Has league-wide officiating gotten worse?

[K-9]

1 hour ago, BTB said:

What would you expect?  Guys being fired and hired on a weekly basis?

I expect dedicated, full time, regularly trained officials whose eligibility to officiate depends on maintaining a minimum grade performance from week to week. You fall below that level and another from the same pool of dedicated, full time officials rotates in. Given the amount inconsistency and subjectivity in calls from week to week, it shouldn’t be a problem keeping everyone employed. 

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, stosh64 said:

It's just mind boggling to me that the NFL, a multi billion dollar operation, uses part time, amateur officials.

 

They need full time professionals that face reprimands when their calls are sub-par.

 

It's not F#n rocket science.  Blows my mind that the people that have the power don't care.

 

The NFL has a system for evaluating/grading individual refs performance.  I've linked it here if you are actually interested in knowing the process:

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1867480-how-are-nfl-refs-held-accountable-for-their-performance

 

How would anything change?  These guys do 17 games a year.  That wouldn't change if they were full time.  These guy spend a lot of time studying video and the rule book/updates etc year round.  How would that change if they were hanging out in some ref office from January to August?

 

 

But how have "full time refs" worked out in the other major sports?  Umpiring in the MLB is awful.  That's the one league where they all could very easily be replaced and have AI reads or balls and strikes and simple replay for all plays at the bases, etc.  

 

NBA? They can't tell a block form a charge, never call palming/carry/travel, etc.  It's a mess. 

 

Lets say the NFL this off season told all the current refs that they to go full time or quit---thats' a ton of experience walking out the door.  How would 124 new full timers make you feel better?  And what happens down the road  when, inevitably they blow the same calls?  

[K-9]

1 hour ago, Robert Paulson said:

if thy are graded  they are not improving and learning - same crews making same mistakes. crews are also not learning from other crews mistakes. 

Yep. And you’d think the league would recognize that by now. 

[eball]

I don't know, but board-wide posting certainly has!

[Robert Paulson]

How would anything change?  These guys do 17 games a year.  That wouldn't change if they were full time.  These guy spend a lot of time studying video and the rule book/updates etc year round.  How would that change if they were hanging out in some ref office from January to August?

 

in season they could work wednesday -sunday/monday to review every game together via zoom and be 'taught' what the error was, what the good call was, what should be done in the future. saturday-monday is travel and reffing their game. 

 

this way everyone is hearing the same thing at the same time from the same person. 

 

right now these guys sell insurance m-f, hop on a plane. get together Saturday night to watch some film, ref a game Sunday and go home. they get a report some time during the week and may be have a quick zoom call mid week with the highlights/low lights. 

 

this could easily be a full time 50hrs/week gig 7-8 months/year July/Aug-Jan/Feb with the rest vacation. at $200k/year i think that would be a sweet job. 

 

simple Continuous Improvement practices all season long

Edited November 2, 2021 by Robert Paulson

[GETTOTHE50]

ive always said, call all the pre-snap and post-play penalties you want, and let the players determine the play when the ball is snapped. Thankfully, we have a good enough QB to where the refs dont affect the games nearly as much anymore. But they absolutely are horrible.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

I can honestly say I think the crew for Bills Miami was horrible 

 

 

Tua intentional grounding — not called 

 

JA intentional grounding — called 

[ndirish1978]

It has been pretty bad this year. Worse so because of the ridiculous emphasis on taunting. 

[TwistofFate]

6 hours ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

No it hasn't.

 

The rules are getting more and more complex every year like what is a catch, what is roughing the passer, etc etc.

 

Then on top of that you have multiple camera angles in super slow motion and they highlight the bad calls over and over again.

 

So it APPEARS as though officiating is getting worse but given the challenges i think it has stayed the same if not improved slightly.

Then it's about time refs wear body cams and their POV after they throw a flag is shown on the big screen. 

[Buffalo Junction]

8 hours ago, RiotAct said:

doesn’t seem any worse than previous seasons.

 

 

One way to attempt to fix it would be to hire full-time refs that train and watch game tape like crazy on their downtime, instead of using guys who are  gym teachers and financial consultants in their “day jobs”.

Best part time job ever….. $205k a year with total job security and no accountability. 

[pigpen65]

The game was close though right? In fact, every prime time have is close. I'm sure it's purely coincidental /s

[The Wiz]

8 hours ago, BTB said:

You don’t think they are graded weekly, and informed of said grade?

