Per ESPN: Mike Tomlin: NFL must assess refs

[HeluCopter29]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10215978/mike-tomlin-pittsburgh-steelers-coach-bemoan-missed-call-kansas-city-chiefs-fg-attempt

 

 

PITTSBURGH -- A missed call that may have kept the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the playoffs didn't leave coach Mike Tomlin bemoaning what could have been.

 

But Tomlin said the NFL needs to take a hard look at officiating during the offseason and consider measures to improve it, including making referees full-time employees of the league.

 

Obviously he's upset after the game yesterday afternoon but dude has a point.

 

I think most of the issues stem from the game getting to complicated and there being to many penalties and rules.  Might be time to start looking at getting rid of some of them such as the PI rules.

[TradeTheBeal!]

They should start by assessing the officiating in that fixed Steelers/Seahawks Super Bowl from a few years back.

[Redskin4ever]

That Seahawks/Steelers Super Bowl was probably the worst officiated Super Bowl I remember watching.

 

Not to mention, Tomlin directly interfered with a play on the field a few weeks ago and did not receive a penalty. He talking about officiating needing review after that game.

 

As much as I hate the Steelers, I like Mike Tomlin. It's pretty hard not to like him. But this almost seems like passive/aggressive complaining when a bad call doesn't benefit him.

[Leonard Washington]

I like Tomlin too.  He just seems like the type of coach who will never work again if the Steelers let him go.

[chipwhich]

My friend is a head ref in the NFL, they are constantly reviewed and keep scorecards.  Unfortunately they are human.  To me the fix to the problem is a video referee who can call penalties down to the field.

[Taylor 36]

I don't care what the reasons or the motives for Tomlin speaking out are; they still do not invalidate the message.  The league must do something about the horrendous officiating taking place every week in almost every game. 

 

First, EVERY play should be reviewable.  A coach has two/three challenges, let him have the opportunity to challenge any play/call he wishes with his challenges.  If the point of Instant Replay and challenging is to get the calls right, why not allow everything to be challengeable, including penalties? 

 

Second, have officials at every game with the rule books right in front of them that can stop the action on the field when a ref or official blows a call, and have them get it right.  Too many calls were messed up because the refs didn't know the correct rules this season.  That is unacceptable.

[pjfootballer]

I like the college system. It seems to get the play reviewed and right about 95% of the time. It doesn't seem to slow down the game and I think the refs aren't as hesitant about missing a call.

[757SeanTaylor21]

I remember hearing a idea of fining the refs. You want more money? Ok but your officiating better be the best...and time after time after the whole lock out shananigans they blow calls/miss/phantom penalties. Hurt their pocket like you do nfl players for messing up and wonder if we would see a different game.

Secondly, I think it's probably all nfl related to have the refs miss calls//../.. Thinking about how they constantly flex games or have division games week 17...is it merely a coincidence that week 17 cowboys and redskins last year...this year week 17 eagles and cowboys...packers/bears...etc etc

[pjfootballer]

They should start by assessing the officiating in that fixed Steelers/Seahawks Super Bowl from a few years back.

 

 

That Seahawks/Steelers Super Bowl was probably the worst officiated Super Bowl I remember watching.

 

Not to mention, Tomlin directly interfered with a play on the field a few weeks ago and did not receive a penalty. He talking about officiating needing review after that game.

 

As much as I hate the Steelers, I like Mike Tomlin. It's pretty hard not to like him. But this almost seems like passive/aggressive complaining when a bad call doesn't benefit him.

      Hit the nail on the head.

 

Gee Tomlin, tell us something we don't already know about.

[Destino]

The NFL needs to simplify the rule book and make it a goal to have less penalties called in general.  They have entirely too many penalties that are subject to interpretation by the ref and too much ridiculous bull**** like this crap:

 

 

 

"a player is not considered to have touched the ball if he is blocked into it by an opponent, provided he is in a passive position and not blocking. A player who is engaged with and blocking his opponent when he contacts the ball is deemed to have touched the ball.” 

 

The redskins were on the wrong end of that stupid rule this season.  Why does it exist?  Why is there a rule that seems to exist to protect players that are day dreaming on the field during a punt?  The NFL has too many stupid rules like this that spring up every so often at the surprise of everyone.  

