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Bad Officiating - Discuss (1 Viewer)

NFL just said on OTL that Walt Andersons crew will not be disciplined.
Validation that officiating is not held up to the highest standard.

 
WheelsUp said:
NFL just said on OTL that Walt Andersons crew will not be disciplined.
Validation that officiating is not held up to the highest standard.
well that is just horrible and very disappointing. how can they ever make the game better if they aren't held accountable. that blows goat balls. 

 
gonna give a different take on "the play".....

Sherman is attempting to block the kick.....says he doesn't hear a whistle.....so he in fact does block the kick.....at that point you are entitled to contact the PK or the holder.....

so then people will say....oh he is just saying he didn't hear the whistle.....he is lying, he should have stopped....

well you know what....the snapper didn't stop snapping, the holder didn't stop holding, and most importantly the kicker didn't stop kicking.....so did they not hear the whistle too?....

when was the whistle....was it blown in time for all of these players to stop doing what they were doing.....guess not....did they all not hear it?......guess so......

so I gotta give him the benefit of the doubt here....if the kicker stops his action like we are expecting Sherman to do......he probably doesn't get hit....

just sayin....

 
gonna give a different take on "the play".....

Sherman is attempting to block the kick.....says he doesn't hear a whistle.....so he in fact does block the kick.....at that point you are entitled to contact the PK or the holder.....

so then people will say....oh he is just saying he didn't hear the whistle.....he is lying, he should have stopped....

well you know what....the snapper didn't stop snapping, the holder didn't stop holding, and most importantly the kicker didn't stop kicking.....so did they not hear the whistle too?....

when was the whistle....was it blown in time for all of these players to stop doing what they were doing.....guess not....did they all not hear it?......guess so......

so I gotta give him the benefit of the doubt here....if the kicker stops his action like we are expecting Sherman to do......he probably doesn't get hit....

just sayin....
I'm fine with what Sherman did and agree with you that he was just finishing the play just like the kicker was but it was still a penalty.  He was clearly offside which killed the play and he dove into the kicker.  It doesn't matter if he heard the whistle or not.  If it was the QB it would have been an easy flag even if he said he didn't hear the whistle.

 
If you believe he didnt hear the whistle, you have bigger things to worry about.
I got a fan to sell and eskimo if you believe that.

If I learned anything this past week, its people will believe anything they want to justify what they want.

 
Hawkeye21 said:
I'm fine with what Sherman did and agree with you that he was just finishing the play just like the kicker was but it was still a penalty.  He was clearly offside which killed the play and he dove into the kicker.  It doesn't matter if he heard the whistle or not.  If it was the QB it would have been an easy flag even if he said he didn't hear the whistle.
he was penalized for the offside.....he dove to block the kick....which he did.....he did not dive into the kicker....in the act of diving to block the kick he contacted the kicker.....

had he not been offside.....and blocked the kick.....and contacted the kicker.....it would not have been a penalty since he blocked the kick....no roughing because he blocked the kick....had he missed the block and made this contact...... it would have been roughing....

people keep comparing this to blasting the QB.....but these situations are different no matter how much you think they are the same......this is often the reason why a QB will immediately throw the ball into the ground when this situation happens.....they don't continue to drop back and launch a pass downfield (ie keep playing like the PK did)....Sherman sees BUF continuing the play so he continues it.....

 
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If you believe he didnt hear the whistle, you have bigger things to worry about.
I got a fan to sell and eskimo if you believe that.

If I learned anything this past week, its people will believe anything they want to justify what they want.
the only reason I think he maybe didn't hear the whistle is because apparently, at least the center, the holder, and definatley the last person in the time frame.....the kicker....did not hear it either.....they kept playing so Sherman did too......

I could care less about this play....it's not a matter of what I want.....Chief fan living in CO....I got my own problems....lol.....no horse in this race whatsoever....I'm just saying how I could see this playing out.....BUF kept playing after "the whistle" just as much as Sherman did....like I said, if they stop playing, like you are saying Sherman is supposed to do.....this doesn't happen.....he saw them trying to kick it....so he tried to block it....

