NFL tinkering under the hood

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CGI_Ram

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http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10698781/mailbag-nfl-tinkering-replay-rules

By: John Clayton

One of my highlights of the recent NFL owners meetings was spending some time talking to Dean Blandino, the NFL's supervisor of officials.

Coming into the meetings, I thought Bill Belichick's idea of being able to review all plays was a long shot. Talking to Blandino, I learned the NFL is heading in that direction but will be calculating in the expansion.

Blandino said he sees a time in which coaches would be able to challenge most plays instead of just a limited list. If a coach wants to challenge an interference penalty, it might happen. If a coach doesn't like a personal foul call, he might have the ability to contest it.

Each coach has two challenges. If he wins both, he gets a third. That means a maximum of six stoppages a game via coaches' challenges. As long as replays are efficiently run, that's manageable.

That's why it's important for Blandino's staff in New York to be available to communicate with replay officials and referees at games to speed up the process. While the ref is informing the coaches of the challenge, Blandino's staff and the replay official can set up the video for a fast study by the referee, who has 60 seconds to make a decision.

Although Blandino didn't say this, I could see the league moving in a direction in which replays would be taken out of the hands of the referee. If the centralized operation works, the replay official and the New York office could make the right decision by the time the ref gets to the replay monitor.

Games in 2013 ran an average of 3 hours, 7 minutes, and the league doesn't want them getting any longer. Too many replays would add minutes and make games disjointed.

But let's say the combination of a replay official at the game and Blandino's staff can shave minutes off the replay operation? The door would be open for coaches to use their limited challenges as they wish.

Blandino warns that a move to include all plays has to be a cautious one. After the two-minute warning for each half, only the replay booth can initiate a review under the current rules. No one wants to see officials stopping and starting games with a multitude of replays when games are at their most exciting level.

The technology of football is amazing. Thanks to big screens and HD television, fans sometimes have better views of plays than officials.

"We're very mindful of where technology is going, and we've got to stay in front of that," Blandino said. "The scrutiny on officiating is so much more than it ever was because of that technology."

For officiating, this year's meetings were an eye-opener. Within a couple of years, I could see the league having replays in the booth and from New York, and Belichick getting his way and having the option of challenging any call at least twice a game.

Previously, I thought that would be bad. Now, I don't. The technology is there, so it should be used to increase efficiency and accuracy.
 

Selassie I

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Insuring the CORRECT call is made should be the most important part of this. The integrity of the game is so very valuable... otherwise the NFL will become the NBA.

I hate to agree with anything B-Cheat has to say, but I'm all for having everything up for review. EVERY FUCKING THING.
 

CGI_Ram

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
I hate to agree with anything B-Cheat has to say, but I'm all for having everything up for review. EVERY freaking THING.

INCLUDING the spy gate tapes!

(y)