 

Then you have needless crap that pops up and does nothing for the game.  Offensive lineman moves his head a little?  Flag that crap!  Fans are totally invested in the idea of lineman behaving like street performers and standing perfectly still, like statues, prior to the snap.  It's garbage.  If they fly out of their stance or shuffle their feet, fine, but otherwise just keep the damn game going.  The same goes for too many men on the field when a player is clearly running off the field and has nothing to do with the play.  Let that stuff go!  

 

Last, and most importantly, is all this nonsense protecting offensive players.  Go too low?  flag.  Too high?  flag.  Just right?  Flag if the offensive player moves and you end up hitting him too high.  Too hard?  How dare you, they were defenseless!  The amount of **** that is flagged in an NFL game is insane.  These aren't little problems either, a well timed 15 yard penalty can change a game completely.  

 

Ever try explaining NFL rules to a person that's never watched it before?  It takes a season, or 5, to get through all the rules.  

[Bang]

I don't care what the reasons or the motives for Tomlin speaking out are; they still do not invalidate the message.  The league must do something about the horrendous officiating taking place every week in almost every game. 

 

First, EVERY play should be reviewable.  A coach has two/three challenges, let him have the opportunity to challenge any play/call he wishes with his challenges.  If the point of Instant Replay and challenging is to get the calls right, why not allow everything to be challengeable, including penalties? 

 

Second, have officials at every game with the rule books right in front of them that can stop the action on the field when a ref or official blows a call, and have them get it right.  Too many calls were messed up because the refs didn't know the correct rules this season.  That is unacceptable.

totally agree with this, and with Destino. the NFL has tried to make a rule for every contingency, and it's bogged down the game & made the refs jobs harder. Like Chip says above, they're human and will make the occasional mistake, unfortunately, with SO many new rules being of the quick judgment variety, the propensity to make the human mistake is increased exponentially.

They can't help but make a mistake, there are so many new ways for them to make it that it simply has that many more chances of happening.

That isn't a knock on them, it's a knock on the NFL rulebook.

I would bet a dollar that that if you went back and looked at it, they have not reduced injuries one iota, they have not reduced concussions, they have not reduced hits on quarterbacks, and they have absolutely NOT decreased the number of QBs being injured.

Many of these rules seem to be in place to prevent future lawsuits.

I'm with Tomlin.

~Bang

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Like Chip said, they are human and you have to realize that they are on the field having to catch everything real time.  And they have to look for a lot of things on every play.  Like fans watching on TV and TV announcers in the booth, they don't get the benefit of instant replay slowed down for them after they make a call to go back and say, oh my bad.  

 

I know they get paid, but its a lot harder job than we all think it is.  Plus, those guys have to know/memorize the entire NFL playbook and like Bang said above, there are so many rules open to interpretation.  We all know what replacement officials are like, so give those guys a little break.

 

With all that said and as much money as the NFL makes.  There is zero reason for them NOT to hire say 32 extra positions - one appointed per team - that are rules experts and can call in "rules" to the head referee every Sunday on game day.  We have the technology for there to be on field communication between that said person and the ref during the game.  This would help out on the interpretation calls that become judgement calls.  

 

Both the replay official and the "rules official" could call down the adjustments real time on those critical calls.  Hell it could eliminate the busted challenge system that exists.  Coaches should be able to challenge any play in the game, not just a select few.  Expand it or put in another system (like I mentioned) and get rid of it.  

 

This way, we aren't sitting here on Monday where the NFL says, "yeah, you were right coach, horrible call, should have blah blah blah...." sorry it cost you the game, but we can't take back the win now.  

 

Also, if they are going to review every TD, they need to review every FG and be able to call the illegal formations like what happened in the Chiefs/Chargers game.  

[MrJL]

the officiating in the NFL has declined dramatically in recent years.  I don't know if some officials are past their primes, they've tinkered with the rules so much the refs have a hard time being consistent or what, but it is definitely there

[Bang]

It's the rules.. the refs by and large are not the old men we used to have.

"Points of emphasis".. wtf is that? we are going to enforce this rule especially this year?

You're supposed to enforce all rules equally.

It's asinine, and it is obvious that refs are keyed into thee 15 yard personal foul, and either miss or let a lot of other stuff go.

