NFL Prepared to Hire Replacement Refs

[SmootSmack]

NFL's talks with officials break off, sources say - ESPN

I suspect this will get resolved by the time the season rolls around

[dmek25]

you talk about something that will really screw up a game? they need to be full time....no more excuses

[mooby]

Oh how will we manage?! To think, they might have to hire replacements for the main reason we watch football! Won't someone think of Eddie "Guns" Hoculi?!

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by dmek25

you talk about something that will really screw up a game? they need to be full time....no more excuses

Why do they need to be full time? Can you practice what they do? I guess they could target pratice throwing the flag so not to hit someone in the eye, I just don't see how going full time would change anything.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Why do they need to be full time? Can you practice what they do? I guess they could target pratice throwing the flag so not to hit someone in the eye, I just don't see how going full time would change anything.

I don't understand the logic of saying full-time wouldn't help anything. What do you mean they can't practice. I can think of several things that would help right off the bat:

All refs would be trained to see penalties the same way. For example: Through computer videos you can let them see 4 plays, 3 are PI, one is not, they select which one isn't.

Officials Teams could be varied in the off season, and evaluated and adjusted so that the strengths and weaknesses are better understood.

Officials would be able to watch OTA's and other team based functions providing feedback and also more on field experience for the officials.

Surely the more they see actual and video examples the better they would get.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

I don't understand the logic of saying full-time wouldn't help anything. What do you mean they can't practice. I can think of several things that would help right off the bat:

All refs would be trained to see penalties the same way. For example: Through computer videos you can let them see 4 plays, 3 are PI, one is not, they select which one isn't.

Officials Teams could be varied in the off season, and evaluated and adjusted so that the strengths and weaknesses are better understood.

Officials would be able to watch OTA's and other team based functions providing feedback and also more on field experience for the officials.

Surely the more they see actual and video examples the better they would get.

This. More time for training so it's universally understood what constitutes a penalty can only make the refs better. Think about all the film they could watch, all of the examples they could study, that could help them judge better in real time. I would definitely support refs working full time for the NFL. Pretty sure the NFL wouldn't though because paying the refs would take more money out of their profits, with no forseeable way to make up the difference.

[Lotus]

Since we always win the Super Bowl in strike seasons, does that include seasons when the refs strike?

[FRPLG]

Football players used to get off-season jobs until pay became enough that they could focus on being better players by training and/or practicing/playing year round. These refs surely make enough money to be able to focus on one job. Considering the importance of said job just in dollars it is silly to think they are part time.

How many multi-billion dollar companies hire part time workers who directly affect the products they sell? Hell the refs are as much part of the product as the players in a sense.

[dmek25]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Why do they need to be full time? Can you practice what they do? I guess they could target pratice throwing the flag so not to hit someone in the eye, I just don't see how going full time would change anything.

so if i came to you and said i think your job is only needed 6 months a year, but in those 6 months you better not make any mistakes, how would you feel/do?

[skinsfan69]

The refs do a bad job imo. Too flag happy. Maybe the replacements will do a better job.

[Chief X_Phackter]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

I don't understand the logic of saying full-time wouldn't help anything. What do you mean they can't practice. I can think of several things that would help right off the bat:

All refs would be trained to see penalties the same way. For example: Through computer videos you can let them see 4 plays, 3 are PI, one is not, they select which one isn't.

Officials Teams could be varied in the off season, and evaluated and adjusted so that the strengths and weaknesses are better understood.

Officials would be able to watch OTA's and other team based functions providing feedback and also more on field experience for the officials.

Surely the more they see actual and video examples the better they would get.

Well said.

I think there are a lot of potential positives having them at "full time". It would benefit their own knowledge base, tactics, techniques and procedures; and I think NFL teams would surely benefit from having refs present during on-the-field training before the season.

[hooskins]

Didn't we have replacement refs a few years back?

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Football players used to get off-season jobs until pay became enough that they could focus on being better players by training and/or practicing/playing year round. These refs surely make enough money to be able to focus on one job. Considering the importance of said job just in dollars it is silly to think they are part time.

How many multi-billion dollar companies hire part time workers who directly affect the products they sell? Hell the refs are as much part of the product as the players in a sense.

A lot of board of directors are not full time employess of the corporation and just come in to give advise and help with disputes when needed. So it is very common.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by dmek25

so if i came to you and said i think your job is only needed 6 months a year, but in those 6 months you better not make any mistakes, how would you feel/do?

I'd say hell yea and take a 6 month vacation. No one tells them to not make mistake. Its a given that mistakes will happen with full or partime refs. What other sports have full time refs that don't still make mistakes? I don't think the Refs are the problem the stupid rules like you cannot hit the QB's head even if its a little tap is the problem with the game.

[HailGreen28]

Originally Posted by firstdown

I'd say hell yea and take a 6 month vacation. No one tells them to not make mistake. Its a given that mistakes will happen with full or partime refs. What other sports have full time refs that don't still make mistakes? I don't think the Refs are the problem the stupid rules like you cannot hit the QB's head even if its a little tap is the problem with the game.

Agreed about the refs not being the problem. Goodell and the league have to go overboard on the helmet hits, or the league could get overwhelmed by legitimate lawsuits. I do think the officiating can be improved, though. And ought to be fairer to the officials.

I'd love to see the league support a cadre of professional officials. From the head referee to the replay officials. With no more vacation than the players get, with an offseason of tape and review. We couldn't eliminate mistakes from the officials, any more than the players. But we can at least make the officiating more consistent with more offseason training.

And pay the officials accordingly. $25K-$70K to referee a season involving multi-millionaire players in a sport worth billions, is ridiculous, IMO. Pay officials six figures at least.