Do We Even Need Refs Anymore?

[o_ThreeDawgNight]

We have 87 camera angles on every play these days, and I'm convinced that each of us sitting on our couches at home have a better view of what's going on in the game than do the refs. Why not take six of the seven refs off the field, stick them in a booth/trailer with a bank of video screens, and let them call the game from there? Leave the head ref (with a headset) on the field to blow the whistle, announce penalties, and spot the ball. Thoughts?

 

[TheStateUofMS]

It's amazing the difference in NFL refs and NCAA refs. Like not even close. SEC refs should be really good.

 

[Smoked Toag]

It's like WWF when a ref gets knocked out and a guy gets pinned. We all see the correct calls at home, but can't do anything about it. I don't know why we can't just have an all-encompassing person in Birmingham that their sole responsibility to GET THE DAMN THING RIGHT.

 

[Nunya.sixpack]

We should just go by the boos or cheers in the stands....of course after we get the input of Gary Danielson watching the replays.

 

[Dawgbite]

If you let computers start called penalties, you are going to have a holding penalty and pass interference on every play.

 

[o_ThreeDawgNight]

Maybe, but eventually you'd stop having players commit holding/PI on every play. Try and tell me that wouldn't even the playing field between us and Bama.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Alabama had as many 5 star recruits last year as we have had all time. There's only one thing that is going to even that playing field.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

And that's the air raid**

(but actually I hope I can delete those asterisks someday)

 

[FQDawg]

We have 87 camera angles on every play these days, and I'm convinced that each of us sitting on our couches at home have a better view of what's going on in the game than do the refs. Why not take six of the seven refs off the field, stick them in a booth/trailer with a bank of video screens, and let them call the game from there? Leave the head ref (with a headset) on the field to blow the whistle, announce penalties, and spot the ball. Thoughts?

Putting those guys in front of video screens doesn't change the fact that it's still the same guys making calls. If they want to ignore a holding call, they're still going to ignore a holding call. Or vice versa.

I know a guy who knows a guy at the SEC and I can absolutely guarantee you that the league does not see an issue with officiating. If anything, they think their officials do an excellent job most of the time. The most they'll admit is that no one is perfect at anything so it's not fair to hold refs to that standard.

The only way officiating will get better is if coaches, ADs and presidents band together and demand improvement. But that's not likely to happen because there are too many people at league schools who won't criticize anything SEC related because they think they'll lose whatever favor they have.

 

[thekimmer]

No we need refs on the field.....

We have 87 camera angles on every play these days, and I'm convinced that each of us sitting on our couches at home have a better view of what's going on in the game than do the refs. Why not take six of the seven refs off the field, stick them in a booth/trailer with a bank of video screens, and let them call the game from there? Leave the head ref (with a headset) on the field to blow the whistle, announce penalties, and spot the ball. Thoughts?

Refs on the field are still needed to understand the flow of the game, hear what is being said to each other, keep the peach and the like. I think refereeing has gotten worse precisely because of replay. Its like smartphone GPS. Since everyone has one, everyone lost their navigation skills and are now literally lost without them. With replay back up referees lost focus and the observation skills needed to make good calls.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

No BJJ analogy today? I'll help.

Air raid is like jiu jitsu. It helps a weaker opponent use leverage and technique to neutralize a stronger foe... Unless of course the big son of a ***** knocks you out cold with the first punch.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

We definitely have weight classes for a reason

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

NFL officiating is the worst it’s been since the year they went on strike. Many of the veteran referees in the league have retired and these newer head refs are not nearly as good.

 

[onewoof]

It's amazing the difference in NFL refs and NCAA refs. Like not even close. SEC refs should be really good.

Three thoughts on this

1) It's the only way the TV networks can try to keep games close until the final minutes of the game, which drives up viewers and advertising. Everyone wins when a game is close at the end and the % of that happening over the last 5 years defies all odds. Sometimes "bad refs" are promoted if you know what I mean.

2) The refs are not training enough. Similar to the argument that some police are not training enough for all types of encounters with civilians. These guys are part time employees that work at banks and insurance companies, etc. Like part time cops working at the mall or schools as a 2nd job for more cash each month. Many do have years of experience but they simply are not training to be as good as the refs in the NFL, who are also part time employees. I honestly think they need to have off season paid virtual training like with Oculus VR goggles. Train them. Grade them. Pay them based on their performance. Bring in new better refs each year into the training that grade higher than the older refs. Being a ref should not be a 20 year career unless you are a 5* ref that puts in the work like the players do. It's a business, and players lose their jobs if they do not perform. That should happen with refs too. Sorry Bill/Larry/Joe, you are not a starter anymore, we are cutting you.

3) As mentioned, speed up and enhance the video review and make it 100% transparent and quick. Even the audio of the replay booth, have that, like a second screen anyone can watch. All reviews should take less than 60 seconds with views from multiple angles (most calls should take less than 30 seconds) then make the call and get on with the game. Unless they like selling more advertising during the replay reviews and injury timeouts.

 

[jblailock]

I say we put these ******** in front of the media after each game. This includes the replay clowns. I think this would help a lot. And lift the fines of coaches criticizing the refs if they are proven to be right.

 

[johnson86-1]

Putting those guys in front of video screens doesn't change the fact that it's still the same guys making calls. If they want to ignore a holding call, they're still going to ignore a holding call. Or vice versa.