Holding for example, is rarely called anymore. Am I supposed to think that a penalty that "could be caled on any play" is suddenly not a factor because OL have learned how to not hold?

of course not, they hold all the time, and we all see it.

this "point of emphasis" bullcrap simply emphasizes and influences refs to make an unfair call of the game.

~Bang

[Vilandil Tasardur]

It's instantaneously obvious that all they care about is high scoring, offensive explosions. We're approaching arena football territory.

 

Orakpo doesn't get held like the only nerdy girl at prom because of some redskins vendetta, he gets held because everyone gets held now, because it is the only way for the NFL to be sure that the QBs can lead awesome drives.

 

Remember when a drive within 2 minutes to tie or win was considered a rare, awesome experience? Now they happen every game, sometimes twice a game (where one QB does it "too quick" and the other QB does it back) because the penalties and thread of penalties make it impossible to play defense.

 

It's especially bad on the goal line. Watch any goal line play by the patriots or packers or broncos. Every one of them involves serious illegal picks where the receivers are blocking on screens or short dump offs. Most of the time, the receivers never even pretend to be running routes. They just go right up and start blocking their man. They fake it just well enough to keep it from being called. But at least half of Peyton's and Aaron's TDs came off of indefensible pick plays like these.

[Ludomaniac]

A rule that has needed to be changed for YEARS is this:

When there is a loose ball on the ground and everyone is diving for it, sometimes the refs have already blown the play dead, so by rule, the ball was never on the ground, it ISNT a fumble. But then the replay shows that the ball SHOULD have been called a fumble, but because the refs blew their little whistles too fast, it becomes an unchallengable play.

They should change it so, no matter what, if the ball is on the ground, and people are diving for it, whoever comes up with the ball, will gain possession if the replay happens to show that the incorrect call was made, and that it was indeed a fumble.

Seems like common sense, change it Goodell

[Redskin4ever]

A rule that has needed to be changed for YEARS is this:

When there is a loose ball on the ground and everyone is diving for it, sometimes the refs have already blown the play dead, so by rule, the ball was never on the ground, it ISNT a fumble. But then the replay shows that the ball SHOULD have been called a fumble, but because the refs blew their little whistles too fast, it becomes an unchallengable play.

They should change it so, no matter what, if the ball is on the ground, and people are diving for it, whoever comes up with the ball, will gain possession if the replay happens to show that the incorrect call was made, and that it was indeed a fumble.

Seems like common sense, change it Goodell

 

That already is the rule. Even if a play is blown dead and is challenged if a player clearly recovered the ball, then that team gets the ball.  The only place that doesn't apply is with a ball carrier's forward progress because that is a judgment call on the field and can't be put into someone else's judgment.

[Bubble Screen]

A rule that has needed to be changed for YEARS is this:

When there is a loose ball on the ground and everyone is diving for it, sometimes the refs have already blown the play dead, so by rule, the ball was never on the ground, it ISNT a fumble. But then the replay shows that the ball SHOULD have been called a fumble, but because the refs blew their little whistles too fast, it becomes an unchallengable play.

They should change it so, no matter what, if the ball is on the ground, and people are diving for it, whoever comes up with the ball, will gain possession if the replay happens to show that the incorrect call was made, and that it was indeed a fumble.

Seems like common sense, change it Goodell

Dude, if the ref blows his whistle, then some players are going to give up on the play. Therefore, you can't use replay to overturn a play you're describing. That would make no sense.

[Rufus T Firefly]

There are two things I think would help officiating out a bit:

 

1. Have officials in the booth who can monitor things like too many men on the field, overloaded sides of the line on kicks, even ineligible receivers downfield. Those things are much easier to spot from above, and would take some burden off the refs.

 

2. Have the defenseless receiver and targeting fouls be punished more by fines and suspensions rather than as penalties on the field (except in egregious examples).  It is pretty much impossible to judge these plays in real time, and a real high percentage of the penalties called for this turn out to have been proper hits when looked at in slo-mo. Just relieve the refs from having to try to spot this at high speed and deal with it when it can truly be assessed. 

 

Obviously there are some rules that need to be simplified (what the hell is a catch anymore?) and full-time refs would help too.