Do the referees in the NFL have eyes?!?!

Welcome back everyone!  Today we will be talking about the replacement referees in the National Football League.  Yes, its a sore subject to many, but we as fans have to deal with the officiating.  After all, how can you officiate a sports game without some sort of hierarchy.

It has been known that the replacement referees have blown a few calls ever since taking over the job.  It's not their fault, why you might ask, its because look where they came from.  These referees have not gone past Division III college football before this season started.  Division III college football includes teams like Salisbury, Albright, Mississippi College and WPI.  Honestly, how many of the listed Universities/colleges do you recognize?  I know Salisbury because a friend of mine played softball for that school, other than that, I never heard of these schools.

You have to remember that college football and professional football have different rules of playing:

1. What's considered a catch.  In college football all you need in bounds for a catch to be considered is one foot.  In pro football, you need to have both feet in bounds, or its considered an incomplete pass.
2. Time management.  Time is essential in any sport or anything for that matter.  In college football, after every first down is made, the clock is stopped until the ball is placed where it needs to be.  This allows the offense to think of a new play longer than on any other plays.  In the pros, the clock keeps on running; the only time the clock stops is when there is a timeout, an injury or an incomplete pass thrown the previous play.  This shows that college football is more lackadaisical than pro football.
3. Pass interference.  In college, if there is a pass interference call on the field, the penalty would be 15 yards from the previous spot of the ball.  In the NFL, the ball is placed where the penalty occurred.  That means that if a team is on their own 20-yard line and a pass interference happened at the offenses 45-yard line, the new line of scrimmage will be at the 45-yard line.
4. Instant Replay.  College, all plays are reviewed by a replay official who sits in a booth far from the field.  The official sits in a booth away from the field.  In the NFL, only scoring plays and disputable plays after the two-minute warning can be seen on the instant replay.  Coaches in both college and the NFL can challenge plays that they do not agree with.
5. Two-minute warning.  In college, there is no two-minute warning like there is in professional football.
6. Goal post width.  Very key.  In college the goal post is 23'4" wide.  Whereas in the NFL, the goal post is 18'6" wide.

Why did I mention the differences in rules?  It's because this past weekend starting September 20, the replacement referees made some big errors, that cost the game for teams.  The football season is still young, but now is when good teams play each other, and when games like these help or hurt a team that is trying to make the playoffs later in the season.  One game can destroy your chances of going to the playoffs and becoming a Super Bowl Champion.

Lets take the New England Patriots v. the Baltimore Ravens.  The game was played this past Sunday, September 23.  Throughout the game, both teams were evenly matched.  When one team scored, the other team responded.  It was a fun game to watch, you didn't know who would win.  It was not until the last play of the game, when rookie Justin Tucker was asked to kick the game-winning field goal.  Tucker kicked a 27-yard field goal good as time was expiring to put the Ravens ahead of the Patriots.  That wasn't the bad thing, it was how close Tucker's kick came to being no good.  You see, Tucker kicked the football and it sailed over the top of the goal post right in the middle.  The Patriots thought that it was no good because it was a sure thing that the kick would have been good.  After the game, Patriots coach, Bill Belichick argued with the referees and grabbed one of their shirts, to try and intimidate them.  Because of his acts, Belichick has been fined by the NFL $50,000.  Below is a clip of Belichick showing unsportsman like conduct.

One that the referees had to think about and look over closely a lot was in the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks, Monday night.  The Packers did not play great in the game, but were leading 12-7 with two seconds left in the game.  Seattle had the ball and were looking to score a touchdown to win the game.  Another rookie, Russell Wilson was the quarterback, threw a Hail Mary to Wide Receiver Golden Tate in the end zone.  Tate pushed a defender in the end zone and caught the ball with one hand.  However, the defender caught the ball as well.  Both had possession of the ball and referees gave the touchdown to Seattle.  That is the problem.  In the rule books, it says that if there is a pass interference on the offense as time was expiring (which there was), the game would be over.  Did the referees see the blatant pass interference?  Apparently not.    The Packers should have won 12-7, but instead they lost 14-12.   In the rule book, it says IF there is a simultaneous catch between an offensive player and a defender the catch is awarded to the offensive player.  Maybe because the referees did not see the pass interference, that's their reason for calling it a touchdown.

Below is a video of the play in which you can see that Tate pushed the defender and grabbed the ball from the defenders hands.

What's your take?  Do you think the first video was good?  Do you think that in the second video it was a touchdown?  Let me hear your thoughts.

Next blog will be surprising as always.  You won't find out unless you come back.  I will not give any hints.  Until then!

Sporty Nikki