 
WheelsUp said:
NFL just said on OTL that Walt Andersons crew will not be disciplined.
Validation that officiating is not held up to the highest standard.
are you perfect....do you make mistakes.....are you disciplined for every mistake you make...

the one thing most uneducated fans don't realize when they see things like this is actually how much scrutiny these guys go through all year every year....every play they officiate, and for sure any play with a flag or potential controversy is reviewed and digested to the detail....so they can try and get better....we don't ever see posts talking about the great calls these guys make....they often have a video critique of their game to review on their flight home....they put in a ton of preparation and a ton of self and group evaluation afterwards.....but they are still human and they are still going to make mistakes and miss some things and not follow the correct procedure...on occasion....Blandino was on the radio the other day and said that after evaluation their success rate....is in the high 90's.....meaning yeah they miss a few, but in the big picture, they get damn near all of them right...as officials we are our own worst critics....its why we say things like "stay out of the paper" as we are getting ready to walk on the filed....these guys are held to a very high standard, it takes a lot of work and talent to be able to officiate at the NFL level....and a ton of sacrifice....believe me they get hammered on by their evalutors and the higher ups.....they are graded on every game, every call, every no call.....they do get downgraded.....but often that is not enough for the uneducated fan.....they only want to see officials get suspended and riducuuled in public with that suspension.....high standard...???......how many evaluations do most people have a year.....these guys get evaluated on every play, because they want to get better and be the best they can......but they will still make mistakes....

as officials we have a universal saying.....it's one of the few professions where you are expected to be perfect....and then get even better.....

 
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Actually what I propose in making them full time employees of the NFL is to make it harder on them.

I'd like to see the league ensure that just like players practice for a full preseason and every week prior to games, so do NFL officials practice for a full preseason and all week prior to games. Classroom hours, game simulations, rigorous testing and on-field scrutiny

I want NFL Refs to be held accountable for every good and bad call they make, and for them to have a performance-based incentive policy for salary, raises, promotions, etc. And yes, I want them to be terminated when they botch a call or ruin a game with an endless laundry shower. 

I have no interest in making life easier for the zebras. They have more influence on the game than anyone - there's simply no excuse for blowing the # of calls they've been butchering this season. It's an epidemic, and it's not going unnoticed by the fans. 
funny...all of this happens....that's just how uneducated the general public is.....they just want to see blood and people fired when a call is missed....I guess players should be terminated when they miss a kick or fumble.....

 
funny...all of this happens....that's just how uneducated the general public is.....they just want to see blood and people fired when a call is missed....I guess players should be terminated when they miss a kick or fumble.....
Then whomever is responsible for rating their performances should be fired and replaced.

and i think you're mistaken on the last set of metrics. I'd read their union prevents at-will termination or even discipline. And that pay is based on seniority rather than performance.  The only incentive for performance seems to be that the best crews get the playoffs/Super Bowl games.

Yet the worst refs remain refs. 

Maybe you need to educate yourself a bit as well. 

As for "players getting replaced for missing a kick or a fumble", that happens all the time.

:doh:  

 
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funny...all of this happens....that's just how uneducated the general public is.....they just want to see blood and people fired when a call is missed....I guess players should be terminated when they miss a kick or fumble.....
Not a very smart comment here as you've opened yourself up to a lot of criticism.  Kickers and RBs get benched or dropped every year due to missing kicks or fumbling, especially kickers.

As for myself or any other average person, yes, we get disciplined for poor performance with our jobs.  Some people get fired, some get fined, some lose bonuses and some just get something put in their file.  It's just a way of life and is taught to everyone at a young age.  When you do something wrong there are consequences.  Why ever try to do better if there weren't?

 
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Then whomever is responsible for rating their performances should be fired and replaced.

and i think you're mistaken on the last set of metrics. I'd read their union prevents at-will termination or even discipline. And that pay is based on seniority rather than performance.  The only incentive for performance seems to be that the best crews get the playoffs/Super Bowl games.

Yet the worst refs remain refs. 

Maybe you need to educate yourself a bit as well. 

As for "players getting replaced for missing a kick or a fumble", that happens all the time.

:doh:  
video tape doesn't lie.....they get high 90% right between their full speed call or help from replays....you don't gain seniority if you suck.....officials have not been invited back or asked not to return or not given games....it may not be called termination but it is what it is...and many times when it gets to post season they will work with mixed crews as they get evaluated individually as well as as a crew....they don't always let the whole crew go if a some of the guys rate out very poorly.....I'm not the most educated on every little policy, but I do know how little the people in here talking about accountability know.....

the comment about missing or kick or fumble was in response to the poster who said if they miss a call (ie make a mistake) they need to be terminated.....because he also kept comparing players to refs.....if ADP fumbles he ain't gettin terminated.......so he makes mistakes too...now yeah some slappy may get cut if he keeps putting it on the ground and FG kicker might get let go if they keep missing.....but if they are good 95% of the time....they ain't gettin terminated... 

