Officiating

[HawkHack]

What game changing horrible penalties did the Cards commit that you're talking about? I saw a missed delay of game, I saw maybe a couple holds............judgement call penalties.

Since when is delay of game (and it happened at least twice that I clearly noticed, others say four times) a judgement call penalty?

Repeatedly missing delay of game is just bad officiating and there's no excuse for it happen except on rare occasions.

This. I don't understand how the NBA (hardly a bastion of good officiating) can get this correct, with the red light on the backboard (did the player release the ball before the light was on?), while the NFL cannot.

Put buzzers in the refs' pockets, tied to the play clock. If the buzzer vibrates before the snap, it's DELAY OF GAME.

This drives me crazy. I know the refs are watching a lot of things at the time of the snap, but when I see the play clock go to :00 and then the center snaps the ball -- that's me, watching in REAL TIME, knowing that it should be a DELAY OF GAME -- why on earth can't the NFL get this right?

 

[peppersjap]

Done being a part of this whiny fanbase. Ban me, don't care, you all are bunch of whiny bitches.

I would usually tend to agree with you but anyone who thinks the refs didn't play a part in this game is blind. Our 1st 4 possessions we were put in uphill positions. The 1st possession Gilliam was called for a facemask! How often do you see a offensive player called for a facemask? In the replay shown Gilliam never was anywhere near the players facemask which was pointed out by the broadcasters yet we have a 1st and 25. Our 1st 4 possessions were mandated by penalties effectively taking Lynch out of the game. Some of them might have been legit, I haven't broken down every play but the refs definitely made themselves part of this game. The offense never had a chance in this game. They might have committed legitimate penalties (the ref's called them) but without those the offense was having zero problem moving the ball.

 

[RiverDog]

Inadvertently brushing the jersey of a receiver without impeding him in any way should not be a foul.

Similar to screening a player in the game of basketball in anticipation of a rebound, a DB routinely reaches back with his arms in order to place and find the receiver by touching his clothing or lightly touching the body as he looks back toward the QB for the throw and/or the ball. This is not a penalty either. Doing so in such a way as to impede or inhibit that receiver's right to the catch the ball, or traverse the playing surface, IS a foul.

Both were called fouls last night, seemingly on every pass play. Disgusting.

Apparently, if a DB is close enough to smell the wind whistling by Fitzgerald, that's a flag too.

:roll:

Perhaps, but they're calling that pick play very closely all over the league. I don't know if it's a point of emphasis, but I've seen some very ticky tacky calls in multiple non Hawk games this season. I didn't have a problem with the penalties they called on our defense. KJ himself knew he was guilty of taking a head shot at a defenseless receiver, and Sherman was coming away with jersey, and it sticks out like a sore thumb to the ref.

And Scottemojo is correct. Until this game, we've really cleaned up our act on the penalty front. Even Michael Bennett has been staying onside lately. I thought that we'd finally driven a stake into the heart of that vampire.

The officiating was horrible, and complaining about it does not necessarily imply that anyone is making excuses for us losing, as well we shouldn't. IMO most of the BS penalties came when we were on offense, particularly that horrendous face mask penalty they called on Gilliam. Even Collingsworth said his facemask must be down around his throat. Our offense struggles to get first downs anyway, and starting so many drives with a first and 20 is more of a drive killer for us than it is for other teams.

The officiating was a factor in our defeat, just not the root cause.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Not sure why you feel the need to be so condescending with your posts in this thread. Nobody is a better fan than another..

Because I am a man of great passion and conviction...............I also enjoy long walks on the beach, hottubbing in the rain and the musical stylings of Paul Anka.

Just for you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=racI0x0E7vc

Take me to bed or lose me forever.

 

[acbass]

I rarely chime in, but I think I will make my post for the season. I played football most of my life. I understand how officiating works and it is what it is. I can remember after games feeling like we got hosed on a few calls, but they ultimately didn't really affect the game. Therefore, I've never really been one to blame officiating for losses.

