NFL Officiating

[O.city]

With as big as the NFL has become, there's no reason (other than money) that the officials aren't full time employees.

If they're going to give them as much responsibility as they do, they need to be full fledged employees and trained etc the same as players are.

Thoughts?

[ArrowheadHawk]

Sounds good to me.

[GloryDayz]

No reason what so ever... It's all part of a set of excuses/reasons/opinions the NFL keeps in their pocket when people don't like what's handed to them.

[BlackHelicopters]

Agree

[mdchiefsfan]

can't disagree.

[TimBone]

Pete, you're up!

[PHOG]

Agreed

[MMXcalibur]

That slant pass the Seahawks ran that was given a first down initially before Reid challenged it was absolutely awful.

[O.city]

Personally, I think the NFL is the worst of the 3 big sports in terms of officiating.

MLB and the NBA do a much better job and, iirc, are all full time employees.

NFL needs to take note

[KCTitus]

Im not sure I understand the correlation between their employment status and their inability to properly spot the football.

[notorious]

Fuck them!


They don't deserve to be full-time. They are an abortion.

[GloryDayz]

That slant pass the Seahawks ran that was given a first down initially before Reid challenged it was absolutely awful.

And not giving us 1st and goal before the half (that FAT-ANDY DIDN'T CHALLENGE) was terrible to!

[O.city]

Im not sure I understand the correlation between their employment status and their inability to properly spot the football.

Make it their only profession and allow them to "train" throughout the week as players do.

Increase the amount of training and "practice" they get. Hold them to a higher standard than a few clinics a year

[notorious]

Im not sure I understand the correlation between their employment status and their inability to properly spot the football.

This.

They fucked up several easy spots, one which fucked us at the 3 and another they tried to give a full yard during a crucial sequence.


Fuck the officials with a bag of cactus dildos.

[KCTitus]

Make it their only profession and allow them to "train" throughout the week as players do.

Increase the amount of training and "practice" they get. Hold them to a higher standard than a few clinics a year

No amount of training fixes the crux of the problem...the two poor spots by the officials clearly indicated a bias in favor of Seattle for some odd reason. Spotting the ball doesnt require full time employment or clinics. It merely takes eyesight.

[O.city]

Oh, bias, ok.

Carry on

[Deberg_1990]

With as big as the NFL has become, there's no reason (other than money) that the officials aren't full time employees.

If they're going to give them as much responsibility as they do, they need to be full fledged employees and trained etc the same as players are.

Thoughts?

I think its been ok.......not great, but not awful either.

But i fail to see how making them 'full time' would improve their accuracy?

[O.city]

I think its been ok.......not great, but not awful either.

But i fail to see how making them 'full time' would improve their accuracy?

Allowing them to devote full time and actually be a professional?

It's just like anything else. The more you do or see something and are critically assessed when doing it, you improve

[Great Expectations]

That slant pass the Seahawks ran that was given a first down initially before Reid challenged it was absolutely awful.

The illegal contact by Parker coupled by the non call illegal contact against Seattle at the end of the first half cost us at least 10 points. Those plays + the fumbles required us to dominate the rest of the game to barely win.

[GloryDayz]

No amount of training fixes the crux of the problem...the two poor spots by the officials clearly indicated a bias in favor of Seattle for some odd reason. Spotting the ball doesnt require full time employment or clinics. It merely takes eyesight.

I see your point, and I'll add to the controversy that if they're 100000% committed to the NFL, it could have the further effect of the NFL adding even MORE bias/convenient rules interpretation to the situation than we already suffer.

Let's not forget, as bad as the two spots were, the two DPI non-calls before the half, especially the first one, were also terrible.

Perhaps the solution to this might be to up the number of challenges to 3 (per half) and not have them limited to anything. Yes, it'll call-back the first three scores any team makes (because there's a hold on every play!!!), but what's going on now is more stupid than the outrageous option I'm proposing.

I'm not sure it fixes the current problem, but it sure is seemingly the right thing to do.

