NFL to consider adding another official on the fieldTrial run in 2014 preseason will assess effectiveness of 8-man crew By Lorenzo Reyes USA Today SportsMarch 2nd 2014
NFL referee Walt Anderson spots the ball after measuring with the chains during the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) They’re some of the most criticized people in all of sports. The life of an NFL official isn’t the easiest. Decisions require impossible speed and mistakes are magnified. Because of that, the league could be looking to make it a little easier. For the 2014 preseason, the NFL will add an eighth official, who will focus on the interior of the offensive and defensive lines as a trial run with the potential to expand the officiating crew in future regular seasons, according to NFL.com’s Judy Battista. “So we’ve been thinking about different places,” NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino told Battista. “We feel we can cover the receivers downfield because we have five officials there. The history and evolution of the game, we went from five to six to seven. It’s more of a wide spread, more passing game. It’s not three yards and a cloud of dust. There is just more space to cover. We don’t feel like we’re missing more than we have in the past, but we have to stay ahead of the curve. Would adding another set of eyes help us?” The additional official will be placed in the offensive backfield. The league will examine whether the additional official’s presence creates more accuracy and consistency of penalties within the interior line to justify a permanent expansion of the crew. The league last expanded its regular officiating crew in 1978, from six to seven. NFL officiating has come under criticism for a season that was marred by incorrect calls. As a result, the league is considering several proposals, including the centralization of replay and possibly penalizing the use of racial slurs on the field. Blandino is hoping that an eighth official will alleviate the burden on the current seven-person crew. “There is a lot on their plate,” Blandino said. “We’re aware of that when we make rules changes — we think about unintended consequences. I don’t know if necessarily adding another set of eyes solves all of that. We have to manage that with the Competition Committee, to make sure rules can be officiated, and that we’re not just making changes for plays that happen once every 10 years.”
Nope, it won't help, based on the results from the past decade it's more likly that it's just another person out there that can mess up calls and alter the flow/outcome of games.They seriously need to do deep investigations into the current officials and look for links to gambling, people always mention gambling and players being bad but the way tey call games really makes me wonder.The league really needs to stop protecting them too, I mean it's against the rules for players or coaches to question their calls no matter how bad they are, put some pressure on them to get it right, make every call they make reviewable, lord knows it's not like they've shown they are near to being perfect.
An eye in the sky and fewer non-reviewable calls are the answers. This is just a band-aid.
Nope, it won't help, based on the results from the past decade it's more likly that it's just another person out there that can mess up calls and alter the flow/outcome of games.They seriously need to do deep investigations into the current officials and look for links to gambling, people always mention gambling and players being bad but the way tey call games really makes me wonder.The league really needs to stop protecting them too, I mean it's against the rules for players or coaches to question their calls no matter how bad they are, put some pressure on them to get it right, make every call they make reviewable, lord knows it's not like they've shown they are near to being perfect.
I don't believe its a conspiracy with gambling or whatever. They just flat out suck. Its a tough job, the rule book is getting like the IRS tax code. Its 20,000 pages and no one actually understands it. You can ask two officials what pass interference is, and get 2 totally different answers. And they admit that much, some of the rules are too subjective, where they are open to interpretation by the official who happens to be working the game that day.I guess its better than nothing, the extra zebra. A step in the right direction. Centralized replay would be another step.
Nope, it won't help, based on the results from the past decade it's more likly that it's just another person out there that can mess up calls and alter the flow/outcome of games.They seriously need to do deep investigations into the current officials and look for links to gambling, people always mention gambling and players being bad but the way tey call games really makes me wonder.The league really needs to stop protecting them too, I mean it's against the rules for players or coaches to question their calls no matter how bad they are, put some pressure on them to get it right, make every call they make reviewable, lord knows it's not like they've shown they are near to being perfect.
Unfortunately the league is so concerned about longer games that it drags its feet on these moves.I don't believe its a conspiracy with gambling or whatever. They just flat out suck. Its a tough job, the rule book is getting like the IRS tax code. Its 20,000 pages and no one actually understands it. You can ask two officials what pass interference is, and get 2 totally different answers. And they admit that much, some of the rules are too subjective, where they are open to interpretation by the official who happens to be working the game that day.I guess its better than nothing, the extra zebra. A step in the right direction. Centralized replay would be another step.
Nope, it won't help, based on the results from the past decade it's more likly that it's just another person out there that can mess up calls and alter the flow/outcome of games.They seriously need to do deep investigations into the current officials and look for links to gambling, people always mention gambling and players being bad but the way tey call games really makes me wonder.The league really needs to stop protecting them too, I mean it's against the rules for players or coaches to question their calls no matter how bad they are, put some pressure on them to get it right, make every call they make reviewable, lord knows it's not like they've shown they are near to being perfect.
Unfortunately the league is so concerned about longer games that it drags its feet on these moves.I don't believe its a conspiracy with gambling or whatever. They just flat out suck. Its a tough job, the rule book is getting like the IRS tax code. Its 20,000 pages and no one actually understands it. You can ask two officials what pass interference is, and get 2 totally different answers. And they admit that much, some of the rules are too subjective, where they are open to interpretation by the official who happens to be working the game that day.I guess its better than nothing, the extra zebra. A step in the right direction. Centralized replay would be another step.
With today's technology, the centralized replay is not a prob. And I believe it was you that mentioned the eye in the sky? That too. They might as well use all the technology that is available. Don't be like baseball, 50 years behind the times.Is there anything worse than getting hosed on a win, because of a bad call.
No there is nothing worse than loss by error.
Baseballs problem is it's umpiring union. The NFL is in the right decision to make the right choice.
Baseballs problem is it's umpiring union. The NFL is in the right decision to make the right choice.
And they have the technology too, readily available. A computerized strike zone shining straight down from above the plate. And players wear chips in their unifrom letters and knee pads. I think we may see that in maybe another 100 years. And they wonder why the sport is dieing. SMH
A sport has to want to be fair. Some don't or at least make it a lower priority.
not unless some of these helmet to helmet and defenseless receiver issues are addressed.
It would help call more holding penalties
It would help call more holding penalties
Wonderful.
A sport has to want to be fair. Some don't or at least make it a lower priority.
True. I will give Goodell and company credit, they are proactive and willing to try new things to improve the game.Frekin baseball. SMH. I used to be a pretty big baseball fan when I was a kid. Now, I couldn't sit through a 9 inning game if you paid me.
First rule of business needs to be clarifying the rules. If all the refs have a good understanding of what to call and what to let slide, then things will be less sloppy. More refs will not help.
