Should Helmet to Helmet be reviewable?

[DJrmb]

I hate all the reviews in football now especially ones that happen in the middle of action or a drive, killing a teams momentum, or allowing a tired defense to rest and regroup. However I hate refs getting the wrong call even more!!!

I read an article not too long ago and it got me thinking. Shouldn't these helmet to helmet penalties be reviewable? I mean it's a big penalty, can be a big time game changer in certain circumstances, and it's usually a bang bang play that is hard to see live. Adding helmet to helmet to the "can be challenged" list would help these guys get a lot more of the calls right I think and help fight against the refs altering the outcome of a game. I think it would also quiet down the outrage of a lot of the defensive players and analysts that are talking about having to hit a guy low because the refs are calling these shoulder to chest hits "helmet to helmet".

If Goodell really wants to protect players and make the game safer this seems like a reasonable thing to do. We've already seen defensive players start to target lower at guys knees. That should be considered just as dangerous and Goodell needs to do something to help stop it since HE CREATED IT!

 

[sutz]

I could probably live with that. There have been quite a few questionable calls the past couple of seasons.

 

[-The Glove-]

I think any big penalty should be reviewed. Personal foul calls, PI's, etc. A FT reviewer upstairs could get it done in a split second and relay down to the field

 

[Sports Hernia]

Yes!!!!!!!!

 

[kearly]

Yes. It is too easy to call incorrectly in real time. It's not a slight against the officials- some calls are very tough to make in real time.

 

[JSeahawks]

In college football this year players will be ejected for helmet to helmet hits. It will be reviewable, but they can only overturn the ejection, they can not overturn the 15 yard penalty.

 

[OrFan]

Yes it should be reviewable, in fact an automatic review.

No review should ever be done by the crew on the field. It takes too long for the field crew to do it and whether they say so or not, they are biased. Nobody wants to admit that they are wrong. It should always take place by an official upstairs.

 

[sc85sis]

In college football this year players will be ejected for helmet to helmet hits. It will be reviewable, but they can only overturn the ejection, they can not overturn the 15 yard penalty.

Which is stupid. If it isn't helmet-to-helmet, there should be no penalty at all.

 

[sc85sis]

Yes it should be reviewable, in fact an automatic review.

No review should ever be done by the crew on the field. It takes too long for the field crew to do it and whether they say so or not, they are biased. Nobody wants to admit that they are wrong. It should always take place by an official upstairs.

Exactly. I understand wanting to make the game safer, but they need to also put sensible policies in place to help the officiating crews do their jobs properly.

 

[JSeahawks]

In college football this year players will be ejected for helmet to helmet hits. It will be reviewable, but they can only overturn the ejection, they can not overturn the 15 yard penalty.

Which is stupid. If it isn't helmet-to-helmet, there should be no penalty at all.

Completely agree. But as you know, the NCAA isn't known for their smarts.

 

[rdskns4eva]

I think the only penalty that should be reviewable is:

Pass Interference on plays of 15 yards or more

 

[Carmon1274]

:roll:

I already made that topic before long time ago and got some harsh remarks.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61597

 

[ivotuk]

Yes it should be. Like Kearly says, it's too easy to get the call wrong. They see it from a bad angle and hear the "clack!" Of pads colliding and it's easy to assume that noise was from helmet to helmet contact.

 

[HawkFan72]

Any penalty that is 15 yards or more should be reviewed.

 

[HawkWow]

:roll:

I already made that topic before long time ago and got some harsh remarks.

http://seahawks.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61597

It's your post count bro! How could you possibly believe you could create an intelligent thread with so few posts? What were you...on drugs? ; )

I've said the same since this whole helmet to helmet thing started. The penalty is just too frkiin immense to be handled so arbitrarily. We have surpassed the whole "replay slows the game down too much" BS. Real fans demand justice.

And forget this crap of having only 3 challenges (whether reversed or not). That is just stupid. If the refs are getting the calls wrong..they are getting the calls wrong and no team should be penalized for correcting them.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

Yes.

They are easy to miss, and the personal foul penalty is so impactful. It's also relatively easy to judge on film where in real time it's incredibly difficult.

 

[Kixkahn]

"Defenseless" receiver needs to fall into the same category. (You realize how much the NFL gets criticized by rugby players for all the "safety" rules.) Defense is really being limited on how they tackle due to all the "safety" rules.

 

[Marvin49]

Yes....but it will create some problems.

It should only be reviewable if it's called...IE you can't challenge a play where there was no flag and the coach thinks its HtH. That'll slow stuff up in a big way. An example...On one of the last downs in the SB, Crabtree was hit hard and it was a HtH hit. A pretty sizable one too. Spun Crabs facemask a little. At 1:30 of Below vid

http://www.nfl.com/videos/baltimore-rav ... Bowl-XLVII

The problem tho is that I don't think it was an intentional HtH hit which I think played a part in why it wasn't called. If that stuff starts to get reviewed, INTENTION goes out the window and you end up with LOTS of ticky tack calls because refs are looking at them without intent in mind and in uber slow mo. Yes...I realize intention isn't written into the rulebook, but it is a factor in a refs decision making...particularly on a HUGE drive in the biggest game on earth.

Even on plays that are actually called...intention is a problem. If an offensive player lowers his head at the last moment, the defender has no way of stopping the hit.

At least in that case tho, the reviewing official can see and make a judgement call on if the defender could have prevented a HtH hit.

Bottom line tho...it's problematic. Any Judgement call type penalty is going to create issues on review.