[GloucesterChief]

The NHL has the best Refs. Of course it helps that they all have lots of experience and you have to prove your mettle in the AHL before moving up to the NHL. Also, all goals are reviewed off site in Toronto.

[Mr. Laz]

many of the referees don't want to be full-time

They have other jobs

iirc the last contract negotiation with the refs the league wanted more full timers and the refs said no

[morphius]

Personally, I think the NFL is the worst of the 3 big sports in terms of officiating.

MLB and the NBA do a much better job and, iirc, are all full time employees.

NFL needs to take note
NBA? They are one of the reasons I don't watch the NBA.

[GloucesterChief]

NBA? They are one of the reasons I don't watch the NBA.

I just assume he meant NHL.

[KCTitus]

Oh, bias, ok.

Carry on

Dont give up so easy...give me some ideas on these clinics that will help improve ball spotting.

[O.city]

Dont give up so easy...give me some ideas on these clinics that will help improve ball spotting.

I'm assuming you need to head over to the nfl is rigged thread after the bias comment.

[O.city]

Having them be full time employees simply gives them more time to improve their craft as an official.

[KCTitus]

I'm assuming you need to head over to the nfl is rigged thread after the bias comment.

Nah...there's a world of difference between rigged and bias, and I think yer a smart enough fella to know that.

So, no clinic suggestions?

[Deberg_1990]

Allowing them to devote full time and actually be a professional?

It's just like anything else. The more you do or see something and are critically assessed when doing it, you improve

The other pro leagues are full time and they still make a ton of mistakes.

Humans error

[GloucesterChief]

The other pro leagues are full time and they still make a ton of mistakes.

Humans error

Well, the NBA under Sterling was probably crooked as hell. MLB has had some really bad calls but are usually own up to it. NHL usually doesn't miss many calls. Really only one that I remember which was the Hasek skate in the crease non-call.

[O.city]

Nah...there's a world of difference between rigged and bias, and I think yer a smart enough fella to know that.

So, no clinic suggestions?

High school and college officials are required to do (depending on their association) a certain number of officiating clinics per year. I would assume the NFL officials are the same.

Making them full time employees allows the nfl to have more time with them during and after a season.

So, what clinic suggestions would you like?

[O.city]

The other pro leagues are full time and they still make a ton of mistakes.

Humans error

I agree. It's part of the game.

But if there were a way to reduce the amount of that, why wouldn't you do it?

[DaFace]

This crew was a strange one. They seemed obsessed with hands to the face, but didn't care at all about DPI. There were 3 different spots in the game that I thought were questionable as well.

[KCTitus]

High school and college officials are required to do (depending on their association) a certain number of officiating clinics per year. I would assume the NFL officials are the same.

Making them full time employees allows the nfl to have more time with them during and after a season.

So, what clinic suggestions would you like?

Im not the one suggesting clinics would improve this problem, but sure, I'll play. Lets start with:

'Advanced Ball Spotting Techniques'...In this clinic we discuss what it means when a player is down and the relative position of the football on the field. We'll use vision practice to identify yardage markers to assist the official in knowing where to spot the ball.

You might be on to something....

[notorious]

There were 3 different spots in the game that I thought were questionable as well.

Every single one of them was against us, too.

[O.city]

Improving the angle with which to determine when a player is down is one example.

The game at that level is played extremely fast, and something like spotting the football is always going to be guesswork though.

Especially in a situation like that to where the ball position is blocked by the defender.

[GloucesterChief]

Every single one of them was against us, too.

and it wasn't like there was a pile of guys and it was hard to see. They were pretty bad like at least a yard off.

[notorious]

and it wasn't like there was a pile of guys and it was hard to see. They were pretty bad like at least a yard off.

So obvious I could see it from 400 miles away. ;)

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

This.

They fucked up several easy spots, one which fucked us at the 3 and another they tried to give a full yard during a crucial sequence.


Fuck the officials with a bag of cactus dildos.

ROFL

Today's refs clearly needed some schooling.

