Officiating across college football

Just on 'bad officiating' topic, just watched Hurts step out of bounds trying to score when we went up 40-30, he clearly stepped out at 2 1/2 yard line.
They marked ball at 1 1/2 yd line Harris scored next play.At about 8:00 ,minute mark in 4th Qtr.
I know we benefited but next time maybe not.

For those that say you can't have bone jarring, ball separating hits without targeting, check out this hit that took place in the Auburn-TAMU game. As much as I disdain all things Barn, this was textbook on separating the player from the ball.

http://thebiglead.com/2016/09/17/video-auburns-javaris-davis-punished-texas-ams-christian-kirk/

May catch some flack for this, but I think it's time to be able to review penalty calls in addition to the usual things. No way the score should have been upheld on the OM fumble return - and it's inexcusable that the reason was "it's not a reviewable call". There's simply too much at stake to tie one hand behind the back as it currently is.

BAMARICH said:

May catch some flack for this, but I think it's time to be able to review penalty calls in addition to the usual things. No way the score should have been upheld on the OM fumble return - and it's inexcusable that the reason was "it's not a reviewable call". There's simply too much at stake to tie one hand behind the back as it currently is.

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You won't get any flack from me. I agree. It is ridiculous that the officials let the play continue when Jalen was down before he fumbled. What happened to trying to get the call right on the field?

CBS has longer television breaks because 1) It is one of their biggest money makers 2) They don't have a schedule to try to mostly keep on time like ESPN.


I think all of the broadcast networks that have a "game of the week" affair are incredibly prone to just make the game creep along at a snail's pace with aggressive TV timeouts and long breaks in action.

tidegrandpa said:

Just on 'bad officiating' topic, just watched Hurts step out of bounds trying to score when we went up 40-30, he clearly stepped out at 2 1/2 yard line.
They marked ball at 1 1/2 yd line Harris scored next play.At about 8:00 ,minute mark in 4th Qtr.
I know we benefited but next time maybe not.

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Ball is not marked at the spot where the runner goes out of bounds. The ball is marked at the spot where the ball was when the runner went out of bounds (declared dead).

Forward Progress
ARTICLE 3. a. The most forward point of the ball when declared dead between the end lines shall be the determining point in measuring distance gained or lost by either team during any down (Exceptions: 1. Rule 8-5-1,A.R. 8-5-1-I. 2. When an airborne pass receiver of either team completes a catch inbounds after an opponent has driven him backward and the ball Rule 5 / Series of Downs, Line to Gain FR-61is declared dead at the spot of the catch, the forward progress is where the player received the ball.) The ball always shall be placed with its length axis parallel to the sideline before measuring. (Rule 4-1-3-p) (A.R. 5-1-3-I, III,IV and VI, and A.R. 7-3-6-V).b. Questionable distance for a first down should be measured without request. Unnecessary measurements to determine first downs shall notbe granted.c. No request for a measurement shall be granted after the ball is ready for play.

BamainBoston said:

Given the number of replays we already had and the fact the game lasted over four hours, I'm going to disagree.

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IF the game Saturday ended up with Ole Miss winning on the back of that fumble recovery for a TD, would you still feel the same way... especially if it ultimately meant we were eliminated from the CFP because of the no-call? In baseball, managers can challenge a judgment call - penalties are judgment calls just like other things. IMO, it's time to stop protecting referees from criticism and let this area be opened also. Now... how many you allow, how they're done, etc. is up for discussion.

The way this sport is structured, there is an importance behind getting every major call (score, spot of the ball on 3rd/4th down, completion, fumble, etc) right. There are only 4 playoff spots out there and a bad call can keep you from earning one. You don't get home & home with every conference opponent like the NFL does with divisional opponents. You can't split the season series. The emphasis must be placed on getting critical calls right.

When I was younger, I remember Alabama losing to Arkansas on a pass that bounced off the ground in the endzone.

I'm never going to complain about the games taking forever due to getting the calls right. The issue with game length is mostly on the broadcasters not the replay crew. Replay is just a compounding factor of what is already a heavily inflated game length due to commercial interests.

Someone on here it on a good point about the NFL commercial strategies employed by the broadcasters. When there is an injury timeout, you get the Fox Sports piano and a commercial break. When there is a review, you get a quick replay or two and a break. If there is a full timeout taken, they immediately go to break. My guess is that the advertising contracts for NFL games are more flexible than those for college football. The broadcasters seem to be able to deploy a contracted advertisement at will whereas my reckon - given how much Verne and Gary dead air we get - is that CBS SEC games have slotted spots for advertisement. They're not going to go to break unless they're in the window for an advertisement slot. That means we get a dozen replays and commentary instead of fitting in advertisement that could save some time on the back end. Furthermore, since the 2-minute warning does not exist the broadcasters are motivated to sit on advertisements to maximize the value for their customers. Close game late == more eyeballs on your ad.

This is yet another reason we need a commissioner of college football. We need a unified set of rules that dictates pace of play, television timeout structure, etc across college football. The money interest has their fingers all over this sport but at least the NFL pushes back to find a compromise between monetization, pace of play, time slotting, etc. The NFL makes ungodly money every year yet they can consistently make a time slot. It is because they control their product. They work with the advertising interest where needed (2 min warning) but they don't let the advertising interest degrade the core product.

Here was LSU Dad's take on Saturday's officiating.

https://youtu.be/E_I7G8uipYE

Spoiler alert - he thinks the no calls of what he saw to be blocks in the back on the punt return were a makeup for the miss in Hurts fumble

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BamainBoston said:

Yes, I would still feel the same way (though I disagree with the premise entirely). Having review of every penalty in football would be disastrous for the game, in my opinion.

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I'm not saying that every one should be reviewed automatically... but that a coach should at least have the right to challenge the call (with consequences if proven wrong). The whole "that call is not reviewable" thing should be tossed out the window IMO. I know you mentioned it below, but more and more games ARE affected by bad calls... and it's not just the final score, these blown calls change the way the rest of the game is often played.

I agree with you, Rich. Make things like Targeting, Ineligible Downfield, and Personal Foul during a play challengeable calls, just like down-by-contact and ball spot. The consequence is loss of a timeout. No brainer.

Of course, this assumes that the replay booth and/or geniuses in Birmingham will actually get the call right on replay.

BamainBoston said:

Here's a great article on this very issue. The CFL is experimenting with this kind of review.

http://www.espn.com/cfl/story/_/id/...reakthroughs-technology-instant-replay-review

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Your argument seems totally based on time constraints. That's ok... find other ways to shorten the game, but don't make "getting the call right" one of the things sacrificed.