Selective officiating

[Fudwamper]

For the INT in the Saint Falcons game, yes that was a block in the back. It was obvious. It just coincided with the stiff arm.

Just a couple of days a go I was reading an article in the Seattle times about Washington and the national shortage in officials. They can barely support high school sports and some of them are doing small college level. It is slowly making an impact to the Pro's. Those officials need to start somewhere and we are only going to see worse officiating because of people not wanting to deal with learning lower level officiating because of parents.

 

[5_Golden_Rings]

I doubt it's usually "selective" reffing, at least not deliberately. With the exception of the elite veteran QBs, of course. Otherwise it's just bad officiating, and when the bad call goes against the team you're rooting for, you remember much more than when the bad call goes for them.

Regardless, this is why every penalty needs to be challengeable. At least give the teams a chance to overturn human error or subconscious bias.

 

[Uncle Si]

Confirmation bias is a well-known phenomenon. Anyone thinking all officiating gaffes are only innocent mistakes is being ignorant. When an official knows player X is known for holding, or DPI, or whatever; they are more likely to notice/see it on them subconsciously. There isn't some big conspiracy in favor of a few select teams or against most other teams. That being said, it doesn't mean there aren't unintentional factors which do have an influence.

I think part of the problem is that the game has gotten too fast to track accurately. Players are bigger, stronger, and faster with each passing year. Human eyes aren't getting better, on the other hand. More evidence that we need to computerize officiating as much as possible.

There's as much confirmation bias in trying to affirm conspiracies as there may be in refs being swayed by the moment.

As you mentioned, and Chris added, the rules are subjective and refs can't see everything. This leads to debatable decisions and misses.

 

[HawkGA]

Yep. Humans and subjective rules.
Consistency is almost impossible.

This is true across games and across refs, but it shouldn't be too different within a game.

 

[chris98251]

We also have the largest influx of new officials the last few seasons ever, like every other job you have to learn it, then disseminate how to do it without over doing it and thinking it. Ticky Tack calls happen, but with a lot of newer officials they happen more often because they are the letter of the rules, guys that have been officiating for years don't call that stuff, they don't call incidental contact as much, as well as many other penalties because they know what's affecting and what's not in game play.

That and I have always said with review and grading the officials are going to take longer to decide things and with the crew backing each other unless it is gregarious are going to back their guys also, now you have a guy in New York involved as well as guys in every teams booth trying to decide who is right and if to challenge them.

 

[RolandDeschain]

There's as much confirmation bias in trying to affirm conspiracies as there may be in refs being swayed by the moment.

Indeed...but you should probably go to Google and type in "conspiracy theories that turned out to be true" and do a little reading.

Conspiracy theory nuts are way over the top about a ton of stuff...but on the other hand, those that just shrug off conspiracy theories automatically are just as bad.

 

[chris98251]

NFL just suspended a Cardinal DB for Betting on games.

 

[cymatica]

It sure appears selective when some teams get away with murder, like the Patriots and pick plays, then other teams are penalized all the time on legit or close plays.

Not saying it's a conspiracy against my favorite team, it's just very obvious some teams are allowed to get away with much more in certain games and seasons. If the one crew calls more holding and the next crew calls more unnecessary roughness, fine, just call it the same for both teams. There are so many examples of this happening, in plain view of the refs, and they selectively swallow the flags on some teams.

 

[Uncle Si]

There's as much confirmation bias in trying to affirm conspiracies as there may be in refs being swayed by the moment.

Indeed...but you should probably go to Google and type in "conspiracy theories that turned out to be true" and do a little reading.

Conspiracy theory nuts are way over the top about a ton of stuff...but on the other hand, those that just shrug off conspiracy theories automatically are just as bad.

I'll assume you've adequately summed it up.

I think the idea the human refs are inadvertently and subconsciously influenced by their surroundings is the most reasonable.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

It sure appears selective when some teams get away with murder, like the Patriots and pick plays, then other teams are penalized all the time on legit or close plays.........

GREAT point on this particular;ar situation!

 

[Boohman14]

The worst are when a referee throws a flag because it looked like a penalty. If you don't see the hands actually holding a guy, don't throw a flag because the DL threw his arm in the air and fell over!

Exactly!!!

