NFL officiating

[hoosierhawk]

Have had a hard time this season with the officiating in the NFL. The 2 roughing the passer penalty last week was bad. Thought there were some bad calls against us this week with the Buckner defensive holding being the worst. In the KC vs Buffalo  game there was an obvious tripping call right in front of the ref that could have been crucial. y need to pay them beeter and hold them to higher standards.

[AKB]

get in line

[GoColts8818]

Some of this is being discussed in the Boger thread in NFL general.  (I started it after the roughing the passed call vs Brady last week).  He had a very questionable roughing the passer call the week before that with the Bills and Ravens too.  Then his crew was just an embarrassment today.  I don’t think being consistently awful is what the NFL had in mind when they say be consistent.  I will say after watching college ball over the weekend the NFL officials are light years better so it’s not like there are better people out there to go get.

[w87r]

1 hour ago, hoosierhawk said:

The 2 roughing the passer penalty last week was bad.

There was a guy a 3rd last week.

 

Against Brissett. They showed it this morning on pregame show. It was probably the worst of all 3.

[2006Coltsbestever]

One word = Boger. Just kidding, this has been going on for the 45 years I have watched football since I was 6 years old back in 77/78. 

 

I did think today, that they gave the Jags every chance to steal this game. Don't even get me started on SB 40 when the Steelers robbed the Seahawks 

[holeymoley99]

College game just as bad, refs cost USC the Utah game when they called a rouging the passer on a 2 handed push they wasnt even late on a ball int in end zone. Utah retained possession and threw td shortly after. They later called 2 targeting calls which when reviewed upstairs were deemed non targeting but let but 15 yard penalties stick. Brock Huard announcing was losing it. It was very very bad.

[Smonroe]

It’s almost unbelievable that a multi-billion dollar industry uses part time employees to control their product.  
 

When is the NFL going to make them full time, where their only job is to do their job, and get better at their job?  
 

When there’s room for subjective officiating, there’s room for gamblers to get an edge.  After all, it’s not like those referee’s do that for a living.  

[FuedinHatfield]

I feel like officiating has degraded over the last decade or so. You can almost hear it in Gene Steratore's voice when he has to make sense of their tomfoolery.

[IndyEric07]

The officiating has been so bad this year that my family who ive gone to every home game for years with are saying that they dont want to renew our season tickets any longer because of the officiating! We’ve been going since 84, and the product just isnt worth the $ anymore!
My fathers is getting older and has had health issues with covid and other things so hes probly not gonna renew! My brother cant stand refs and gets a little outa control about them and our bad coaching since Dungy left, and he’d rather just stay at home with his family and watch on tv from now on. I just dont have the $ to afford the season tickets with my current career and the inflation issues, etc! Ever since Peyton left, during most home games the tailgating has become the funnest part of gameday! 
But officiating in every sport has become so inconsistent, everything has turned into the WWF! Ever since Tim Donahee got caught, its hard to trust anyone else! Im sure Donahee hasnt been the only one to fix games!

[Chucklez]

29 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

It’s almost unbelievable that a multi-billion dollar industry uses part time employees to control their product.  
 

When is the NFL going to make them full time, where their only job is to do their job, and get better at their job?  
 

When there’s room for subjective officiating, there’s room for gamblers to get an edge.  After all, it’s not like those referee’s do that for a living.  

Yeah, tbh, this is just too obvious to ignore at this point. 

Is it really that hard a of a pill to swallow to employ someone full time who is going to be held more acountable to their job. Their argument against is presumably is that they don't want to pay them all year round when they are technically only working from August - February?

But I mean.... make them watch tape and study the officiating over the offseason to get better?.... Also for the love of god how hard of a concept is it to employ an extra referee who is watching the television feed who has all of the camera angles like we do, in real time, to be in the ear of the ref on field to help with officiating?

It's really not like the NFL cannot afford these things to instantly improve the game. Any ref watching that on TV wouldve been able to instantly rewind the play and watch again for that specifically and call the roughing the passer calls as bogus. It would hardly take any time at all and not really slow the game down.

[Smonroe]

2 minutes ago, IndyEric07 said:

The officiating has been so bad this year that my family who ive gone to every home game for years with are saying that they dont want to renew our season tickets any longer because of the officiating! We’ve been going since 84, and the product just isnt worth the $ anymore!
My fathers is getting older and has had health issues with covid and other things so hes probly not gonna renew! My brother cant stand refs and gets a little outa control about them and our bad coaching since Dungy left, and he’d rather just stay at home with his family and watch on tv from now on. I just dont have the $ to afford the season tickets with my current career and the inflation issues, etc! Ever since Peyton left, during most home games the tailgating has become the funnest part of gameday! 
But officiating in every sport has become so inconsistent, everything has turned into the WWF! Ever since Tim Donahee got caught, its hard to trust anyone else! Im sure Donahee hasnt been the only one to fix games!

