Officiating

[BomberFan]

Not Bomber related, but just the general crappiness of officiating this year. Penalty calls are up by 30% (according to TSN stats guys). The real problem seems to be blown/missed calls, up at least 100% (by my stats guy). Do we not have a Referee program, teaching these guys? They're bordering on the incompetence of soccer refs. And oh yeah, get rid of the PI challenge, that would be a start. The officiating in this league is Rod Black embarrassing.

[Goalie]

Meh, i don't think it's as bad as it appears, if guys would stop hitting qbs late or interfering on passes, these calls wouldn't need to be made. 

 

Refs aren't perfect but they haven't cost anyone a game yet.. Refs are humans, just like in every other sport, they make mistakes.. It is what it is. 

 

It will never be perfect in any sport. 

[BomberFan]

Meh, i don't think it's as bad as it appears, 

What does that mean exactly? The amount of questionable and blown calls are almost uncountable. Dunno what games you're watching...

[Goalie]

I just don't see what constantly going on about it proves exactly. How many of these "refs suck" threads do we need.

 

We all know there are issues, they aren't perfect but... you know what, if you don't like the job they are doing, why don't you go and apply to be a ref.

 

It's really that simple. What games have you been watching? what blatant calls have they missed? a few PI's? a Few holds? 

 

It's football, it's sport really. It's going to happen, best thing to do is understand it's not going to be perfect because if you are expecting it to be perfect, it never will be in any sport which has that human element to it. It is what it is. 

[BomberFan]

I just don't see what constantly going on about it proves exactly. How many of these "refs suck" threads do we need.

 

We all know there are issues, they aren't perfect but... you know what, if you don't like the job they are doing, why don't you go and apply to be a ref.

 

It's really that simple. What games have you been watching? what blatant calls have they missed? a few PI's? a Few holds? 

 

It's football, it's sport really. It's going to happen, best thing to do is understand it's not going to be perfect because if you are expecting it to be perfect, it never will be in any sport which has that human element to it. It is what it is. 

Nevermind. Everything is great and I shouldn't have an opinion. Thanks for your input.

[SPuDS]

Meh, i don't think it's as bad as it appears,

What does that mean exactly? The amount of questionable and blown calls are almost uncountable. Dunno what games you're watching...

Until the cfl mans up and either improves the coaching of refs or thieves some NCAA or NFL guys for our season, it's not going to improve sadly... I agree with you 100%, it makes us look bush league and embarrassing especially now we are back on tv in the us..

[Jacquie]

CFL officials are no better or worse than officials in other pro sports leagues.

[Mike]

I just don't see what constantly going on about it proves exactly. How many of these "refs suck" threads do we need.

We all know there are issues, they aren't perfect but... you know what, if you don't like the job they are doing, why don't you go and apply to be a ref.

It's really that simple. What games have you been watching? what blatant calls have they missed? a few PI's? a Few holds?

It's football, it's sport really. It's going to happen, best thing to do is understand it's not going to be perfect because if you are expecting it to be perfect, it never will be in any sport which has that human element to it. It is what it is.

You know this is a website for discussion right?

[Floyd]

Goalie is actually Tom Higgins.  

[SPuDS]

CFL officials are no better or worse than officials in other pro sports leagues.

Nope. I really don't believe that.. CFL reffing is atrocious.. Nba, nhl, nfl and even arena league refs don't miss nearly as many obvious calls or Make as many wrong calls...

[17to85]

they should stop tweaking rules every offseason. Leave it be and let the refs actually figure out what's going on rather than trying to learn new ways to call things every bloody year. 

[BomberFan]

CFL officials are no better or worse than officials in other pro sports leagues.

That may be so, but this years CFL officiating has been abominable. 

From TSN.ca: Last week in the CFL the penalty flags were flying. In total between the four games played there were 110 penalties for 958 yards, which is the third-highest total in the last 20 years. Obviously, that is way too many penalties. It disrupts the flow of the game, extends the length of the game, and is flat out hard to watch.

And it's not just the volume of calls, but the 'quality', if you will.

And that doesn't include blatant missed calls. 

