NFL officiating inconsistency

[BillsShredder83]

On 9/28/2026 at 11:05 AM, billsfan89 said:

For as long as I've been alive I remember my dad complaining about NFL officiating, hell my dad is convinced Super Bowl 4 was rigged. Since I've been a fan (2000) I've constantly seen fans complaining about officiating. I've never seen fans ever say an era of officiating was good. That's not to say there aren't legitimate critiques of officiating and rules, there will always be that. But I just hate fans acting like there was ever a time when officiating was good but now it is so horrible that they want to stop watching. 

It's absolutely true.  Refs have become an adversary to the enjoyment/experience of NFL fans.  I'm not even talking about Bills gripes, every fan base has those.

 

The quality of the game is **completely** and relentlessly destroyed via meaningless flags that mean nothing.... Ticky tack penalties put an offense into 3rd and 25.... bailed out on a pass interference/def holding.  The entire sequence is like 'why do any of this'?!?!  It usually cancels out, and feels like a 3rd team on the field.  I used to watch 3 games Sunday, then Monday & Thursday

 

I have 2 TVs in the living room, its only week 3 of the season (when im most hyped), and I already have the NFL on the side TV (it's muted, situationally turned on if things get interesting) for Monday night.  That's basically how I watch the NFL now... it's a side chick, 2nd fiddle to something actually entertaining.

 

I probably watch 4-5 games on Saturday's now... College is so F'd, and yet its such the superior option to NFL.  This is what Roger wanted, he's getting it.  NFL can kick f***** rocks.

 

I'll always be a Bills first household, till the day I die.

 

I'm die hard 4 sports a year (plus Boxing/UFC/One Fighting Championship/ BKFC), NFL is barely watchable if its not a Bills game , for me anyways. I can't even believe I'm saying it, it's so preposterous.  Their market share of my consumption is waaaaaay down.  I would've called that blasphemy even 5 years ago.

Edited September 29 by BillsShredder83

[dave mcbride]

23 hours ago, Simon said:

 

That is certainly a problem, has been for a long time and also something that is making me watch less football overthe years, but that is more procedural and less systemic, imo.

I think the biggest problem is simply that the game is badly over-officiated and these guys are throwing waaaay too many flags. I don't turn my TV on on Sundays to watch zebras every 90 seconds; it's going to lead to me bailing on the NFL when Allen hangs them up.

This bull**** where guys are throwing flags every time they see an "indicator" is destroying the viewing experience, imo.

If you don't see an actual penalty being committed then don't even consider reaching for your flag. If you miss a couple calls because a guy was crafty and got away with something, too f'ing bad. You're there to keep the game flowing and to prevent problems, not to create them by thinking you can catch every penalty in every game by throwing flags at everything that might have been a hold.

Is some of it that we just watch a lot of the Bills? The Bills are tied for 25th worst in calls enforced against them (and they're probably even lower ranked if you include declined penalties in the count). They lead the league in defensive holding calls against and are tied for third in offensive holding calls against: https://www.footballdb.com/statistics/penalties.html. 

Edited September 29 by dave mcbride

[Matt_In_NH]

For people who want no replays...go to 9:23 and 24:04 of these videos...this stuff was common place even when replay was already implemented.  Touchdowns count that were not touchdowns, turnvers that were not turnovers. 

 

 

[dave mcbride]

Just did a deeper dive on Bills penalties since 2017 (the year McDermott was hired). They Bills have only finished in the bottom half of the league twice in penalties called against them, and they're regularly in the top ten. Lower rankings are better, and 2017 was their best year:

 

2017: 23rd

2018: 7th

2019: 9th

2020: 6th

2021: 6th

2022: 16th

2023: 7th

2024: 10th

2025: 22nd

2026: 5th (so far)

 

Their average ranking in this bad category over a decade is 10.9 (11th out of 32, basically), so we've all been watching a pretty heavily penalized team for a long time.

 

https://www.footballdb.com/statistics/penalties.html?yr=2017

 

[billsfan89]

26 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

It's absolutely true.  Refs have become an adversary to the enjoyment/experience of NFL fans.  I'm not even talking about Bills gripes, every fan base has those.

 

The quality of the game is **completely** and relentlessly destroyed via meaningless flags that mean nothing.... Ticky tack penalties put an offense into 3rd and 25.... bailed out on a pass interference/def holding.  The entire sequence is like 'why do any of this'?!?!  It usually cancels out, and feels like a 3rd team on the field.  I used to watch 3 games Sunday, then Monday & Thursday

 

I have 2 TVs in the living room, its only week 3 of the season (when im most hyped), and I already have the NFL on the side TV (it's muted, situationally turned on if things get interesting) for Monday night.  That's basically how I watch the NFL now... it's a side chick, 2nd fiddle to something actually entertaining.