I’m not a conspiracy guy, and I’m not saying it has happened.

 

But a ref doesn’t have to make a bad call to turn a game.  We know they can call holding on just about every play.  We know they can call pass interference on a lot of play.  (When the announcer says ‘they’re letting them play’ it’s obviously PI).

 

So if a ref wants a team to keep it close, or beat the spot, it’s easily done.  Like you said, it was done in the NBA.  An NFL ref doesn’t even have to be blatant about it.  
 

The refs are all professionals and are paid well, comparatively.  But even lawyers, doctors, executives, etc., can get into gambling debt.   

[csmopar]

I’m gonna repeat what my coach told me. Don’t want the refs involved, beat the other guy so bad that it doesn’t matter.

 

that said, the officials have been beyond terrible this season. I mean tripping two of our DBs that could have resulted in a TD is about the worst I’ve seen in a long time

[lollygagger8]

Boger is absolute trash and needs to be let go. 

[twfish]

I still couldn't believe they picked up the illegal formation call that was against the Jags. Threw the flag called it, moved the ball, Peterson flipped out and then they picked up the flag. I think that's the first I have ever seen a coach actually get their way with refs and have them reverse a call. 

 

There's still absolutely no reason #1 there's not a ref in a booth watching the replay and relaying if its a bad call or not. #2 why the coach can't challenge penalties. They can already Challenge the ruling on the field that can be game changing so why cant they challenge game changing penalty calls? We just have to get the Refs to buy into it unlike the P.I challenge, where even though they were reviewing they weren't changing the call to help protect eachother.

[chad72]

Jerome Boger did give Matt Ryan a 15 yard penalty in his favor, so that was a critical call for us.

[gspdx]

Saw another one yesterday.  Can't even remember who the teams were now.  QB is running and a guy is following behind.  QB goes into his slide and then the guy following lowers his head and hits the sliding QB from behind.  NO penalty.  If that had been TB I am a penalty would be called.

 

At least be consistent.  

 

 

[Mighty Blue]

Yup, I have seen some calls missed and some are like “really?!”

We should be called because sometimes it’s obvious to us on our big screen tv

Too many long delays before game resumes.

Look at it this way…at least it’s not the NBA!

I am no longer a fan of basketball. First of all, too many cry babies, divas, and “same o same o” players being talked about on ESPN.

But, mainly, there too many stupid, ridiculous, petty fouls…too many! And when players believed they got fouled they turn into pouters.

I’ll bet $1 that after the NBA season that the topic of the refs calling a lot of stupid, petty and ridiculous fouls will be discussed…okay, $2.

I respect the game but I will no longer watch Suns games because of the biggest cry baby that is still acting like a spoiled brat.
Just don’t show this to my mother in law because she a BIG Suns fan.

So, for me, the penalties being called in the NFL are not getting out of hand…yet.

 

 

[crazycolt1]

Refs get it right most of the time but when they don't it can cost a game.  I think the NY officials should step in when an obvious bad call is made. 

[Indy87]

Refs make the games close. Keeps you in your seat watching. You rarely see blow outs anymore and there’s a reason why. Refs and FA. 

[Chucklez]

15 minutes ago, Indy87 said:

Refs make the games close. Keeps you in your seat watching. You rarely see blow outs anymore and there’s a reason why. Refs and FA. 

This, and everyone else saying that refs are keeping games close on purpose, or purposely calling some fouls and not others to influence games, is just codswallop.

It's like the conspiracy that we faked the moon landing.... really guys? There would just be too many people involved to keep that quiet and for it to not be eventually proven to have been faked. Every single conspiracy theory has been debunked, countless times over.... Not to mention this is physical freaking proof that we landed on the moon, we can shoot lasers at the moon which freaking bounce back to us because of the panels we put up there. its undeniable. 

 

Similar issue with things like games being fixed or there being a conspiracy that refs are keeping games close. You have NFL owners who pay literally hundreds of millions of dollars to players and coaches every year, who want to win the Lombardi. You dont think they would be seriously freakin * off if a ref was purposely keeping games close and jeopordizing their chances of winning....? Which in turn can affect turnout numbers at games, further impacting their bottom lines. Not to mention playoff appearnces, more games in your stadiums, more dollars in your pocket. This is a business, and you dont mess with people like the NFL owner's and their business. 

Not buying it.

[Indy87]

1 hour ago, Chucklez said:

This, and everyone else saying that refs are keeping games close on purpose, or purposely calling some fouls and not others to influence games, is just codswallop.