I guess you can tell by now I am dissatisfied with the quality of the officiating in the CFL this year.

I'v been a fan since the early 60's and don't recall officiating being as big an issue as it is this year.

 

Goalie said earlier in reply  that "at least it hasn't determined the outcome of a game yet."

I disagree.

A bad or missed call can change the momentum of a game, regardless of what point of the game it happens in.

I do agree with not tampering with rules every year. Here's the ridiculousness of it:

Lat year the non-PI call in the eastern final probably was the reason the PI challenge was instigated.

Shouldn't the reason the call was missed have been addressed instead?

Changing the rules because the officials missed a call doesn't solve anything.

 

We need the CFL and and Teams to step-up and financially support programs to develop the quality of officiating starting at the grassroots level.  

 

If you're happy with the quality of the officiating in the league this year, I'd venture to say, you're in the minority.

[Fraser]

It's at the point where before you cheer a play you have to look for a flag or wait for the result of a flag

[Samcanadian]

It's at the point where before you cheer a play you have to look for a flag or wait for the result of a flag

It's been like that for a while now.  I find myself watching the NFL preseason games and holding my breath everytime a pass downfield is incomplete...then realize no flags are coming.

 

I believe the NFL is at an all-time high right now for penalties, averaging 12 a game.  The CFL is averaging 23 per game.  It's ridiculous.  

[Fraser]

It's at the point where before you cheer a play you have to look for a flag or wait for the result of a flag

It's been like that for a while now. I find myself watching the NFL preseason games and holding my breath everytime a pass downfield is incomplete...then realize no flags are coming.

I believe the NFL is at an all-time high right now for penalties, averaging 12 a game. The CFL is averaging 23 per game. It's ridiculous.

And they call holding in the nfl, even when it isnt blatant and egregious

[Samcanadian]

 

 

It's at the point where before you cheer a play you have to look for a flag or wait for the result of a flag

It's been like that for a while now. I find myself watching the NFL preseason games and holding my breath everytime a pass downfield is incomplete...then realize no flags are coming.

I believe the NFL is at an all-time high right now for penalties, averaging 12 a game. The CFL is averaging 23 per game. It's ridiculous.

And they call holding in the nfl, even when it isnt blatant and egregious

 

I feel like the NFL does good enough in the penalty department that they don't have to call every single thing as the game unfolds.  It sounds weird, but a GOOD official makes the calls that influence the game, not just every single foul that happens.  When a ref makes a call away from the play that would've had no bearing one way or another on the outcome of that particular play, I feel like they are doing a bad job.  Now, if it's a blatant chop block or a conduct-related penalty then they should absolutely throw a flag...but if you're calling a guy for holding on the left hashmark when a kick is being returned on the right side of the field you're probably being a little too strict.  

[voodoochylde]

The biggest thing for me is consistency. Every league misses / blows calls .. but the officiating in the CFL is so wildly inconsistent .. the level of unpredictability is what separates it from every other league.

[Onyenegecha]

It's worse this year because of expansion. The talent pool is temporarily diluted. We've got 24 starters who would've been backups last year and 46 guys who would've been unemployed. Same thing happened with the Renegades,

[SPuDS]

Penalties are related to expansion?? Uhhhhhhhhhh....

[Jacquie]

Anyone who says NBA officials are better than CFL officials doesn't follow the NBA at all. 

 

1) The League/BoG/Rules Committee instructs the officials how they want the rules interpreted. And how they want the rules interpreted doesn't always correspond with how fans interpret the rule book. Heck, I doubt the majority of fans have read even part of the rule book.

2) Players need to be more disciplined. I wish there was some type of breakdown on what type of penalties are being called more often. I wouldn't be surprised if objectionable conduct calls are one of the ones that are way up and if that's the case, then it's on the players, not the officials.

3) You could show the same play to a group of people and the chances of there being a consensus are pretty low. Someone is always going to complain about a call/non-call. 

4) Officials don't have the benefit of slow motion replay. I was just looking at that play from the ESF last season and PI may be obvious in slow motion but at game speed it's a lot more difficult to judge.  