However, this game was really bad. The only other game I can really remember making me this angry was SB XL. Refs are what they are, but what they always have to be is consitant. It was beyond frustrating to watch them call it extremely tight against us and then be really liberal for them. The amount of holding going on during the AZ possessions was laughable. They were pretty much tackling Bennett and Avril and getting away with it. I'm far from the tin foil hat type, but after being reminded that the NFL has openly stated they don't want prime time games in Seattle, I have to think this is in somewhat furtherance of that.

I'm not saying the NFL has it out for us, but I fully do believe the NFL has instructed officials to be very strict on the rules at home prime time games. They just don't want blowouts, which is understandable, but they need to be consistent. The way the first half was called was entirely different from the 3rd quarter and half of the 4th. That just can't happen. This is football. It's really not that complicated but the NFL has decided to make it that way. It makes it impossible to call consistently.

That fumble was a fumble. I'm sorry. Interpret the rule however, but just as an observer of football, and taking into consideration years of watching and playing, that looked like a fumble. Show that play to a kid playing peewee and he will tell you it's a fumble. For whatever reason the NFL has decided to make it this ridiculous in depth analysis which makes it impossible for everyone. Go back to the rules in the 80's and update it with these modern safety "defenseless player" additions and let them just play. It's absolutely ridiculous that you can't bump a receiver past 5 yards. If you are holding on to them and keeping them from running that's what thing, but these automatic first downs on 5 yard penalties for a small bump is ridiculous.

They've turned football into this rule intensive mess that it just doesn't need to be. It's a physical game. Let them play it that way. I'm not saying we lost necessarily because of the refs but anytime a ref calls 14 penalties for close to 150 yards against one team he is over stepping his bounds. Plain and simple.

 

[Hawks46]

It was mentioned before the game that the team officiating last night calls the most holding penalties of any crew. The defensive penalties were mostly legit what killed us were the stupid penalties on offense. Constantly starting 1st and 20+.

Many of those flags on offense came after decent runs too.

Once again, that shows obvious bias.

It's fact that the officiating crew calls the most holding penalties. Arizona wasn't called at all, on obvious penalties. The crew obviously looks for it, as they call it the most. Therefor, they see it, but don't elect to call it.

 

[Seahaaaawks]

The one that got me was the no call on delay of game. The clock was at zero for at least 1.5 seconds, blew my mind that nobody, not even the announcers said a word about it.

 

[TeamoftheCentury]

The best games are when there's no reason for mentioning that officiating got in the way. It always factors into games. It's part of the game. When the games are close, officiating can be even more scrutinized. Each call / no-call affects what teams can and will do next.

I didn't blame the officiating for this game (and I don't think anyone else here really is either. I think even the OP is just frustrated as it's part of the game.) Still, when you start thinking about what they could have done better to win... you start with the trenches, correct? So, we've got calls on the Hawks, no-calls on the Cardinals? If games are truly won and lost in the trenches, and the Hawks pass rushers are neutralized by more than good play by the opponents, what are the Hawks supposed to do to improve their chances? All this probably allowed the Cardinals offense to do more than it would have otherwise. I think probably what happened is that he Cardinals were better aware of what they could get away with.

I typically don't give much thought to this because it gets me no where. Other than mention it and put ourselves in a position to be called names by others, there's nothing that can be done about it. Still, it's reasonable to wonder how things could have possibly played out differently. No one can say for certain that it would have changed the outcome of the game, but it's certainly frustrating to see. Since it was a close game, it makes me wonder if things would have played out differently.

Are the Hawks expected to dominate their opponents to the point that officiating can't possibly get in the way? Trolls and those who don't understand how officiating can affect a game sure have that expectation. So, they call others whiners and not give football reasons why. Who's really the whiners? Sit somewhat anonymously at a keyboard and launch insults at others when they don't understand enough to discuss? In cases like this game, I think the burden of proof lies with those who think there's no reason to mention the officiating. Define what holding is and is not. Then, tell us what our D-lineman are supposed to do? Tell us why getting away with consistently holding a dominating pass rush unit doesn't affect a game?

I love football. But, we get the bad with the good. That's football.

 

[Northwest Seahawk]

Well as much as I wanted to blame Wilson for that loss it's on the refs pure and simple. We got hosed end of story not much Wilson can do 1st and 20 the entire first half against that defense.