 
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Not a very smart comment here as you've opened yourself up to a lot of criticism.  Kickers and RBs get benched or dropped every year due to missing kicks or fumbling, especially kickers.
but officials are correct.... as Blandino said....high 90% of the time.....a PK or player doesn't get terminated (like some in here are asking for the refs), if he has that kind of success rate....

 
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I don't think any officials needs to be terminated because of one bad call but it should be noted and used to keep them accountable.  Just like any other job, too many mistakes leads to being fired or loss of pay.

 
I don't think any officials needs to be terminated because of one bad call but it should be noted and used to keep them accountable.  Just like any other job, too many mistakes leads to being fired or loss of pay.
good posting....and that's the thing, I don't think most people know how much they are scrutinized (every single play).....way more than most people at their jobs...it's even pretty heavy at the college level and even at the high school level we see it to a certain extent....and there are different ways to hold people accountable besides loss of pay, suspension or termination.....and those things do happen.....but the general public because of passion is not happy unless there is blood and someone loses their job, or money, or gets suspended.....they can work to get better without having to go to those extremes...the public wants to see that Anderson and crew are publicly held accountable by fine or suspension....when in fact they will be upgraded or downgraded accordingly....just not the way everybody wants to see it....can probably guarantee that not one person asking for officials to be fired or held accountable has kept track of really how good that official is or not is.....has anybody in here charted every one of Anderson's calls this year?.....the answer is no....but it is happening behind the scenes....we get so caught up in it because sometimes a missed or bad call does affect the outcome of a game.....believe me that is the last thing the officials want to happen....this is a game, played by humans, coached by humans and officiated by humans....we expect the officials to be perfect on every play....but not players or coaches.....and let's pump the breaks a little bit, I realize we want officials to be perfect....but it will not happen.....and the perfect label really needs to be for the likes of heart surgeons and air traffic controllers.....

 
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Terminated? Who brought that up? I just skimmed thru and saw that.
You can punish people without firing them, dock them a game check. Demote them from Ref to lineman or something like that.
Pull their whole crew off a game that way other refs hold their crew members accountable.
So many things. One thing you cant do?
IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING... like the NFL just did.
That shows you do not expect the best, especially after it has made the headlines for being so terrible.

 
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Terminated? Who brought that up? I just skimmed thru and saw that.
You can punish people without firing them, dock them a game check. Demote them from Ref to lineman or something like that.
Pull their whole crew off a game that way other refs hold their crew members accountable.
So many things. One thing you cant do?
IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING... like the NFL just did.
That shows you do not expect the best, especially after it has made the headlines for being so terrible.
To be fair I really doubt the NFL did absolutely nothing.  We have no idea how they are handling it internally.

 
Hawkeye21 said:
I'm fine with what Sherman did and agree with you that he was just finishing the play just like the kicker was but it was still a penalty.  He was clearly offside which killed the play and he dove into the kicker.  It doesn't matter if he heard the whistle or not.  If it was the QB it would have been an easy flag even if he said he didn't hear the whistle.
I thought the whole problem on that play was, there was no whistle after Sherman came unabated.  (I don't know if that's accurate or not but it's the story I remember hearing on the radio the next morning.)

If the refs never blew the play dead then why would/should Sherman slow down?  He said himself, I'm not giving them a free kick.  Doesn't sound like a guy that heard a whistle blow.

 
I agree with the folks upthread that have suggested making these guys full time employees probably doesn't improve anything.

NFL players improve through practice because they have other NFL players to compete against.

You can't re-create an NFL game during the week for the sake of training the referees.  That's not realistic.  And hours upon hours of video review would have very quickly diminishing returns.  And they're studying film already.

 
Terminated? Who brought that up? I just skimmed thru and saw that.
You can punish people without firing them, dock them a game check. Demote them from Ref to lineman or something like that.
Pull their whole crew off a game that way other refs hold their crew members accountable.
So many things. One thing you cant do?
IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING... like the NFL just did.
That shows you do not expect the best, especially after it has made the headlines for being so terrible.
Terminated was brought up earlier.....by a few....fired, let go.....whatever....and...