[BomberFan]

Anyone who says NBA officials are better than CFL officials doesn't follow the NBA at all. 

 

1) The League/BoG/Rules Committee instructs the officials how they want the rules interpreted. And how they want the rules interpreted doesn't always correspond with how fans interpret the rule book. Heck, I doubt the majority of fans have read even part of the rule book.

2) Players need to be more disciplined. I wish there was some type of breakdown on what type of penalties are being called more often. I wouldn't be surprised if objectionable conduct calls are one of the ones that are way up and if that's the case, then it's on the players, not the officials.

3) You could show the same play to a group of people and the chances of there being a consensus are pretty low. Someone is always going to complain about a call/non-call. 

4) Officials don't have the benefit of slow motion replay. I was just looking at that play from the ESF last season and PI may be obvious in slow motion but at game speed it's a lot more difficult to judge.  

Nothing you've posted addresses the QUALITY of this years officiating. If you're satisfied with it, we have nothing more to discuss.

[BigBlue]

Egomaniac officiating where the reffing determines the outcome of a game on a very marginal call: about that we can in all practicality do absolutely nothing...

 

what has me on edge is if CFL  headquarters gives an officiating crew a wink and a nudge about who it would be better for if one team were to win over another ,.... I don't think it could be true but some games I absolutely wonder .... something about who signs the pay check .... I see corruption elsewhere all too often; I just can't believe it could happen in our League even if its an old boys club in part

[Jacquie]

 

Anyone who says NBA officials are better than CFL officials doesn't follow the NBA at all. 

 

1) The League/BoG/Rules Committee instructs the officials how they want the rules interpreted. And how they want the rules interpreted doesn't always correspond with how fans interpret the rule book. Heck, I doubt the majority of fans have read even part of the rule book.

2) Players need to be more disciplined. I wish there was some type of breakdown on what type of penalties are being called more often. I wouldn't be surprised if objectionable conduct calls are one of the ones that are way up and if that's the case, then it's on the players, not the officials.

3) You could show the same play to a group of people and the chances of there being a consensus are pretty low. Someone is always going to complain about a call/non-call. 

4) Officials don't have the benefit of slow motion replay. I was just looking at that play from the ESF last season and PI may be obvious in slow motion but at game speed it's a lot more difficult to judge.  

Nothing you've posted addresses the QUALITY of this years officiating. If you're satisfied with it, we have nothing more to discuss.

 

There's always room for improvement but that doesn't mean the officiating is as bad as you claim it is. And until you are objective about the officiating, we have nothing more to discuss.

[Onyenegecha]

Penalties are related to expansion?? Uhhhhhhhhhh....

 

Yes, more players required means less talented players spread out across more teams. Which means we get more obvious mismatches that teams try to exploit. In those situations, the mismatched player can do one of two things: let his man beat him clean or do something that warrants a penalty. More instances where this happens means more times players get busted for it. Which means more flags. See ANY league in ANY professional sport the year of expansion. Penalties and bad play always go up. Always. Good players are a finite resource. Adding another team in a league of 8 where there's already a shortage of quality Canadians and this is a short-term consequence that you get.

 

Or, you know, the refs are just assholes. Whatever floats your boat. Uhhhhhhhhhh...................

[SPuDS]

Penalties are related to expansion?? Uhhhhhhhhhh....

 

Yes, more players required means less talented players spread out across more teams. Which means we get more obvious mismatches that teams try to exploit. In those situations, the mismatched player can do one of two things: let his man beat him clean or do something that warrants a penalty. More instances where this happens means more times players get busted for it. Which means more flags. See ANY league in ANY professional sport the year of expansion. Penalties and bad play always go up. Always. Good players are a finite resource. Adding another team in a league of 8 where there's already a shortage of quality Canadians and this is a short-term consequence that you get.

 

Or, you know, the refs are just assholes. Whatever floats your boat. Uhhhhhhhhhh...................

No.. The refs are not assholes, they are simply ill trained and unable to do the job required of them.... It's been an eyesore for the league long before Ottawa came around again..