Your thoughts on refereeing...

[FQDawg]

Seems like everyone complains about the officials in the sport(s) they watch.

In your opinion, which sports league/organization (college, pro or international) has the best officiating and which has the worst?

Best
NFL

Worst
Women's college basketball followed closely by men's college basketball
CONCACAF soccer

 

[msstatelp1]

Seems like everyone complains about the officials in the sport(s) they watch.

In your opinion, which sports league/organization (college, pro or international) has the best officiating and which has the worst?

Best
NFL

Worst
Women's college basketball followed closely by men's college basketball
CONCACAF soccer

Agree. Sports are so much bigger than they used to be. Refs at all but the lowest levels need to be full time and need to spend time training and prepping for games.

 

[RocketDawg]

NFL is probably the best, but fans complain about them too. Fans on each team complain about the same game, so it's got to be more of a matter of bias on the fans part (totally normal and expected), or total incompetance on the officials' part. I think it's more the former. Many times we see what we want to see.

 

[FlotownDawg]

In defense of basketball referees, I believe it is the most difficult sport to referee. Theoretically, basketball is a non contact sport, but of course there is contact every possession. You can’t call a foul every possession or the game becomes completely unwatchable so a referee has to determine which contact is egregious enough to warrant a foul. That is very subjective and can change referee to referee.

 

[MSUDawgFan86]

That’s pretty accurate. I def agree with women’s college basketball being the worst. You wouldn’t know it though by reading some of the posts on this board. You would think they were related to the refs the way they went out of their way to acquit them. What’s funny to me is women’s BB is a slower game than Men’s BB yet they miss more calls than the men so their incompetence is even worse. * They need to make refereeing full time and they need to speak to the media after the game the same as the coaches and players. There has to be some consequences to their actions. Not just that behind closed doors BS.

 

[Go Budaw]

Seems like everyone complains about the officials in the sport(s) they watch.

In your opinion, which sports league/organization (college, pro or international) has the best officiating and which has the worst?

Best
NFL

Worst
Women's college basketball followed closely by men's college basketball
CONCACAF soccer

Best
1) MLB Umpires
2) NFL

Worst
1) College Football
2) NCAA WBB
3) NCAA MBB

Overall, I’m a little more lenient towards basketball officials because there is a much higher level of subjectivity and fluidity to the game itself. Football is much easier than basketball to officiate, I think. You have a ref watching the LOS / tackle box, a ref watching the defensive backfield, and a couple of refs watching the sidelines / boundary. That is why it is mind boggling to me that there could be such a stark difference in officiating quality between NFL and the NCAA. If you don’t believe me, check the sheer number of calls overturned by replay in college vs. the NFL (by percentage). It’s unacceptable that NCAA officials can be as unskilled as they are. With as much money that has flowed into college football over the past 10 years due to the new TV deals, the fact that there are still part-time officials is absurd.

 

[FQDawg]

They need to make refereeing full time and they need to speak to the media after the game the same as the coaches and players. There has to be some consequences to their actions. Not just that behind closed doors BS.

I used to think this, too, but any referee with any amount of media training would just stick to some version of "I called what I saw" to any question, and especially to any question about a specific call. So you're probably not going to get some mea culpa that vindicates your belief that a referee screwed up.

So, in short, it'd probably just be a waste of time.

 

[BlueRidgeMtns]

Here's a question... do referees consciously or subconsciously give more calls to higher ranked teams or teams that are historically powerhouses? I would be curious to see a study on something like this. It comes up in every sport so is there any merit to the argument?

Best: MLB
Worst: NCAA Basketball

 

[maroonmania]

In defense of basketball referees, I believe it is the most difficult sport to referee. Theoretically, basketball is a non contact sport, but of course there is contact every possession. You can’t call a foul every possession or the game becomes completely unwatchable so a referee has to determine which contact is egregious enough to warrant a foul. That is very subjective and can change referee to referee.

Yes, but I guess the call that everyone is so bitter about not being made on the ND player for a foul on MW didn't really seem to be very subjective given the defender cut through the path of a ballhandler and sent her to the floor. Don't see how you can allow that at the time with no call given it meant a change of possession in a tie game with less than 5 seconds to go. What I was even more shocked about at the time was that, as I remember it, none of the 3 announcers even made mention of it. Just kept saying how smart it was for Big T to foul to prevent ND from throwing the ball back downcourt but nothing about the lack of a foul on MW that should have resulted in free throws.

 

[ShrubDog]

The NBA has the worst refs ever. They have a tainted history like no other and still control the playoffs.

 

[kired]

Consciously - I would say no. You don't just sign up today and become an official tomorrow at the NCAA or pro level. They're graded on their job performance just like most of us. I don't see why anyone would put the time and effort into becoming an official at this level, and risk losing their job just to make a fanbase or coach happy. I'm sure there are a few crazies out there, but I suspect most are just trying to do the best they can.

 

[Mjoelner]

Here's a question... do referees consciously or subconsciously give more calls to higher ranked teams or teams that are historically powerhouses? I would be curious to see a study on something like this. It comes up in every sport so is there any merit to the argument?

YES

Here are 4 examples just from our games vs. Bama

1. We're under center, take the snap and immediately spike the ball to stop the clock and get called for intentional grounding. This was during the first season where spiking the ball to stop the clock was allowed in college football.

2. Jay Barker gets hammered when he drops back to pass, ball goes bounding down the field 30 yards behind him. Ruled incomplete pass.