Do you know that they did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING behind the scenes.....downgrades.....no possibilities for playoffs...demotions....moved from one game to another...."bigger" games in upcoming weeks to "lesser" games in upcoming weeks.....the answer is no you don't....and you never will....just like noone will know how you were disciplined at your job....sorry if things like that happen they don't go public with it....pretty sure none of us really want that public...

 
I agree with the folks upthread that have suggested making these guys full time employees probably doesn't improve anything.

NFL players improve through practice because they have other NFL players to compete against.

You can't re-create an NFL game during the week for the sake of training the referees.  That's not realistic.  And hours upon hours of video review would have very quickly diminishing returns.  And they're studying film already.
If you notice on many of the spring training clips on espn/nfl/etc........you will often see officials at the players practices, etc.....they put in a ton of time and the individual preparation prior to each game is incredible....they scout teams just like the teams do, etc....to be fair when these guys make mistakes at what they do, especially big ones, there probbaly isnt a job with more exposure to the masses....

 
Well Stinkin Ref, they did say that they were not going to receive discipline, so they went out of their way to say just that.

 
Well Stinkin Ref, they did say that they were not going to receive discipline, so they went out of their way to say just that.
Discipline in the form that you and the public want to see and be announced...?.... sure (suspended, fined,etc)....but you have no idea what level of discipline they received behind the scenes and you never will.....and honestly there is no way you think they did absolutely nothing....if you really do think that nothing was addressed with them you are out of your mind....

I actually am arguing against myself in some ways....and I think the NFL errored by fining Sherman.....he kept playing just like the kicker did....and they are saying it should have been a foul.....if anything the officiating crew should have been " disciplined" for not resetting the play clock on the delay of game.......not the judgement call of a dead ball personal foul....

but if the whistle blows for an offside and or the coach calling a timeout....the offense needs to stop as well and the PK team shouldnt get a free practice kick......etc....

have fun everybody....but seriously....please appreciate the great calls and the good things they do as much as the things they screw up....the mistakes always get the attention....cause perfection is the expectation....and take that to the field/court whenever you go watch your kids/grandkids.....it's not easy job at ANY level in any sport from rec ball to the pros and the last thing any official (besides that one NBA official) want to do is have a negative impact on the result of game....

 
Jordan Matthews damn near gets knocked out helmet to helmet. No call. Right after Darren Sproles is tackled before the ball gets there. No call. 

Yay player safety!

 
he was penalized for the offside.....he dove to block the kick....which he did.....he did not dive into the kicker....in the act of diving to block the kick he contacted the kicker.....

had he not been offside.....and blocked the kick.....and contacted the kicker.....it would not have been a penalty since he blocked the kick....no roughing because he blocked the kick....had he missed the block and made this contact...... it would have been roughing....

people keep comparing this to blasting the QB.....but these situations are different no matter how much you think they are the same......this is often the reason why a QB will immediately throw the ball into the ground when this situation happens.....they don't continue to drop back and launch a pass downfield (ie keep playing like the PK did)....Sherman sees BUF continuing the play so he continues it.....
Kickers always finish the kick because stopping in the middle can lead to injury.

And :bs:  he was just trying to block the kick. Guys trying to block kicks always keep their heads up and they obviously know that there is zero chance they are getting there while the ball is still being held. Sherman dove with his back rolling into the kicker's legs. It was clearly a late hit and every NFL official at the league office has said so and so have former NFL refs that are used as analysts. 

When everyone watching the game can easily see it's the wrong call and the NFL very quickly admits that their refs blew the call, you can be pretty sure that it was a blown call.

And while I agree that officiating is hard and that the refs get most stuff right, there is NO excuse for what happened next. And it's no surprise as Walt Anderson's crew is routinely terrible.

 
Kickers always finish the kick because stopping in the middle can lead to injury.

And :bs:  he was just trying to block the kick. Guys trying to block kicks always keep their heads up and they obviously know that there is zero chance they are getting there while the ball is still being held. Sherman dove with his back rolling into the kicker's legs. It was clearly a late hit and every NFL official at the league office has said so and so have former NFL refs that are used as analysts. 

When everyone watching the game can easily see it's the wrong call and the NFL very quickly admits that their refs blew the call, you can be pretty sure that it was a blown call.