It's like the conspiracy that we faked the moon landing.... really guys? There would just be too many people involved to keep that quiet and for it to not be eventually proven to have been faked. Every single conspiracy theory has been debunked, countless times over.... Not to mention this is physical freaking proof that we landed on the moon, we can shoot lasers at the moon which freaking bounce back to us because of the panels we put up there. its undeniable. 

 

Similar issue with things like games being fixed or there being a conspiracy that refs are keeping games close. You have NFL owners who pay literally hundreds of millions of dollars to players and coaches every year, who want to win the Lombardi. You dont think they would be seriously freakin * off if a ref was purposely keeping games close and jeopordizing their chances of winning....? Which in turn can affect turnout numbers at games, further impacting their bottom lines. Not to mention playoff appearnces, more games in your stadiums, more dollars in your pocket. This is a business, and you dont mess with people like the NFL owner's and their business. 

Not buying it.

It’s ok with me you differ in opinion. 

[Chucklez]

11 minutes ago, Indy87 said:

It’s ok with me you differ in opinion. 

upon re-reading that i came down a bit hard in my opinion on the matter, sorry about that. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

On 10/16/2022 at 10:54 PM, 2006Coltsbestever said:

One word = Boger. Just kidding, this has been going on for the 45 years I have watched football since I was 6 years old back in 77/78. 

 

I did think today, that they gave the Jags every chance to steal this game. Don't even get me started on SB 40 when the Steelers robbed the Seahawks 

I will go back to my post. I do not think things are rigged before someone implies I do but at times things have looked altered for certain teams. I have seen way too many games to think otherwise. I can even add Marvin and Reggie being held by the Patriots secondary over and over in the 2003 AFC Championship and get away with it. Rams at Saints in the 2018 NFC Title game was nonsense as well and everyone knows it. Saints got screwed royally.

[Chucklez]

1 hour ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I will go back to my post. I do not think things are rigged before someone implies I do but at times things have looked altered for certain teams. I have seen way too many games to think otherwise. I can even add Marvin and Reggie being held by the Patriots secondary over and over in the 2003 AFC Championship and get away with it. Rams at Saints in the 2018 NFC Title game was nonsense as well and everyone knows it. Saints got screwed royally.

Sometimes bad calls happen and teams can get screwed by it. It shouldnt happen, but it does.

I do think it is totally preventable, just make the referees fully employed and accountable, and add more TV referees to be in the ears of the on field refs. Should add another camera or two as well for more angles on field.

These are all things the NFL could easily afford to instantly improve the quality of the on field product. I really do not understand why they dont make this happen.

[Indy87]

2 hours ago, Chucklez said:

upon re-reading that i came down a bit hard in my opinion on the matter, sorry about that. 

I understand my opinion can be triggering for people. Not a lot of people agree with me. I just question the morality and integrity of a league that makes as much as it does and doesn’t take paying their referees seriously enough, or vetting them, or training them in such a way that they maintain that integrity. 
 

I question when I see a referee ignore a penalty that happens right in front of their face within 5 feet of them. 
 

I love football. It’s the only sport I love and I don’t like having to question the integrity of the game. If I only complained about it being my team I’d get others not liking my opinion. But I see it game in and game out no matter who the teams are, and when blow outs happen less and less, and referees make more questionable calls, not sure what to believe buddy. 
 

the only real currency is attention these days. Hold the attention and you make money. That’s why “hot takes” exist. 
 

how else would you explain not making a call that happens 5 feet from you? How do you explain seeing a flag at the LOS for pass INT 50 yards away? Which I’m sure we have all seen once or twice. 

I appreciate the apology. I just don’t understand why so many people get upset with me questioning the integrity of todays leagues across the US. 

 

[Dingus McGirt]

17 hours ago, Chucklez said:

Sometimes bad calls happen and teams can get screwed by it. It shouldnt happen, but it does.

I do think it is totally preventable, just make the referees fully employed and accountable, and add more TV referees to be in the ears of the on field refs. Should add another camera or two as well for more angles on field.

These are all things the NFL could easily afford to instantly improve the quality of the on field product. I really do not understand why they dont make this happen.

Because, then, they would have no excuses for the poor officiating.

[Chucklez]

3 hours ago, Dingus McGirt said:

Because, then, they would have no excuses for the poor officiating.

In theory, there wouldn't be any anymore! Or at least very little in comparison. 

[Arodgers12]

I agree the refs are awful!

[shakedownstreet]

On 10/16/2022 at 9:16 PM, hoosierhawk said:

NFL officiating

 

      

[crazycolt1]

3 hours ago, Dingus McGirt said:

Because, then, they would have no excuses for the poor officiating.