3. Bama has the ball, pile-up on the goal line. MSU DB comes out of pile with ball and is tackled at the 4. Ruling on the field is fumble, MSU ball. After the replay booth review, it's a Bama TD. On the replay it LOOKS like the Bama player MAY have scored but you NEVER saw the ball cross the goal line. So much for 'indisputable evidence' when overturning an on the field call.

4. Bama player runs out of bounds down the sideline for about 10 yards, downfield ref even throws his hat acknowleding he has seen it. The same Bama player then makes the catch for a 50+ yd gain down to the 1. Ref then says he was forced out of bounds even though he was 5 or 6 feet from our DB when he went out of bounds on his own.

 

[thf24]

The NBA has the worst refs ever. They have a tainted history like no other and still control the playoffs.

I agree they're bad, but not just because of incompetence. There are too many attention-seekers like Joey Crawford who has stated publicly that, to paraphrase, he believes refs aren't doing their job if they're not having an active impact on the game. That's many times worse than just doing a poor job.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

When it comes to attention-seekers, no one comes close to TV Teddy:

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

4. Bama player runs out of bounds down the sideline for about 10 yards, downfield ref even throws his hat acknowleding he has seen it. The same Bama player then makes the catch for a 50+ yd gain down to the 1. Ref then says he was forced out of bounds even though he was 5 or 6 feet from our DB when he went out of bounds on his own.

This is why the answers will change depending on the season we are in. This play last year was seen by the ref. He threw his hat down showing the receiver ran OOB. Player comes back inbounds and catches a dagger of a TD pass. Official hems and haws and said he was forced out. Replay after replay shows he wasn’t close to being forced out.

without that play we probably beat Bama and go to the outback. Very possibly would have more motivation to beat UM and go to a ny6.

 

[johnson86-1]

In defense of basketball referees, I believe it is the most difficult sport to referee. Theoretically, basketball is a non contact sport, but of course there is contact every possession. You can’t call a foul every possession or the game becomes completely unwatchable so a referee has to determine which contact is egregious enough to warrant a foul. That is very subjective and can change referee to referee.

It's the most difficult to referee, but the ones at the college level are also completely incompetent. half the time it seems like the refs are wayyyy to old to be expected to get up and down the court and follow the action.

From what I can tell:

(1) Baseball
(2) NFL Football
(3) NBA (ignoring their actual fixing games)
(4) college football
(5) college basketball

 

[philduckworth]

Best
1) MLB Umpires
2) NFL

Worst
1) College Football
2) NCAA WBB
3) NCAA MBB

Overall, I’m a little more lenient towards basketball officials because there is a much higher level of subjectivity and fluidity to the game itself. Football is much easier than basketball to officiate, I think. You have a ref watching the LOS / tackle box, a ref watching the defensive backfield, and a couple of refs watching the sidelines / boundary. That is why it is mind boggling to me that there could be such a stark difference in officiating quality between NFL and the NCAA. If you don’t believe me, check the sheer number of calls overturned by replay in college vs. the NFL (by percentage). It’s unacceptable that NCAA officials can be as unskilled as they are. With as much money that has flowed into college football over the past 10 years due to the new TV deals, the fact that there are still part-time officials is absurd.

MLB Umpires are fine, but I'm ready for the K zone.

 

[tcdog70]

YES

Here are 4 examples just from our games vs. Bama

1. We're under center, take the snap and immediately spike the ball to stop the clock and get called for intentional grounding. This was during the first season where spiking the ball to stop the clock was allowed in college football.

2. Jay Barker gets hammered when he drops back to pass, ball goes bounding down the field 30 yards behind him. Ruled incomplete pass.

3. Bama has the ball, pile-up on the goal line. MSU DB comes out of pile with ball and is tackled at the 4. Ruling on the field is fumble, MSU ball. After the replay booth review, it's a Bama TD. On the replay it LOOKS like the Bama player MAY have scored but you NEVER saw the ball cross the goal line. So much for 'indisputable evidence' when overturning an on the field call.

4. Bama player runs out of bounds down the sideline for about 10 yards, downfield ref even throws his hat acknowleding he has seen it. The same Bama player then makes the catch for a 50+ yd gain down to the 1. Ref then says he was forced out of bounds even though he was 5 or 6 feet from our DB when he went out of bounds on his own.

We are on Bama's 1 yard line-Bama linebacker calls our snap count-Montgomery jumps--no penalty on Bama now it is third and six. State player ask Ref if he heard the LB hollering our snap count--He said Yes, but I'm not calling that in Tuscaloosa.

 

[tcdog70]

Yes, but I guess the call that everyone is so bitter about not being made on the ND player for a foul on MW didn't really seem to be very subjective given the defender cut through the path of a ballhandler and sent her to the floor. Don't see how you can allow that at the time with no call given it meant a change of possession in a tie game with less than 5 seconds to go. What I was even more shocked about at the time was that, as I remember it, none of the 3 announcers even made mention of it. Just kept saying how smart it was for Big T to foul to prevent ND from throwing the ball back downcourt but nothing about the lack of a foul on MW that should have resulted in free throws.

one of them mentioned a lot of contact

 

[Mjoelner]

We are on Bama's 1 yard line-Bama linebacker calls our snap count-Montgomery jumps--no penalty on Bama now it is third and six. State player ask Ref if he heard the LB hollering our snap count--He said Yes, but I'm not calling that in Tuscaloosa.

I remember that game well. Sleepy said he told the ref while walking off the field at halftime that Bama's DL was mimicking our snap count. Apparently they were doing it the whole game and nothing was ever called. I don't know if we jumped earlier but it for sure caused us to jump at that crucial time.