 

I probably watch 4-5 games on Saturday's now... College is so F'd, and yet its such the superior option to NFL.  This is what Roger wanted, he's getting it.  NFL can kick f***** rocks.

 

I'll always be a Bills first household, till the day I die.

 

I'm die hard 4 sports a year (plus Boxing/UFC/One Fighting Championship/ BKFC), NFL is barely watchable if its not a Bills game , for me anyways. I can't even believe I'm saying it, it's so preposterous.  Their market share of my consumption is waaaaaay down.  I would've called that blasphemy even 5 years ago.

 

I can't dispute your level of taste but did you ever think NFL officiating was good? Was there ever an era of NFL were you were happy about officiating? I am seriously asking because while I have my issues with the NFL product but I don't think officiating is all that much different in terms of quality than it was 20 years ago or 30 years ago. 

[dave mcbride]

5 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

I can't dispute your level of taste but did you ever think NFL officiating was good? Was there ever an era of NFL were you were happy about officiating? I am seriously asking because while I have my issues with the NFL product but I don't think officiating is all that much different in terms of quality than it was 20 years ago or 30 years ago. 

Yes, officiating was much, much better, specifically on November 29, 1998. Watch starting from the 25:42 mark and you'll clearly see that officiating back then was SO much better than now: 

[ticketssince61]

On 9/28/2026 at 8:05 AM, billsfan89 said:

For as long as I've been alive I remember my dad complaining about NFL officiating, hell my dad is convinced Super Bowl 4 was rigged. Since I've been a fan (2000) I've constantly seen fans complaining about officiating. I've never seen fans ever say an era of officiating was good. That's not to say there aren't legitimate critiques of officiating and rules, there will always be that. But I just hate fans acting like there was ever a time when officiating was good but now it is so horrible that they want to stop watching. 

 

The difference is that now there is technology to rectify errors and either  a) it is not used or b) they still get the call wrong

[Simon]

56 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Is some of it that we just watch a lot of the Bills?

 

I don't think so; they were pretty good about penalties under McDermott. Despite some of our caterwaulers, we haven't been getting the shaft more than anybody else, imo.

It looks the same all across the league to me.

A DL goes to the ground and I can't see the OL's hands; better throw a flag even though I didn't see a penalty.

A WR flails an arm but I'm shielded and out of position; better throw a flag even though I didn't see a penalty.

A QB's head snaps back but he's between me and the rusher; better throw a flag even though I didn't see a penalty.

It's the same thing every week in every game and it's nothing but fake, manufactured drama that kills the momentum of the actual drama that the game produces on its own.

[Thrivefourfive]

On 9/28/2026 at 6:32 AM, BuffaloBillyG said:

Here's my thing. 

 

Fans love to sit back and cherry pick plays that were off. But the officials during the game get ONE vantage point, at full speed, with the element of not knowing exactly where to look as what's going to be the key thing in that play. All while trying hard not to get swiped out by 22 players flying around at super human speed. It's like going to stand in the middle expressway at rush hour and then having to recite all the license plates you saw. That's why I will rarely criticize the refs on the field. 

 

Now, I will say there are a lot of times where the eye in the sky could help things out and doesn't. The guys in the booth get frame by frame and super slow motion from many different angles. And most times there is time between the plays to have a booth operator review the play in between without slowing the game. 

The booth is such a joke. Even before they cut to commercial to review a play, tv shows a replay of the exact thing that happened and usually the result is right there in front of us, and then they go to commercial for three minutes, come back, and announce the obvious. Something is wrong with that process. 

[dave mcbride]

Just now, Simon said:

 

I don't think so; they were pretty good about penalties under McDermott. Despite some of our caterwaulers, we haven't been getting the shaft more than anybody else, imo.

It looks the same all across the league to me.

A DL goes to the ground and I can't see the OL's hands; better throw a flag even though I didn't see a penalty.

A WR flails an arm but I'm shielded and out of position; better throw a flag even though I didn't see a penalty.

A QB's head snaps back but he's between me and the rusher; better throw a flag even though I didn't see a penalty.

It's the same thing every week in every game and it's nothing but fake, manufactured drama that kills the momentum of the actual drama that the game produces on its own.

I’m not saying we’re necessarily getting the shaft (sometimes you fairly earn the penalties called against you), but they have been one of the more penalized teams over the last decade by ranking (see above). Not the worst, but not great either.