And while I agree that officiating is hard and that the refs get most stuff right, there is NO excuse for what happened next. And it's no surprise as Walt Anderson's crew is routinely terrible.
Lol....getting injured while stopping.....thats some awesomeness right there....

everybody else has to stop but the KICKER gets to keep going cause HE might get hurt on the play.....might be one of the funniest things I have read in here...

looks like you have a better chance of getting hurt by continuing......

and I guess maybe the reason I thought he was trying to block the kick is because.....welll....he did block the kick.....

 
The funniest thing I have read is people defending referees. They are awful, no excusing it. They. Are. Awful.

 
Agree 1000%.  Refs have to watch for so many different things that they're going to miss stuff.  There was a game this weekend, I forget which one now, where one team had the ball on the 2 or 3 yd line, about to score, and got flagged for ineligible man downfield.  The LG had driven his guy into the end zone, and he ended up about 2 yards into the EZ as a pass was thrown, to the corner to a WR. Rules that like, to me, are just cluttering the rulebook. The guy is ineligible, everyone knows it, nobody is throwing him a pass...if he's good enough to bust through the D line and block a LB 5 yds past the LOS then let him...
That rule has been around forever and is a good rule. It's there for a reason which has nothing to do with someone confusing him as an eligible receiver. 

 
That rule has been around forever and is a good rule. It's there for a reason which has nothing to do with someone confusing him as an eligible receiver. 
Pretty sure the play in question was the Raiders/Broncos game last Sun night when Osemele just manhandled his guy.

Not challenging what you are saying, @thatguy, but curious as to what the good reason for that is -- preventing intentional or unintentional picks? Just seems hard to call a guy just because his opponent got destroyed.

 
I though the roughing call on Ben was poor.  Defender tackles him knocking him forward and downward where contact is made to his head (from second defender on the scene).  You can't avoid the contact or let up early on that play.  No intent and No win situation for a defensive player.   Contact is part of the game; use a little discretion guys! 

Then they missed a guys head getting turned around by the face mask as time winds down.  Happened again on the next play (which they saw) so justice was served.  Just hard to believe they missed the first (open field play) and caught the second (somewhat of a pile).

 
I though the roughing call on Ben was poor.  Defender tackles him knocking him forward and downward where contact is made to his head (from second defender on the scene).  You can't avoid the contact or let up early on that play.  No intent and No win situation for a defensive player.   Contact is part of the game; use a little discretion guys! 

Then they missed a guys head getting turned around by the face mask as time winds down.  Happened again on the next play (which they saw) so justice was served.  Just hard to believe they missed the first (open field play) and caught the second (somewhat of a pile).
totally agree with you about the hit on Ben....at some point there is only so much defenders can do....no way could that defender anticipate in a split second that he would be contacting Ben's head....

 
This is the referee directly behind the play and looking at it on the Broncos/Saints blocked kick return. I'm sure Goodell will defend them.

https://twitter.com/domepatrolpcast/status/798141818227617793
---This angle is embarrassing for the refs and anyone who defends them.

https://twitter.com/FletcherWDSU/status/798037055938826240
---Here is the down the line video that came out today.

Stop defending the refs. They are terrible, this is obvious to many and has been exposed.
To continue to show any defense to the incompetence is down right embarrassing to yourself.

 
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Why can't they have a team at HQ make all of these calls instead of the head ref on the field?  Go to the videos in the studios and have a guy like Blandino make the final decision.  Maybe someone not 70 years old.

 
YES! NHL does it just fine, no issues.
My bigger issue is in a world of technology why are there not fixed cameras like this or more camera men like this who even just work for the NFL to capture footage like this for replays.
All cameras dont have to be for broadcast, but could be for reviews. The pylon cam needs to be implemented as a reviewable form too.

 
This is the referee directly behind the play and looking at it on the Broncos/Saints blocked kick return. I'm sure Goodell will defend them.

https://twitter.com/domepatrolpcast/status/798141818227617793
---This angle is embarrassing for the refs and anyone who defends them.

https://twitter.com/FletcherWDSU/status/798037055938826240
---Here is the down the line video that came out today.