If only officials could actual fail when they are graded.  They are basically given participation trophies at this point. 

 

"You threw a flag today! Good work!"

Edited November 3, 2021 by The Wiz

[The Red King]

The other side is, what can be done?  Full-time refs have been one suggestion.  You could add more, but then the field gets packed with zebras.

 

We have the All-22, could have a ref in the booth for each player (the NFL could afford it).  Calls wouldn't be missed, but with that many cooks in the kitchen calls would skyrocket and there would be a flag every play.  Could do a lesser form with booth ref cams on the QB, ball carrier and recievers/DBs?  Even then there would be a lot more flags.

 

Complaining about officiating is easy, I was livid Sunday, but it's much harder thinking of a solution.

[gonzo1105]

I’m not sure officiating has gotten worse per say as technology has gotten so good to show every little error they make because their are HD cameras, multiple angles, super slow motions etc. 

 

Also I don’t think their necessarily hiring the best officials to move up to that level but promoting based on nepotism with officials being moved up because of their fathers, the hiring of less qualified workers due to equality issues and the NFL acting like they care because their in the public eye etc

 

That’s my opinion it’s a combo of things 

[The Red King]

58 minutes ago, gonzo1105 said:

I’m not sure officiating has gotten worse per say as technology has gotten so good to show every little error they make because their are HD cameras, multiple angles, super slow motions etc. 

 

Also I don’t think their necessarily hiring the best officials to move up to that level but promoting based on nepotism with officials being moved up because of their fathers, the hiring of less qualified workers due to equality issues and the NFL acting like they care because their in the public eye etc

 

That’s my opinion it’s a combo of things 

 

True, but it's not just hard to see things.  I mean that's one thing, yes, but even blatent, in plain sight PI mugging no-calls like during the Colts/Titans OT are missed.  That has nothing to do with camera angles.

 

Can't even allow penalties to be challenged.  We saw how that worked out after they tried it with PI after a blown call in the NFC Championship game.  Refs refused to overturn anything.

[Patrick Duffy]

Kinda seems like it gets a little bit worse each year to me. 

[BuffaloRebound]

1 hour ago, The Red King said:

The other side is, what can be done?  Full-time refs have been one suggestion.  You could add more, but then the field gets packed with zebras.

 

We have the All-22, could have a ref in the booth for each player (the NFL could afford it).  Calls wouldn't be missed, but with that many cooks in the kitchen calls would skyrocket and there would be a flag every play.  Could do a lesser form with booth ref cams on the QB, ball carrier and recievers/DBs?  Even then there would be a lot more flags.

 

Complaining about officiating is easy, I was livid Sunday, but it's much harder thinking of a solution.

I actually think you need a camera on every player.  That’s the only solution.  The selectivity of flags thrown today is what drives people nuts.  Players will stop holding if it’s called consistently.  The problem the League has is the majority of penalties called could be called on every play and fans rightfully ask why it was called in that instance and not another.  

[The Red King]

Here's a wild idea, give the refs a challenge flag.  They're human. They make mistakes, get things in their eyes, etc.  I know they can huddle, but that's just a matter of asking if anyone saw anything.  Maybe give them one challenge per half where they can stop and review video footage, as if a coach threw a flag.

 

I know it sounds crazy, it might be, but like I said, refs are human.

[Patrick Duffy]

5 minutes ago, The Red King said:

Here's a wild idea, give the refs a challenge flag.  They're human. They make mistakes, get things in their eyes, etc.  I know they can huddle, but that's just a matter of asking if anyone saw anything.  Maybe give them one challenge per half where they can stop and review video footage, as if a coach threw a flag.

 

I know it sounds crazy, it might be, but like I said, refs are human.

Yeah, I'm not sure what or how something could be done and knowing they don't want to make the games longer....but it would be nice if at the very least some of those "obviously terrible calls/bad game changing calls/non-calls" can be reviewed.

[Dukestreetking]

Complaint: the on-field review process, incl the tech.

 

1a: NY makes the final call. If so, why are game refs even looking at video? Time waste and other issues.

 

1b: Single NY source gone this year (Riveron) replaced by multiple review officials. Not transparent.

 

Do coaches know exactly, on xyz play, who might review? If no, affects decision to challenge, as they won't know tendencies.

 

2. The field review screen is just weird to me.

 

Challenge flag thrown. Call for the "pissboy" to run out w a clunky-looking monitor. And though it has a strap, they always hold it. Different povs, light impact, possible shaking.