Should the NFL start firing referees who make bad calls?

[Saxum]

I think before they start firing referees they need to correct the rule book with serious look at what is able to be realistically ruled on - if a rule can be interpreted multiple ways in needs to be clarified in rules and a test setup to test referees knowledge of that rulebook.

 

Next increase suspensions / fines for intentional attempts to injury (Suh's stomping, Gronks elbow to head, etc).

 

NFL needs to spend money on additionally technology not depending on broadcast teams whose camera coverage varies and have an additional referee each game which will look at film and be input to zebras but not be able to make calls. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

32 minutes ago, Utah John said:

I think the NFL already does have a system to grade referees, and they quietly demote people from being the crew chief to other positions, or let them go.  Watch a tape of a game from 10 or 15 years ago.  You'll remember that you used to see certain refs all the time.  You don't see them anymore but you don't think about particular people being there or not being there.  Some of them have let their own personalities intrude.  I don't think anyone would miss Ed Hoculi if he was dismissed.  Walt Coleman, who has screwed the Bills on so many occasions, is often one of the highest graded refs.

 

I wonder though if the grading includes failing to make calls when penalties do occur.  I've seen Shady's helmet almost twisted off by a blatant facemask grab, and no penalty called.  Missed calls happens a lot.  The ref who called an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Von Miller for pulling his hand away from Tyrod Taylor, helping the Bills win a game back when the Broncos were still a team to be feared, should be fired.  But actually I think he was doing the second Bills-Pats game.  And how many times is offensive holding NOT called, and then they get a guy for a ticky tack push.  It's inconsistent and unreliable, and it's ruining the game.

 

 

I've heard/read the same.  Each year roughly 10% of NFL officials are "re-assigned" or let go.  But as someone else pointed out, you better have a better option for replacing him with, else you've made a bad situation worse.

[CommonCents]

Castrate Coleman and Hochuli, the rest of them will smarten up.

[DC Tom]

No...because 1) firing guys for "making bad calls" will encourage them to make no calls at all.  Unless you intend to fire them for missed calls as well, in which case 2) you're going to fire everyone every week.  There are at least dozens (probably into hundreds, I'd think) of interactions between players, field, ball, and clock that have to be monitored real-time on every play.  They are always going to miss something - no one is ever going to call a perfect game, and putting that expectation on them is unrealistic and counterproductive.

[NoSaint]

22 minutes ago, DC Tom said:

No...because 1) firing guys for "making bad calls" will encourage them to make no calls at all.  Unless you intend to fire them for missed calls as well, in which case 2) you're going to fire everyone every week.  There are at least dozens (probably into hundreds, I'd think) of interactions between players, field, ball, and clock that have to be monitored real-time on every play.  They are always going to miss something - no one is ever going to call a perfect game, and putting that expectation on them is unrealistic and counterproductive.

 

Bingo.

 

which clearly ends up meaning that sooner rather than later you are going to burn through the talent in the pool and be stuck with any joe. Acting like it’s impossible to be any worse is dramatic and attention seeking. That’s not to say it’s perfect but it’s not near as bad as some portray 

[Wily Dog]

i think you have system favoring certain teams by the NFL whereby the officials ,on the field, knowing who the favored teams are and will strive to call the game accordingly. You can not tell me that the Patriots don't hold on occasion and when do you see a holding call on them in a crucial situation. The Cowboys are /were a favored team up until Jones tangled with Kraft, Goodell, and Blank. The probability of all of the calls on the replays in the Jets. Steelers, Bill's and the Cooks replay  being decided in favor of the Patriots is probably off the charts but that is what happened.

[PromoTheRobot]

3 hours ago, RyanC883 said:

the real issue is with the instant replay official in NY this year.  He should be gone.  

 

The league should be concerned when a replay official consistently rules in favor of just one franchise. 

[LABILLBACKER]

The catch rule is outrageous 

Refs are too f...ing old

Refs should come from a non NFL affiliated group

Eventually Robots will take over

[Wily Dog]

8 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

The catch rule is outrageous 

Refs are too f...ing old

Refs should come from a non NFL affiliated group

Eventually Robots will take over

The Robots have to be programmed and they could be programmed the same way the officials are programmed now. . DON'T CALL ANYTHING ON THE PATRIOTS       sarcasm

[Dadonkadonk]

LOL.  Zay Jones has dropped more passes than he has caught and he doesn't get fired.

The refs should be evaluated just like any other NFL employee.  They have a union and union rights.  They should be demoted or removed from game action if they are consistently bad.  Just as the good ones are rewarded with playoff and SB games

[first_and_ten]

4 hours ago, JMF2006 said:

In our game the on field officials got it right.

