NFL Officiating Worse This Year?

[Abe Sargent]

There have been a lot of pretty lame calls recently. Just this Sunday, I was watching the the Jags/Colts game on a 3rd down during the Colts final drive. The call of interference that sustained what was ultimately a TD winning drive. The flag came very late, and only after Peyton Manning lobbied the referee hard for the penalty. The contact, however, was well within the five yard zone and was very minor contact.

Which leads people to ask a lot of questions. If the referee really thought the penalty was pass interference, even though it wasn't, why the late call? Why not throw the flag as soon as you "saw" it?

There have been other cases as well. Ray Lewis went on tirades earlier this year that received no unsportsmanlike penalties. I can't remember who off my head, but I remember a quarterback this weekend who was hit hard while running downfield and got up and slammed his helmet into the guy who tackled him and got away without a penalty.

I'm told by Patriots fans that they still remember several questionable calls game 1 in favor of Peyton Manning. The accusation has started to emerge that some NFL officials are 1). ruling in favor of star players, maybe unconsciously, and 2). making inconsistent calls especially regarding defense versus offense regarding such things as unneccessary roughness and personal fouls.

You guys have watched a lot of football so far this year - what do you think?

-Anxiety

[rkmsuf]

I think I've seen this post now for the 10th consecutive year in one form or another.

I don't think it's any better or worse than ever.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

I can't remember who off my head, but I remember a quarterback this weekend who was hit hard while running downfield and got up and slammed his helmet into the guy who tackled him and got away without a penalty.

This was Michael Vick in the Atlanta / Carolina game and was one of several calls that had the Panthers players grumbling (there was a roughing the passer call that had them grousing as well).

The announcers came out and said this weekend in the Indy/Jax game that Indiannapolis was getting a lot of questionable interference/holding calls going their way because of all their griping after last year's playoffs.

[Butter]

The Steelers were in essence handed the game over the Bengals Sunday on a pass interference call. The play showed the CB covering Plaxico Burress was shoved in the back and made no other contact on the play and was flagged for interference. It may have been the worst PI call I've ever seen. I can't imagine what the ref was thinking when the flag was thrown. Steelers score on the second play from the one and take a 21-17 lead which they did not relinquish.

But overall I don't think the refereeing is any worse than in years past. But certainly there is room for improvement, especially on the judgment calls of interference and ball spotting.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Anxiety

There have been a lot of pretty lame calls recently. Just this Sunday, I was watching the the Jags/Colts game on a 3rd down during the Colts final drive. The call of interference that sustained what was ultimately a TD winning drive. The flag came very late, and only after Peyton Manning lobbied the referee hard for the penalty. The contact, however, was well within the five yard zone and was very minor contact.

Which leads people to ask a lot of questions. If the referee really thought the penalty was pass interference, even though it wasn't, why the late call? Why not throw the flag as soon as you "saw" it?

There have been other cases as well. Ray Lewis went on tirades earlier this year that received no unsportsmanlike penalties. I can't remember who off my head, but I remember a quarterback this weekend who was hit hard while running downfield and got up and slammed his helmet into the guy who tackled him and got away without a penalty.

I'm told by Patriots fans that they still remember several questionable calls game 1 in favor of Peyton Manning. The accusation has started to emerge that some NFL officials are 1). ruling in favor of star players, maybe unconsciously, and 2). making inconsistent calls especially regarding defense versus offense regarding such things as unneccessary roughness and personal fouls.

You guys have watched a lot of football so far this year - what do you think?

-Anxiety

I think that the quality of officiating has steadily declined since the advent of replay. I was a huge proponent of replay when it first became proposed for the NFL, but have done a huge U-Turn. The standard to overturn calls is not applied properly, thus it does not accomplish what it intends to, and the five plays or so during a game which might end up being reviewed has led to the officials being indecisive for the other 115 plays.

I agree that the call you are speaking of was an awful call, and as game changing as any call that is reviewable (since essentially, it determined which team had the ball). You are wrong on one point however - Manning lobbying the referee had nothing to do with it. It was called by another official, and occurred in an area the ref is not watching.

