I bet they do change the on the field call. I can see every play with under 2 minutes being reviewed if there is any contact.