I'd can live with the missed holdings and PI (if they're not blatant) but the calls that didn't happen just harsh my mellow!

The Packers would have lost to Detroit this season but for two "hands to the face" calls that weren't.

 

[Uncle Si]

You guys would lose your mind watching soccer.. (all obvious jokes aside... the officiating is so bad, so subjective, and the players do their best to take advantage)

 

[chris98251]

You guys would lose your mind watching soccer.. (all obvious jokes aside... the officiating is so bad, so subjective, and the players do their best to take advantage)

We know, flopping started there and then went to the NBA, now in NFL where back in the day you wouldn't want to flop and expose you were a pussy to let some little DB knock you down being a 265 pound TE.

 

[Sports Hernia]

You guys would lose your mind watching soccer.. (all obvious jokes aside... the officiating is so bad, so subjective, and the players do their best to take advantage)

The final straw with me with soccer is the flopping. Guy acts like he got shot, barely touched or not at all, they stretcher him off, 30 seconds later he back on the field like nothing happened. Same reason I got turned off from basketball especially the NBA. When the officials cannot tell the difference between bad acting and an infraction, that sport has serious issues.

 

[Maulbert]

You guys would lose your mind watching soccer.. (all obvious jokes aside... the officiating is so bad, so subjective, and the players do their best to take advantage)

The final straw with me with soccer is the flopping. Guy acts like he got shot, barely touched or not at all, they stretcher him off, 30 seconds later he back on the field like nothing happened. Same reason I got turned off from basketball especially the NBA. When the officials cannot tell the difference between bad acting and an infraction, that sport has serious issues.

Anyone remember this?

[youtube]aBUYTz0c4BY[/youtube]

 

[Sports Hernia]

You guys would lose your mind watching soccer.. (all obvious jokes aside... the officiating is so bad, so subjective, and the players do their best to take advantage)

The final straw with me with soccer is the flopping. Guy acts like he got shot, barely touched or not at all, they stretcher him off, 30 seconds later he back on the field like nothing happened. Same reason I got turned off from basketball especially the NBA. When the officials cannot tell the difference between bad acting and an infraction, that sport has serious issues.

Anyone remember this?

[youtube]aBUYTz0c4BY[/youtube]

LOL, yes.

 

[AubHawk71]

The recent Hawks at Iggles game is a perfect example. Philly didn't commit one penalty until 3 mins plus left in the 3rd quarter? What discipline they have! :roll:

 

[olyfan63]

The Saints game where the Lineman got a interception and he stiff armed him yet the trailer got a flag for block in the back.

was it a block in the back?

HELL YES, it was a block in the back, an obvious flag. I confess I didn't notice that until the second time I saw that clip, then it jumped out at me. None of the clips at the time mentioned there was a flag on the play, so I just figured the refs missed it. Glad to hear it was called. The announcers were too busy crowing about how the QB got lit up making the tackle, and totally glossed over the blatant block in the back on said QB.

 

[chris98251]

The Saints game where the Lineman got a interception and he stiff armed him yet the trailer got a flag for block in the back.

was it a block in the back?

HELL YES, it was a block in the back, an obvious flag. I confess I didn't notice that until the second time I saw that clip, then it jumped out at me. None of the clips at the time mentioned there was a flag on the play, so I just figured the refs missed it. Glad to hear it was called. The announcers were too busy crowing about how the QB got lit up making the tackle, and totally glossed over the blatant block in the back on said QB.

He barely touched him if at all, the stiff arm drove him 180 degrees and that touch if that had no effect. In fact if there was contact it probably was due to the stiff arm, I would need to really see it again.

 

[Uncle Si]

You guys would lose your mind watching soccer.. (all obvious jokes aside... the officiating is so bad, so subjective, and the players do their best to take advantage)

The final straw with me with soccer is the flopping. Guy acts like he got shot, barely touched or not at all, they stretcher him off, 30 seconds later he back on the field like nothing happened. Same reason I got turned off from basketball especially the NBA. When the officials cannot tell the difference between bad acting and an infraction, that sport has serious issues.

That stuff has pretty much been shamed away in the bigger leagues.

You'll still see embellishment to get a foul/penalty. But the over the top stuff is rarer now and gets called out on TV and social media.

Seeing guys in the NFL throw their hands up alot now as if they're being held. Sort of similar.