As for star players getting more calls, that is true in every sport to a certain extent. I have heard that comment most often in the context of Michael Vick. I think that he presents a problem to NFL refs much like Shaq presents to NBA refs - he is so unique, that it is difficult to interpret the rules for him the same way they do for everyone else.

[SunDancer]

Sadly, the Bills were told by the NFL about blown/non-miss calls against the Raiders and a few against the Jags. The Bills would of won against the Raiders. I also remember hearing about the Redskins being told the NFL about cruitical bad calls against them that cost them a game against Dallas.

[VPI97]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

This was Michael Vick in the Atlanta / Carolina game and was one of several calls that had the Panthers players grumbling (there was a roughing the passer call that had them grousing as well).

Why would they grumble? Contrary to Anxiety's post, Vick was indeed hit with a personal foul on that play.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by VPI97

Why would they grumble? Contrary to Anxiety's post, Vick was indeed hit with a personal foul on that play.

Didn't that end up being an offsetting penalty? I could see that leading to some confusion.

[henry296]

It isn't just a this year problem. A couple of years ago the Steelers had 2 weeks in a row where the NFL officially apolgized about a blown call.
Todd

[Abe Sargent]

Maybe it's about time the NFL went to full time refs. Let's have a system in place to train and work with the refs on a full time basis. As parity in the league continues, one bad call can ruin a team's chances for the day, with the teams being so close in talent.

I also want a system for more discipline of refs. Refs that continually screw up calls should be fired, none of this penny-ante stuff. Make that part of the bargaining agreement with the refs that would be required to make them a full-time position.

-Anxiety

[Aylmar]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

The Steelers were in essence handed the game over the Bengals Sunday on a pass interference call. The play showed the CB covering Plaxico Burress was shoved in the back and made no other contact on the play and was flagged for interference. It may have been the worst PI call I've ever seen. I can't imagine what the ref was thinking when the flag was thrown. Steelers score on the second play from the one and take a 21-17 lead which they did not relinquish..

I don't know if I would call being up by 4 with over nine minutes to play being "handed the game", but I'll agree with you that it was a bad call. The Steelers, however, were on the march when it happened. They were already in field goal range (2nd and 15 from the Cincy 22) and (other than Doughboy's fumble on the toss sweep the previous play) had been ripping off yards at a very nice clip. It questionable whether the Bengals would have stopped them anyway, but without the call, at least they had a chance.

At any rate, my first thought (and words) when I saw the flag was that it was a make-up call.. The game was pretty evenly officiated, IMO. The Bengals got 35 yards early in the game on a phantom PI penalty on Chad Scott. You get some, you give some.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Samdari

I think that the quality of officiating has steadily declined since the advent of replay. I was a huge proponent of replay when it first became proposed for the NFL, but have done a huge U-Turn. The standard to overturn calls is not applied properly, thus it does not accomplish what it intends to, and the five plays or so during a game which might end up being reviewed has led to the officials being indecisive for the other 115 plays.

this is exactly what I was going to say. I like that instant replay is there, but it's really hurt the level of officiating.

speaking of, here's my question about replay challenges. In the Bills game, the Bills challenged a play with less than 2 minutes left, which I thought would be only an official challenge. Ditto, I guess, in the Skins game (which I only say highlights of), the big todo was that Gibbs didn't have any timeouts left to challenge the fumble/incompletion...again, it was after the two minute warning. Now, both plays started before the 2-minute mark - is that why they were challengeable?

[Z²+]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

...again, it was after the two minute warning. Now, both plays started before the 2-minute mark - is that why they were challengeable?

I think you have it right on target. Coaches cannot challange a play within 2 minutes of of the half/end of game. But if the play commences before the two minute warning, and ends after it, the coach can in fact challenge it. I believe I remember the CBS commentators talking about this once sometime during the last two or three seasons during a Steelers broadcast, because the ref initially wouldn't allow a challange, then discussed it with his crew and did allow the challange.

Can anyone confirm if I have this right?