Respectfully the refs are under a lot pressure to get the calls correct.  They are graded for every game.  There is a lot of difference in us watching TV and officiating in real time.  We are watching the football while they are covering the whole field.  There are not enough eyes to see every thing on the field.  I agree the roughing the passer calls have been out of control but I think those calls were influenced by the league after the Tua incident.  

[Dingus McGirt]

2 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

Respectfully the refs are under a lot pressure to get the calls correct.  They are graded for every game.  There is a lot of difference in us watching TV and officiating in real time.  We are watching the football while they are covering the whole field.  There are not enough eyes to see every thing on the field.  I agree the roughing the passer calls have been out of control but I think those calls were influenced by the league after the Tua incident.  

Agreed.  I was attempting humor.  :^)

[GoColts8818]

10 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

Respectfully the refs are under a lot pressure to get the calls correct.  They are graded for every game.  There is a lot of difference in us watching TV and officiating in real time.  We are watching the football while they are covering the whole field.  There are not enough eyes to see every thing on the field.  I agree the roughing the passer calls have been out of control but I think those calls were influenced by the league after the Tua incident.  

Let me say a couple of things first.

 

1.  The NFL officials are light years better than college officials so they really do have the best guys out there.

2.  Your point is a good and fair one especially about bang bang plays and frankly NFL officials get it right way more often than they don’t.

3.  All officials are going to miss a call here and there.

 

Now, I think what most people are looking at are calls that are just horrible and you are left wondering how on earth can anyone miss that?  In Booger’s case alone it’s been three weeks of just horridness calls.  He’s just not very good at what he does.  However, he’s one person.  Frankly I think it’s his performance that is making people go really?  

[GoColts8818]

On 10/17/2022 at 9:21 AM, chad72 said:

Jerome Boger did give Matt Ryan a 15 yard penalty in his favor, so that was a critical call for us.

He didn’t give it to him.  It was the correct call.  That was exactly the type of play that rule was put in to prevent.  It wasn’t just a tricky tack head slap.  It was forcible contact or his head.

[GoColts8818]

On 10/17/2022 at 7:58 AM, Smonroe said:

It’s almost unbelievable that a multi-billion dollar industry uses part time employees to control their product.  
 

When is the NFL going to make them full time, where their only job is to do their job, and get better at their job?  
 

When there’s room for subjective officiating, there’s room for gamblers to get an edge.  After all, it’s not like those referee’s do that for a living.  

The last report I saw was the league wants full time officials it’s the officials union that doesn’t want them.  The reason for that is a lot of these guys have very high paying jobs as their full time jobs and don’t want to give those up.  

[mirobi48]

Just depends on who has the money on the game. Perfect example was today in the Syracuse and Clemson it was so one sided I had to turn it off. I am all for the game but if your team commits a personal foul and the other team committed the same foul and doesnt get called. And I am not a fan of either team. All depends on who has the game fix in its all about the dollar

[coltsva]

Game between two neutral teams = Ref's are bad

Game involving Colts = Ref's are biased

Game with money on the line = Ref's rigged the game

[Nesjan3]

Im not saying the whole conspiracy of refs rigging the game is true in todays NFL. However it has happened in professional sports multiple times. As recently as the NBA in the 2000s. So I wouldnt completely disregard the possibility. 

 

Its a problem and has been for a long time. I think its a hard job with a lot of pressure. Employing them full time would help.

[crazycolt1]

3 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

Let me say a couple of things first.

 

1.  The NFL officials are light years better than college officials so they really do have the best guys out there.

2.  Your point is a good and fair one especially about bang bang plays and frankly NFL officials get it right way more often than they don’t.

3.  All officials are going to miss a call here and there.

 

Now, I think what most people are looking at are calls that are just horrible and you are left wondering how on earth can anyone miss that?  In Booger’s case alone it’s been three weeks of just horridness calls.  He’s just not very good at what he does.  However, he’s one person.  Frankly I think it’s his performance that is making people go really?  

My main complaint is I was under the assumption that there are supposed to be veteran refs that are reviewing the games from a base in NY.  I have yet to see any activity from any refs based in NY. 

[Arodgers12]

Just now, crazycolt1 said:

My main complaint is I was under the assumption that there are supposed to be veteran refs that are reviewing the games from a base in NY.  I have yet to see any activity from any refs based in NY. 

I think I could ref better than some of these refs.

[GoColts8818]

38 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

My main complaint is I was under the assumption that there are supposed to be veteran refs that are reviewing the games from a base in NY.  I have yet to see any activity from any refs based in NY. 

They get involved on replays and talks to the officials on headsets and ear peaces they wear so you aren’t going to see it or really notice it which is by design.