 

The all TD's are reviewed brigade got the Bills.

 I don't agree. That pass interference call was wrong

4 hours ago, JMF2006 said:

In our game the on field officials got it right.

 

The all TD's are reviewed brigade got the Bills.

 I don't agree. That pass interference call was wrong

 

Which brings me to another point. Pass interference calls should probably also be reviewed. Sometimes these calls are game changers. Many are costing teams 40,50 or even more yards. Or go to the college rules and make them 15 yard penalties. Fifty yard penalties on balls that are , many times, thrown up for grabs is not right.

[BobbyC81]

5 hours ago, Rick B said:

Rather than just firing the ref, I think a system like what's used in many work places. A graduated system starting with reprimands and ending with terminations.

 

Yes, there has to be some punishment.  For those that my not have heard, there was a recent incident in a Golden State Warriors  game involving Sean Livingston and an NBA referee where Livingston was questioning a call and the ref moved towards him and they bumped heads.  Livingston was tossed from the game and received a one game suspension.  I was surprised to hear, though, that the ref was reprimanded with being taken out of the referee rotation for a week.  Way to go Adam Silver, or whoever decides on the NBA punishments.  

 

I wish they they would do something like that with NFL refs, although since most are still only part time employees could it really be effective?

 

Since I'm on a roll, Major League Baseball also should get their umpires in line.  It may not happen as much as in the old days with managers like Billy Martin and Earl Weaver, but many times the umps prolong confrontations by becoming more involved instead of turning around or walking away.  I guess those arguments could be seen as part of the entertainment but I never hear anything about an ump getting reprimanded for anything.  In fact remember when Sandy Alderson moved from the Oakland A's to the MLB offices, he set out to make umpires follow the rule book in calling balls and strikes.  I remember one senior ump was quoted as saying "Nobody's gonna tell me how to call balls and strikes!".   At the time I thought "Really, you work for him, idiot!"   Those of us that still watch baseball recognize that pitchers and batters still have to adjust to the home plate umpire for each game based on how he calls strikes which I think is ridiculous.  Yes,  some NFL ref crews may call more penalties than others but they aren't allowed to make their own interpretations of the riles.

[westerndecline]

Referees much like police officers most of the time are victims of implementing a rule.. it's not necessarily personal but it becomes personal because the rule is so f***** up or doesn't make sense

Edited December 27, 2017 by westerndecline

[Klaista2k]

6 hours ago, DC Tom said:

No...because 1) firing guys for "making bad calls" will encourage them to make no calls at all.  Unless you intend to fire them for missed calls as well, in which case 2) you're going to fire everyone every week.  There are at least dozens (probably into hundreds, I'd think) of interactions between players, field, ball, and clock that have to be monitored real-time on every play.  They are always going to miss something - no one is ever going to call a perfect game, and putting that expectation on them is unrealistic and counterproductive.

You are making this way too complicated.

 

I'm talking about when a play is challenged and the replay official still get's the call wrong. I'm not sure if the the ref on the field or someone from NY that makes the final call but if they screw it up they need to be held accountable.

 

Only way to fix this broken system IMO. 

[Mr. WEO]

How awesome is this thread?

[KD in CA]

17 hours ago, RyanC883 said:

the real issue is with the instant replay official in NY this year.  He It should be gone.  

 

Fixed

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

Throw the baby out with the bath water......the NFL has done that before. Just deal with the damn problems which are rules like the catch rule, like the guy in NY violating the rule of definitive evidence on reversals, like the PI rules, like the auto replay of all scoring plays in NY, like the fumbling over the pylon going to the defense, like the fact we are now reviewing 3 yard catches in the first quarter etc. etc. etc. Give us the damn game back as fans.

Edited December 27, 2017 by horned dogs

[Elite Poster]

Yes, but rich old men don't lose in this country

[mead107]

I am all for kicking them in the balls?

Edited December 27, 2017 by mead107

[LabattBlue]

22 hours ago, Klaista2k said:

There's no excuse for how bad some of these calls are getting in the NFL.

 

Is it time for the NFL to start firing refs who make these egregiously bad calls? 

 

I think it should go to an independent panel for review, and if its determined the the call is wrong the referee should be terminated.

 

I see this as the only solution to fixing this problem with the corrupt officiating.  

 

 

Easy to be a wannabe referee at home when you have the advantage of slo-mo replay from multiple different angles.  You think it is that easy to get every call right when on the field with players going at full speed and you have to make a split second judgement?

 

If you fired every referee that made a bad call, you'd run out of officials really fast.

 

It's called human error and it's a part of every sport, amateur and professional.

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by LabattBlue