Stop defending the refs. They are terrible, this is obvious to many and has been exposed.
To continue to show any defense to the incompetence is down right embarrassing to yourself.
If you watch the actual video, the pic in your first link is showing his foot in the air, not actually on the line. It's also his left foot. It was his right foot that may have brushed against the line in the closest shot we ever saw.

 
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Like I said, embarrassing to make excuses.


I disagree. I think its more "embarrassing" and "terrible" to watch replay after replay and pass judgment on the officials like the job is easy. They don't get replays before making initial decisions. I'm wondering if you have any concept of the situation they're in. Do they make mistakes? Of course they do. Are they deserving of you passing this sort of judgment on them? Not in the slightest. 

I've watched my team (Seattle) get bad calls that cost them games. I've watched them get calls in their favor that won them games. It happens, and I'm okay with that. Further, the notion that any one team purposefully gets fewer or more bad calls against them over time is absurd. They're doing the best they can with what they have to work with. 

I'm with Belichick in that idea that coaches should be able to challenge everything, but for now I will continue to believe the refs work with best intentions. Walking through life assuming that others have best intentions in mind isn't an accident. Its a choice. Perhaps give it a try. 

 
Clearly indisputable visual evidence doesnt take precedence over your perspective. I blame the election for this new trend of avoiding facts and evidence. lol

 
They don't get replays before making initial decisions. I'm wondering if you have any concept of the situation they're in. Do they make mistakes? Of course they do. Are they deserving of you passing this sort of judgment on them? Not in the slightest. 
I have no issue with them making a mistake in live action, but when there are replays available and a play is reviewed and they still get the call wrong, there is no excuse for that.

 
Here's a different perspective, in case any of you are interested:

I am a small college FB official.  This was my first year in college after 6 years of HS.  The jump from HS to college was incredible.  My first game, the entire first quarter was a blur.  Remembering my assignments, the proper signals and communicating was one thing that I got much better at throughout the season.

What you never get used to is the unexpected actions of the people involved.  And the higher the level, the faster and more surprising they are.  No matter how many games you watch on film, no matter how many special situations and odd scenarios you think through in tests and meetings, you will still be caught of guard at least once every game.

Situations like when a kick returner decides to kick the bouncing kickoff out of bounds; or when a DB randomly runs up to hit a WR on the backside of the play; or when your TE is covered up by the WR and then runs a route into the backfield and catches a pass; or when two players on the punt return team are wearing the same number; or when the QB runs 20 yards downfield and takes his helmet off to yell an official after he threw an INT.  These are all situations that stunned me this year even though I've been doing it for 7 years, spent tons of time in the rulebook and in meetings watching film and discussing situations with other officials.  Only one of them did I get it right this year.  Out of 10 HS and 9 college games this year, I probably only missed 7-8 fouls that should have been called and called 2-3 that shouldn't have been.  I did nothing to thoroughly embarrass myself, but I was just lucky.  There were a lot of plays when I failed to watch the right player or didn't get into the right position to the see the play or simply had a mental lapse that didn't lead to anything.  Probably happens 5 times/game at least.

The amount of focus required to officiate is insane.  I do HS basketball and it is even more difficult due to the sheer volume of activity, but you also get more of a pass in basketball.  In football, a bad call or no call can stick with you for the entire season.  It can cost you any chance at working a playoff game and even get you fired.  But to concentrate on your job every single play without fail is a tall order for anyone.  The key to being really good is to 1) be in the right spot looking at the right thing on every play 2) knowing what to look for 3) knowing when to hold off on penalties that are technically there and 4) communicating with everyone else.  Doing all of that on every play is crazy difficult when you never know exactly what the players will do on a given play.  Throw in a coach yelling in your ear and it can get overwhelming real quick.

And yes, there is accountability and discipline.  Not just due to public pressure, either.  Once you reach the D2 level of football and above, every single play is critiqued by an evaluator.  And those critiques are all added up to get your grade for the year.  And that grade determines your ability to work post-season games and even get invited back the following year.  If a call is egregious enough or awful enough, those firings and suspensions can, and do, happen.  Coaches can submit complaints and film to the evaluators and coordinators if they are really upset about something and sometimes it gets results.  The pressure on officials is very intense and the higher up you go, the greater the pressure.  Officials defend each other, because they have to.  Coaches, fans and players are all critics despite pretty much none of them ever even attempting to do the job.