I know a guy who knows a guy at the SEC and I can absolutely guarantee you that the league does not see an issue with officiating. If anything, they think their officials do an excellent job most of the time. The most they'll admit is that no one is perfect at anything so it's not fair to hold refs to that standard.

The only way officiating will get better is if coaches, ADs and presidents band together and demand improvement. But that's not likely to happen because there are too many people at league schools who won't criticize anything SEC related because they think they'll lose whatever favor they have.

That doesn't surprise me that they have their heads up their asses like that. But I'd like to know if (1) they actually believe that the refs don't need improvement or (2) they don't see better refs impacting revenue, so it's not in the league's best interest to invest more in officiating, or (3) mediocre refs help maximize revenue by favoring blue bloods over time, so it's not in the league's best interest for them to get better.

I assume there is a little bit of everything at play. I would be happy if they would just punish refs for being chicken ***** (e.g., the official that blew the Memphis play dead and then inexplicably didn't tell the other refs, presumably because he was intimidated by the crowd at the 17ing liberty bowl) and punish refs for making a wrong call when they are out of position (.e.g, the ref that flagged defensive holding, despite the fact that the ref 15 feet away didn't call it; the guy who declared Bama's WR eligible after going out of bounds and the ref properly marking that he went out of bounds (or was that the same ref and it was a case of a ref being chicken ****?).

I don't get as upset when officials just miss a call; it's part of the game. But when they miss a call because of a lack of character or because they are stomping over a ref that was in position to make the call, that is much more unforgiveable and lets bias into play.

 

[FQDawg]

That doesn't surprise me that they have their heads up their asses like that. But I'd like to know if (1) they actually believe that the refs don't need improvement or (2) they don't see better refs impacting revenue, so it's not in the league's best interest to invest more in officiating, or (3) mediocre refs help maximize revenue by favoring blue bloods over time, so it's not in the league's best interest for them to get better.

I assume there is a little bit of everything at play. I would be happy if they would just punish refs for being chicken ***** (e.g., the official that blew the Memphis play dead and then inexplicably didn't tell the other refs, presumably because he was intimidated by the crowd at the 17ing liberty bowl) and punish refs for making a wrong call when they are out of position (.e.g, the ref that flagged defensive holding, despite the fact that the ref 15 feet away didn't call it; the guy who declared Bama's WR eligible after going out of bounds and the ref properly marking that he went out of bounds (or was that the same ref and it was a case of a ref being chicken ****?).

I don't get as upset when officials just miss a call; it's part of the game. But when they miss a call because of a lack of character or because they are stomping over a ref that was in position to make the call, that is much more unforgiveable and lets bias into play.

I honestly think a lot of it is No. 1. My buddy says his friend at the league office almost always downplays any controversial calls or says outright that the refs got it right. The defensive holding call in the Arkansas game was explained away with a "the defender's arm was on the receiver, which is why the ref called it."

Even if the call/no call is blatantly wrong, the most they'll say is "sometimes refs get it wrong but they get most of them right."

 

[Dawgg]

I don't know about football, but I think sensor, RF, NFC, video, etc. technology has progressed to a point where a lot of the heavy lifting could be done electronically, especially with balls & strikes or fair/foul.

 

[archdog]

SEC refs continuously spot the ball behind ball carriers. This has worked in our favor a few times, but man it sucks when Woody gets 8 but they spot him at 5.

 

[dawgoneyall]

Without a ref….we win the Ark game.

 

[msudawg12]

To get calls right? No
To stop play and keep people safe? Yes

 

[jdbulldog]

Soon to be Referees’ Union says yes we do……it is coming

 

[dog12]

We have 87 camera angles on every play these days, and I'm convinced that each of us sitting on our couches at home have a better view of what's going on in the game than do the refs. Why not take six of the seven refs off the field, stick them in a booth/trailer with a bank of video screens, and let them call the game from there? Leave the head ref (with a headset) on the field to blow the whistle, announce penalties, and spot the ball. Thoughts?

To answer your question directly: yes, we do need refs.

But I think your question is really this: do we need "on the field" refs?

In my opinion, we only need 2 or 3 "on the field" refs for a football game. Their only duties would be to spot the ball and signal timeouts.

All other refs would be remote and assigned to one particular part of the field and/or player (e.g., a ref for: the offensive backfield; the QB; each of the sidelines; each of the WRs; each RB/TE that goes out for a pass; the line of scrimmage; the goal line; etc.).

Each "remote" ref would have a dedicated camera for his particular player or part of the field. (For the offensive backfield, we could have 2 refs watching, each ref having a different angle, since there are at least 10 different players in that area and that's a lot to watch over.)

All of the "remote" refs would be required to make calls in real time as the play happens. We DON'T want to review every play after it occurs.

The 2 major areas for improvement in refereed plays during a football game are: 1) holding by OL; and 2) pass interference (both offensive and defensive).

In my opinion, the "remote" refs could do a MUCH better job of refereeing the game than "on the field" refs because: 1) the dedicated camera would better enable each ref to focus on his job; 2) each ref is seated (instead of running around on the field) and does not have to worry about getting into position to make a proper call; and 3) each ref is isolated and protected from improper influence by coaches, players and/or fans.