Unfairness in the replay rule?

[rhickok1109]

Here's a scenario with two different outcomes:

The ballcarrier is hit right at the goal line, driven backwards, and brought down short of the line.

1. The officials rule that the ball had crossed the plane, so it's a touchdown. Since it's a score, there's an automatic booth review.

2. The officials rule that the ball did not cross the plane and they spot it about a foot short. The coach of the offensive team has to use a challenge to get a replay.

This seems inherently unfair to me.

Comments?

[Bryan]

"Colin Kaepernick pass complete short right to Vernon Davis for 1 yard, touchdown. Penalty on SFO: Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 yards. Replay Assistant challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was overturned. Colin Kaepernick pass complete short right to Vernon Davis for 1 yard, touchdown. Penalty on SFO: Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 yards"

This was a play at the end of the 1st half of the 2013 Niners vs. Panthers playoff game. Davis caught the pass and fairly obviously got both feet in before stepping out of bounds. Because the refs ruled it incomplete, there was not an automatic review. But, because it was in the last two minutes of the half (or something like that), the booth could choose to review the play because it involved a pass reception. As the teams huddle up for the next play, Harbaugh is waiting for the booth to initiate the review. When that doesn't happen, Harbaugh storms the field to yell at the refs and, perhaps by design, delay the game long enough for the booth to finally review the play in question. The booth eventually reviews the play, original call overturned, TD for SF, penalty on Harbaugh for arguing.

Seems ridiculous to me, but thats the NFL. Too many rules, too many contradictions.

[Reaser]

thats the NFL. Too many rules, too many contradictions.

Unrelated to the topic but related to that correct statement ...

Tonight on "Total Access" Dean Blandino was saying the Golden Tate TD was a catch (which of course he is, he's never said his officials have made a mistake).

Tonight on "Inside the NFL" Mike Carey (former ref and current CBS rules 'expert') is saying the Golden Tate TD wasn't a catch.

So the VP of officiating says one thing, former ref says another. In reality, neither knows.

Funny that this is an every week occurrence, where Pereira will be on FOX, Carey will be on CBS, Austin will be on ESPN and Blandino will be on NFLN and they'll all be contradicting eachother. A bunch of former officials don't know the rules and/or how to interpret them and the current VP of Officiating manipulates interpretations so the officials/NFL is never wrong . . . Excellent.

[Gary Najman]

The main problem to me is that Blandino never was an official, even at the college level.

[Gary Najman]

Blandino was the guy who "designed" the instant replay system, those were his credentials.

[65 toss power trap]

Because Blandino made the call, Coleman had a decision to follow Blandino or to go with his instinct on the call. If Coleman goes with Blandino, he is assured he is not downgraded. If Coleman goes on instinct and rules otherwise (which he is allowed to do), he will be dinged. What choice does a referee really have?

Of course, Blandino says after the fact that it was the right call, because he made the call in the first place.

[Reaser]

The main problem to me is that Blandino never was an official, even at the college level.

As someone who's big on "credentials" - especially when it comes to football related topics - I agree. Though, being fair, Pereira wasn't exactly great on the "Official Review" segments either. He also never admitted errors by the officials and he also manipulated interpretations of the rules to 'clear' his officials. Naturally leading to more confusion for the fans, especially the ones who don't follow things as closely as us types here.

Then of course he's frequently wrong in his role on FOX where he's supposed to be the rules 'expert' who explains things to the fans and he'll say one thing and it'll be another. So the guy before Blandino doesn't know, Blandino doesn't know, former and recent refs don't know, and the officials obviously are having a hard time (putting it lightly) on the field (i.e. they don't know.)

This isn't all about what is and isn't a catch, either. It's pretty much everything, it's making a mockery out of the sport at this level (pro).

I get annoyed enough bi-weekly when an announcer screams "what is he doing?! a huge mistake" when a player on the return team picks up a punt after it's been 'illegally touched' by the punting team, common football knowledge yet play-by-play guys week after week (including this past weekend and two weeks before) freak out and pretty much say the smart players that know the rules and regulations of the sport are idiots, because they themselves don't know common and standard rules. That's announcers though, when the officials don't know the rules, that's next level incompetence - up to and including those who make the rules (comp. committee) ...

[John Grasso]

Doesn't the league encourage replay simply because it gives the networks a chance
for an additional set of commercials? Not because "they want to get it (the call) right".

If they were so interested in getting things right teams should be allowed to
have a "do-over". If they try a trick play and it fails they should be allowed to
call "DO-OVER" and get a second chance to execute the play correctly.

[Bryan]

being fair, Pereira wasn't exactly great on the "Official Review" segments either. He also never admitted errors by the officials and he also manipulated interpretations of the rules to 'clear' his officials.

I thought the Pereira thing had run its course in short order when it became clear that he was basically a "defense attorney" for the officials. When he begins his statement with "Well, you can see why the official made the call...", thats not really relevent to anything. It should be straightforward...what is the rule that applies to this situation, and how should it be enforced. My problem with Pereira, aside from his natural inclinition to defend every call made by the officials, is that often times I don't agree with his assessment as to what happened on the field leading up to the referee call or a replay. Instead of getting a clear cut "rules interpretation" from Pereira, we get a "what goes on in the mind of an official" segment from Pereira. That we now have Mike Carey as ANOTHER 'rules expert' is ridiculous, considering how ineffective Pereira has been from the start.

I try to be aware of the NFL rules, I've seen numerous games over the years, yet I admittedly am ignorant of many existing rules...especially the rules about player safety. I thought Clay Matthews' "gobsmack" on Russell Wilson during an INT return should not have been flagged, but it was actually a clear infraction based on the rules. I am sympathetic to NFL refs because I think all these exacting rules have overburdened them and taken away their best asset, which is their sense of fairness. I would be in favor of thinning out the NFL Rulebook.

[Reaser]

I thought the Pereira thing had run its course in short order when it became clear that he was basically a "defense attorney" for the officials.

Exactly.

That we now have Mike Carey as ANOTHER 'rules expert' is ridiculous, considering how ineffective Pereira has been from the start.

Yup, after the 'groundbreaking' hire by FOX to have Pereira, every network needed their own guy. Carey shouldn't even be on TV because he's not a great speaker. Plus he's wrong more often than not or he'll have no idea what happened on the play in question and he'll stumble and mumble along until the referee announces what happened then he'll say he agrees even though it's obvious he wasn't even aware of the situation.

I am sympathetic to NFL refs because I think all these exacting rules have overburdened them and taken away their best asset, which is their sense of fairness. I would be in favor of thinning out the NFL Rulebook.

I'm not really sympathetic because it's their job and on the surface it's not that difficult to know the rules. Though I agree 100% that there's too many rules, too many rules that lack common sense, asinine "player safety" rules, and the NFL is over-officiated because of the amount of rules and the convoluted "points of emphasis" on the yearly basis.