So I get you can disagree with some calls.  But the guys at the NFL level are incredible at this.  They aren't getting worse, but there are two factors that contribute to that belief.  One is that the level of analysis and review for the spectators has risen extensively with the improvements in technology and you can just see more as a fan now than ever before.  The second is that the rules are more complex and subject to more interpretation and judgement than ever before.  With more weight placed on the officials and more scrutiny of their decisions, no wonder people think they are getting worse.

Sure there is room for improvement and sure there are some officials that maybe aren't good enough be working the games they are working, but the profession as a whole isn't some black eye on the league.  It is like any other profession in the world and the only thing I ask is that you treat it like that and not as if these people are superhumans.  A lot of times, they are better at their jobs than the teams and coaches they officiate, but no one cheers them when they do a good job, just boo them when they did a bad job and even sometimes when they were 100% correct, but the people thought they did a bad job.

For me personally, this is the hardest thing; when you know for certain that you got a call right, but the players, coaches and fans are all yelling at you and treating you like you are an idiot.  It is really difficult to just take it when people are just being jerks and they're the ones who are wrong.  Officiating is tough enough as it is, to add jerkoffs just yelling to yell and there is no wonder there is an officiating shortage at the HS and youth sports level.

 
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well said jayrod....I have been officiating HS baseball, basketball, and football since 1993....have probably seen it all....hopefully what you said resonates for some in here as too often I think some fans think these guys get up off the sofa on Sunday mornings and drive to work the games that afternoon.... it's people, like some in here, and their attitudes that they take when they go to lower level games that contributes the most to the shortage of officials at the lower levels....it takes a ton of dedication and sacrifice to work at the highest level....especially if you have a family.... and for the most part those guys are the best of the best.....guys in here that make broad generalizations like They. Are. Awful. because of a few missed calls here or there just don't get it....

congrats on your advancement and best of luck to you.....

 
Sure there is room for improvement and sure there are some officials that maybe aren't good enough be working the games they are working, but the profession as a whole isn't some black eye on the league.  It is like any other profession in the world and the only thing I ask is that you treat it like that and not as if these people are superhumans.  A lot of times, they are better at their jobs than the teams and coaches they officiate, but no one cheers them when they do a good job, just boo them when they did a bad job and even sometimes when they were 100% correct, but the people thought they did a bad job.
:goodposting:

Appreciate you sharing your perspective. 

 
Clearly indisputable visual evidence doesnt take precedence over your perspective. I blame the election for this new trend of avoiding facts and evidence. lol
Couldn't see the first video you linked, but saw the second which is still up, along with countless other replays of it during the game.

I honestly can't call any of that visual evidence that I saw indisputable. I think it's likely he did step on the line, but I don't think there is any angle that makes it absolutely clear that he did.

And in absence of enough evidence to make that call, I think it was right to uphold the call on the field. 

 
Couldn't see the first video you linked, but saw the second which is still up, along with countless other replays of it during the game.

I honestly can't call any of that visual evidence that I saw indisputable. I think it's likely he did step on the line, but I don't think there is any angle that makes it absolutely clear that he did.

And in absence of enough evidence to make that call, I think it was right to uphold the call on the field. 
It was also right for the official on the field to let the play continue.  You can't undo blowing the whistle if/when you should not have.

 
I disagree. I think its more "embarrassing" and "terrible" to watch replay after replay and pass judgment on the officials like the job is easy. They don't get replays before making initial decisions. I'm wondering if you have any concept of the situation they're in. Do they make mistakes? Of course they do. Are they deserving of you passing this sort of judgment on them? Not in the slightest. 

I've watched my team (Seattle) get bad calls that cost them games. I've watched them get calls in their favor that won them games. It happens, and I'm okay with that. Further, the notion that any one team purposefully gets fewer or more bad calls against them over time is absurd. They're doing the best they can with what they have to work with. 

I'm with Belichick in that idea that coaches should be able to challenge everything, but for now I will continue to believe the refs work with best intentions. Walking through life assuming that others have best intentions in mind isn't an accident. Its a choice. Perhaps give it a try. 
Not any single team in the sense that you meant... but I've found the home team usually gets the better end of the calls.  Drives me crazy.

 
Jayrod, appreciate your story. Good luck in your officiating career.



But....




These are seasoned professionals who are paid to be as such and have been in the NFL for many years. No disrespect to you what so ever as I'm sure you try your best, but these guys are not in a learning curve. This is the NFL.

 

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