Author Topic: Is football too hard to officiate ?  (Read 2679 times)

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Offline TXMike

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Offline bama_stripes

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Re: Is football too hard to officiate ?
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2019, 07:56:44 AM »
Great read — thanks for sharing!

Offline AlUpstateNY

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Re: Is football too hard to officiate ?
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2019, 10:46:09 AM »
Great read — thanks for sharing!

One question not addressed is, do these new rules and, what sometimes seems like a quest for absolute perfection, actually make the game (itself) better?  I'm not sure if was Lombardi who questioned, "Although the quest for perfection is a laudable goal, it shouldn't be allowed to interfere, or prevent, consistent excellence in performance."

Written Rules serve as "guidelines" towards objectives, often hampered by language, that are managed and applied by practical, honest and consistent judgment. Those demanding absolute perfection, all too often, are far more interested in satisfying alternative personal interests and are willing to interfere with consistent excellence in performance, to achieve those interests.

You have to wonder, is it the Rules (safety related aside) that always require adjustment, or the ever increasing expectations and presumptions that need tempering and modification?   

Offline refjeff

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Re: Is football too hard to officiate ?
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2019, 06:15:40 PM »
If it was easy, everyone could do it.

Offline Ralph Damren

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Re: Is football too hard to officiate ?
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2019, 11:28:36 AM »
Ole' Dell (my office computer) won't permit me to read TXMike's article, but here's my 2 cents worth.....

Comparing officiating football with officiating other sports, I have but only baseball. In baseball, I estimate 90% of the calls are objective - fair/foul, out/safe, ball/strike- while less than 10% are subjective - balk ,obstruction, interference ,etc In football, under 50% are objective - catch/no catch, in bounds/OOB, forward progress - while over +50% -pass interference, personal fouls, holding - are subjective. The objective calls are there for you to make while the subjective calls require your opinion on the fairness/ safety/ control of the game and are more challenging. A baseball umpire  may go several innings without needing to move very fast - a saunter down to third to pick up the lead runner coming from first on occasion. In football, we are moving on every play - sometimes chasing a runner 90+ yards. Rare is a football game that doesn't need to have opponents separated. I can't recall the last time that was needed on the baseball diamond.

Yet my love is football. The spirit at game time far exceeds that of baseball. A game with a game clock - I've seen an inning last near to an hour. While moving in football, you stay warm, while standing in baseball you don't. Our crew friendships in football - Friday night lights- often travelling together - post game "reviews" -far exceeds meeting the other ump at the baseball diamond - and waving goodbye after the game.

As a spectator in other sports such as ice hockey and basketball, it appears the officials there are challenged more than us. A higher % of their calls are subjective and the play is more continued. At least our plays mostly  run for less than 10 seconds, followed by a little rest. IMHO, a strong ,thick skin is important in any officiating. In my daze of yesteryear, a bad call might be talked about for a while. Today, in our high-tech society with every fan having a camera in his phone, everyone will have seen your "bad call" before you arrive home.

Time for lobster chowder ! tiphat:

Offline yarnnelg

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Re: Is football too hard to officiate ?
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2019, 11:23:26 AM »
When I was coaching and umpiring baseball, I read the rule book the night before each game. You always catch something you've read over countless times before .... now it strikes home.

The Little League Rulebook read like this. "The Chief Umpire has no jurisdiction until the Home Team Coach hands him his lineup."

At the time ...someone had been kind enough to pay me a little money to play a little boys game. As an old catcher ... I resisted the new "in the middle of season" rule requiring the catcher or any player at the plate wearing a mask for infield. My guys didn't wear one. Chief Umpire enters from the parking lot and barks "Put a mask on that catcher." I looked at the Head Coach "Have you given him the starting lineup yet?" "No" "Tell him to go screw himself" "I heard that!" "I don't care"

Pre game meeting at the plate. "All coaches at the plate!" I'm purposely staying in the dugout. "That means you Ray" I walked out ..... "I know you read the book last night and found something new .....Got the book?" "Well I'll be ...I had no say in the matter did I? Seeing how it's an addition, League approved in the middle of season ...your objection is denied. Anything else?" LOL "I didn't really mean screw you. I have no interest in you." "Let's play baseball."

Offline HLinNC

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Re: Is football too hard to officiate ?
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2019, 06:08:58 PM »
I tried officiating youth soccer when my son played after they found out I worked football.  I quickly volunteered to work concessions or "whatever the hell else you want me to do" after being totally bored to tears calling a line and having to carry my flag on a stick.  When they asked me why, I said "It matters who the ball went off of here.  In football, we just give it back to the guy who took it out."

PI vs No PI can be the hardest call to make in HS football.  When targeting came in to NCAA, I remember watching some of their videos and on one clip the supervisor would declare it targeting and the next not, but to me they looked the same.

My belief is basketball would be the most difficult as decisions have to be rendered rather quickly and everyone is a lot CLOSER to you.  I haven't called hockey or even been to a match but I imagine the speed makes it highly difficult.