OT - NFL Referees

[DarthGrumpy]

What was up with the NFL referees over the weekend. 2 badly blown calls that could have impacted the final result of the game and fisticuff break-outs and no one is ejected?

First, of course was the roughing the passer call against the Niners that turned a 4tha and long and likely field goal try into a 1st down and a TD a few plays later. The Niners do nor deserve to be in the playoffs after losing to Oakland and they are decimated with injured right now; but, a team down by 13 to 7 with 4 minutes left versus a team down by 17 to 7 with 4 minutes left acts a lot differently on offense.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...d-on-key-penalty-against-49ers-153145323.html

Ties 0 to 0 in the 1st Quarter, New England Blocked a Miami FG goal attempt and returned it for a TD. Took the 7 point lead and never looked back cruising to 41 to 13 win. Miami argued that the Pats used an illegal formation (would not be the first time NE did this). Looking at the picture below, Miami has a point. The Pats had 6 men on the line to the right of the center plus 2 to the left for a total 8. Its illegal (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...loading-line-restriction-will-protect-linemen) and it should have been obvious to the two linesmen right behind the line of scrimmage.

The Jets v. Titans game was meaningless; but, meaningless or not, how do the referees miss the QB getting punched in the head after the play ends, some ripping off another's helmet by the facemask and tossing it and several players rushing off the bench which results in just 1 personal foul call. Several players should have been ejected.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...lmet-fight-breaks-out-during-jets-titans-game

 

[dsturdy5]

RE the pats-phins, this tweet has a side view, he's not on the line.

https://twitter.com/benvolin/status/544613095591927808

 

[StoweD210]

RE the pats-phins, this tweet has a side view, he's not on the line.

https://twitter.com/benvolin/status/544613095591927808

Don't use facts like that.

Anyway, I heard Pat Kirwan talk about the officiating today and an article he wrote about the amount & type of penalties called this year compared to other seasons:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...4139-penalties-in-2014-up-21-per-game-vs-2013

It could just be reacting to the last thing I saw, but does NFL officiating seem worse, in general, now compared to 5 or 10 years ago? Maybe it's just that it seems like every passing play, you watch the result of the play, then you wait to see if there's a flag, then you find out how you can react to the play.

 

[Nostical]

I had the chance to interview one of the NFL Referees, Ed Hochuli, who also happens to be an Attorney in Phoenix. Being interested, I spent less time on the legal stuff and most of the time talking football. Ed's long time friend John Kearns was my co-host. The football talk starts about at the 9:30 mark. Ed's very candid and a great guy. He's invited me on the field for several NFL games where he's refereeing.
http://ringlerradio.com/podcasts/ringler-radio/2013/04/from-the-courtroom-to-the-gridiron/
After the interview I asked him whether he prefers the Pro or College penalty for pass interference. That's one of my pet peeves, that a long pass can put the ball on the 5 yard line rather than a 15 yard penalty from the line of scrimmage. He says the NFL couldn't use the college rule. The reason? "If the college rule was used there would be much more pass interference. It has to be more punitive. The pros would always give up the 15 yards to prevent the pass."

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I had the chance to interview one of the NFL Referees, Ed Hochuli, who also happens to be an Attorney in Phoenix. Being interested, I spent less time on the legal stuff and most of the time talking football. Ed's long time friend John Kearns was my co-host. The football talk starts about at the 9:30 mark. Ed's very candid and a great guy. He's invited me on the field for several NFL games where he's refereeing.
http://ringlerradio.com/podcasts/ringler-radio/2013/04/from-the-courtroom-to-the-gridiron/
After the interview I asked him whether he prefers the Pro or College penalty for pass interference. That's one of my pet peeves, that a long pass can put the ball on the 5 yard line rather than a 15 yard penalty from the line of scrimmage. He says the NFL couldn't use the college rule. The reason? "If the college rule was used there would be much more pass interference. It has to be more punitive. The pros would always give up the 15 yards to prevent the pass."

I have no issue with Ed Hochuli the person; but as a referee, that call was horrible. On slow motion, he appears to pull the flag after the initial tackle when all 2 players (Willson and 2 Niners) hit the ground. Based on where Hochhuli was when the tackle occurred, he had no sight-line as to the tackle's point of impact as he could not see through Wilson's back. It could not have been a late hit as Wilson's arm was still in a throwing motion. It more looks like Hochuli saw a hard tackle on a (franchise, very marketable) QB and assumed it had to be a personal foul while missing that Moody kept his head-up, lead with his should and did make contact with Wilson's chest with the front part of his helmet. A text book standing tackle.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...uldnt-have-been-penalized-for-roughing-passer

 

[DarthGrumpy]

RE the pats-phins, this tweet has a side view, he's not on the line.

https://twitter.com/benvolin/status/544613095591927808

I did not know about the rule myself at first; but, the Pat's formation inherently looks unfair. The offense on a PT/FG has to have 5 down linemen with 2 to each side of the center. The Pats had 6 linemen to the to the right of center plus 1 standing and 2 plus 1 standing to the left of center. How can any team provide block protection like that when they are prohibited from adjusting their own line?

 

[dsturdy5]

From the LA Times when the rule change passed:
The defense cannot have more than six players on the line of scrimmage on either side of the snapper during kicking plays. This rule is designed to protect players who are in a vulnerable position. Violations of this rule will result in a five-yard penalty

Here is a screenshot of the actual rule. Unfair or not, the Patriots didn't break a rule.

https://twitter.com/PP_Rich_Hill/status/544616239294078977/photo/1

That being said, to your original point, yes the NFL is out of control with penalties this season. Someone else referenced Pat Kirwan earlier. According to PK, they are on pace for 550 more accepted penalties than last year.

 

[StoweD210]

Coming as no surprise to people who know where the line of scrimmage is and can count to six:

Ben VolinVerified account ‏@BenVolin
FYI, the NFL ruled that #Patriots did not have an illegal formation on the FG block. Dean Blandino will explain in detail later today

https://twitter.com/BenVolin/status/546002861969391616

But the point still remains that the refs have been bad this year.