[O.city]

My dad does high school and some small college football officiating and is the white hat of his crew. I went with him to a meeting in his association with a former NFL head official from Springfield (can't remember his name, he's retired now) about properly diagnosing and penalizing targeting penalties.

It was pretty interesting how they're taught to be called.

[RealSNR]

Ref in the Cardinals game apparently doesn't know what possession means.

Fucking embarrassing call. Almost as bad as the ball placement challenge that Andy had against the Niners

[notorious]

Ref in the Cardinals game apparently doesn't know what possession means.

****ing embarrassing call. Almost as bad as the ball placement challenge that Andy had against the Niners

This.

Horrible game changing call, even after review.

[RealSNR]

This.

Horrible game changing call, even after review.

That's what gets me.

These calls are being made UNDER REVIEW.

What the fuck.

[DaFace]

That's what gets me.

These calls are being made UNDER REVIEW.

What the fuck.

It's part of why I'm officially against replay these days. The refs are inconsistent enough that they're not really adding a ton of precision by including replays, and I hate how it changes how we watch the game.

[petegz28]

the problem goes beyond officiating....if we were playing the Broncos, the spot we challenged never happens because Manning gets a play off before we throw the flag, most likely.

That being said, there was no amount of training that would have changed today. 2 back-back, more than obvious DPI's go uncalled. These are the same guys that call Parker for barely touching the face mask of a WR.

[petegz28]

I think when it comes to replay you have to adopt more of a college approach, unfortunately. Not only can the booth call for a review whenever, the Ref on the field should not be the only one to make the final call.

[Molitoth]

I've explained this in detail before... but why have Human error involved in something that technology can easily replace and improve?

Remove most of the ref's altogether and call the penalties from the booth.


If they refuse to do this, at least allow challenges on ANYTHING, especially Pass Interference.

[chiefzilla1501]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/05/ed-hochuli-sees-no-point-in-making-referees-full-time-employees/

Interesting perspective. You'd think a referee would love this to be a full-time job because they'd get paid more and probably wouldn't work a second job. Hochuli doesn't seem to think any more hours are going to help them.

[kccrow]

Young enough and athletic enough to keep up with the speed of the game probably wouldn't hurt. Full-time employees is a good idea.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Young enough and athletic enough to keep up with the speed of the game probably wouldn't hurt. Full-time employees is a good idea.

No shit. There are female soccer refs who can out-40 those dudes.

[cdcox]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/05/ed-hochuli-sees-no-point-in-making-referees-full-time-employees/

Interesting perspective. You'd think a referee would love this to be a full-time job because they'd get paid more and probably wouldn't work a second job. Hochuli doesn't seem to think any more hours are going to help them.

Most of these guys have other high paying careers. The first three I checked were 1) attorney 2) owner of a financial services company and 3) inventor and entrpenuer

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Most of these guys have other high paying careers. The first three I checked were 1) attorney 2) owner of a financial services company and 3) inventor and entrpenuer

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat, a bunch of fucking "perk-jobbers". Sweet god, this league isn't fixed; it's inept!

[cdcox]

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat, a bunch of ****ing "perk-jobbers". Sweet god, this league isn't fixed; it's inept!

Well I wouldn't go that far. Most of them also played college ball and started reffing high school games and worked their way up. Jerry Markbreit's book is a good read if you really want to know more about the zebras.

[O.city]

Most of these guys have other high paying careers. The first three I checked were 1) attorney 2) owner of a financial services company and 3) inventor and entrpenuer

Iirc, the NFL balked at giving them benefits etc too.

[srvy]

This argument comes out every year at some point. The refs are pretty good really on the calls that can be challenged. On the judgement calls not so much. Problem is they get graded out but the only real repercussions is they don't get playoff games or Super Bowl slots. Like any union its probably hard to cut loose the bad apples. Full or part time short of reviewing everything we will still have judgement and interpretation. Use the grading process and and don't ask them back the next year.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Well I wouldn't go that far. Most of them also played college ball and started reffing high school games and worked their way up. Jerry Markbreit's book is a good read if you really want to know more about the zebras.

http://i.imgur.com/cEmUpJs.gif