Edited September 29 by dave mcbride

[BearNorth]

Just saw that we have the Vinovich crew on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

[Simon]

Just now, dave mcbride said:

I’m not saying we’re necessarily getting the shaft (sometimes you fairly earn the penalties called against you), but they have been one of the more penalized teams over the last decade by ranking (see above). Not the worst, but not great either.

 

I'm surprised by that list (thanks for doing it).

I thought they were probably around the middle of the pack, maybe a shade better.

[Rat-boy]

53 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Yes, officiating was much, much better, specifically on November 29, 1998. Watch starting from the 25:42 mark and you'll clearly see that officiating back then was SO much better than now: 

 

Appreciate you ruining my week, dredging that highlight up. I’m hitting the liquor cabinet.

[Simon]

12 minutes ago, Rat-boy said:

 

Appreciate you ruining my week, dredging that highlight up. I’m hitting the liquor cabinet.

 

[Buffalo ill]

On 9/28/2026 at 6:35 AM, Billsfanatic8989 said:

How long until an official makes a terrible call late in the Super Bowl and costs a team the game? It's definitely coming

Well it's already happened in other superbowls.  Maybe not at the end of the game but think of seahawks/steelers or this...

 

https://youtu.be/l-uKBIsXzA4?is=Y-Q83Yu6zYNuxmSG

Edited September 29 by Buffalo ill

[Lost]

 

[HOUSE]

It's only inconsistent because we now have instant replay. 

[T master]

On 9/28/2026 at 5:26 AM, djp14150 said:

 

 

 

 

abovevyou have 2 QB sacks. One is ruled a fumble and one is not. Both go against the Saints

 

 

 

 

Well after seeing how they have done the Bills over the last more than few years this isn't really a surprise but it is ridiculous !! 

 

I know I am partial being a Bills fan but any dummy could plainly seee last year that Cooks was down & there were at least 2 other similar calls last season in the same week that every sports person when watching the replays said that they had bet the Bills fans were P O'd with the calls that were a catch & theirs wasn't .

 

There should be a rule that the official in NY that is watching the game or games & see's a call that is blatantly missed by the on field official they should be able to some how get in touch and over rule the call .

 

The call last year that they missed on Cooks would have if called correctly would have put the Bills in the Super Bowl because there's no way that the Pats would have beaten the Bills to move on !! 

 

The Pats because of their schedule & the fact that they weren't playing a team with their starting QB went on & everyone saw in the Super Bowl why they truly didn't deserve to be in that game & it continues now in some ways .

[Scott7975]

On 9/28/2026 at 9:32 AM, BuffaloBillyG said:

Here's my thing. 

 

Fans love to sit back and cherry pick plays that were off. But the officials during the game get ONE vantage point, at full speed, with the element of not knowing exactly where to look as what's going to be the key thing in that play. All while trying hard not to get swiped out by 22 players flying around at super human speed. It's like going to stand in the middle expressway at rush hour and then having to recite all the license plates you saw. That's why I will rarely criticize the refs on the field. 

 

Now, I will say there are a lot of times where the eye in the sky could help things out and doesn't. The guys in the booth get frame by frame and super slow motion from many different angles. And most times there is time between the plays to have a booth operator review the play in between without slowing the game. 

I still don’t understand how the eye in sky decide to interfere in the game or not. It’s shady. Reminds me of the men in black in our first Texans playoff game that were never seen before or again after. 

[Scott7975]

On 9/28/2026 at 8:18 PM, Buffalo Boy said:

   Not that it is news to anyone but from a “ Is it logical or sensible?” Viewpoint, how do you have guys who are physically and mentally past their prime and are amateurs doing this job. 
   The NFL is making an informed decision to not hire younger people and make it their full time job. This would absolutely lead to a more uniform level of reffing. Weekly training, constant feedback on good vs bad calls.
    They have annual rule meeting where they tinker and twiddle with this rule and that. They have the money!!!! They have brought in technology. But they don’t hire people to use it correctly. Who is it that they send it to to look at it when they send it to the league or New York or wherever they say someone is looking at it? 
   I’m pushing sixty. I’ve been doing MA since I was 24. I’m in really good physical shape for my age. I exercise all the time. But my reactions are not what they were. My eyes are progressively worse every year. I don’t have the stamina I had even five years ago. I wouldn’t hire someone like me to be a Ref for a Multi Billion dollar sport. ( Smart arse jokes incoming I’m sure) 

   If they literally just got rid of all technology and replay and let them call the games, I could absolutely live with that. But to have obvious after obvious calls go completely wrong while other calls get immediately change by “ replay assist” ????? It is a choice they are making and they are making it for a reason. 
    

I would also add incentives. All ref calls reviewed every week. Good refs get the big games. Good refs get bonus pay. Bad refs get less pay, worse games, eventually fired.