Quote:
Originally Posted by gstelmack
Looking forward to the discussion of how awesome the officiating is this week once the games are over: no one complaining about blown calls, how much faster paced the games are. Everyone is going to be all happy and rosy now, right? Right?
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It's not just about being 100% accurate. Things I would expect to improve with the new refs:
- Knowing the rules and being able to make accurate first calls that fit within them (ie, no 27 yard personal fouls, calling a touchback when half the downing player's body is in the end zone, knowing the definition of a simultaneous catch...).
- Being comfortable with the speed of the game. The regular refs aren't trying to make the jump in speed and skill from Division III to the NFL. They should know where to look on most plays and understand that it is possible for a 230 pound safety to run with a skilled TE.
- Knowing the process for having the best chance to get a big call right and when it's appropriate to huddle. IE, I doubt they huddle for 5 minutes on a false start and then make a rash decision on a questionable final touchdown with conflicting calls by two officials.
- Understanding how to handle cheap shots and after the whistle plays. I doubt we will see no penalties for receivers de-cleated on routes 15 yards down the field and first attempts at cheap shots.
Even if the "real" refs only improve the accuracy of calls by 5% - getting the above list done will make football much more watchable and improve the feeling that it's fairly reffed.