The Bama Advantage By the Numbers

[bulldogcountry1]

Bama averaged 5 penalties for 43 yards per game with SEC officials.

With all other officials, they averaged 8 penalties for 86 yards per game.


That's pretty alarming, but it wasn't the most alarming thing, once I started digging. SEC refs officiated all but one of Bama's regular season games. That was the season opener against UL on a neutral site. Is it not standard practice to have neutral or opponent conference officials when you host a non-conference game? They had SEC officials at home for all three of their non-conference games. I would have sworn that wasn't allowed, for obvious reasons.

 

[FQDawg]

Is it not standard practice to have neutral or opponent conference officials when you host a non-conference game? They had SEC officials at home for all three of their non-conference games. I would have sworn that wasn't allowed, for obvious reasons.

For non-conference games, there aren't any hard and fast rules about who the refs will be. The refs are whatever the two teams negotiate.

 

[thekimmer]

Bama averaged 5 penalties for 43 yards per game with SEC officials.

With all other officials, they averaged 8 penalties for 86 yards per game.


That's pretty alarming, but it wasn't the most alarming thing, once I started digging. SEC refs officiated all but one of Bama's regular season games. That was the season opener against UL on a neutral site. Is it not standard practice to have neutral or opponent conference officials when you host a non-conference game? They had SEC officials at home for all three of their non-conference games. I would have sworn that wasn't allowed, for obvious reasons.

I don't think there is a rule against it. It generally is dictated by the contract with the other team. Theoretically it should not matter. Big sample difference in the data though. 12 games with SEC refs vs 3 non-SEC crews.