Under Further Review #2
The one play that I saw of officiating interest in the Giants - Miami game was the challenge by Coughlin regarding whether the Miami runner was down by contact. Although it is unclear exactly what part of the play was challenged by the Giants, it needs to be remembered that when a play is reviewed all reviewable aspects of the play are looked at. In this instance (I believe), the ruling was that the Miami player had fumbled the ball but was then down by contact after having recovered it. As such, the Giants challenge was wrong and they were charged a time out. Had the Giants recovered the ball, it would have been their ball after the challenge with no timeout charged. Also worth noting is that Flowers is lining up well into the backfield on numerous pass plays and may be flagged for this failure in the future. Also, from what could be seen on TV, it appeared to me that the block by Williams that put a Miami player out of the game should have been called illegal (despite the comment by Gerry Austin). However, it was never shown from a different angle (typical of ESPN) so it was impossible to determine the legality with any certainty.
Often I hear or see complaints from "bloggers" about the number and length of conferences among officials on the field during a game. However, football is a complex game and many plays have multiple parts to them necessitating such discussions.
On many situations involving penalty flags, the Referee has little idea of what transpired until he talks to the covering official(s) as he was focused on the QB during the play. An excellent example is one or more fouls on a long pass play. Arriving downfield after such a play, the Referee will typically need to know (and will ask for) the following from the covering official(s):
What is the flag for (i.e., holding, illegal contact, DPI. face mask, etc.)
What was the status of the ball when the foul occurred?
Was the pass complete or incomplete?
Did anyone else see anything different?
Was the receiver eligible?
Was the pass catchable?
Was the QB in the pocket at the time that the foul was incurred?
Where did the foul occur? (What yard line? Inside or outside of hash marks?)
What was the time on and the status of the clock?
Input on these questions may come from multiple officials. Then he has to instruct the Umpire where to place the ball before giving his announcement to the crowd. Digesting and processing this information takes time especially when there might be divergent opinions among the crew members. As a result, the conduct of such conferences is really an example of good officiating and not of any problems or weakness on the part of the crew.
Conferences will also often occur between officials on the sideline when a toe-tapping catch is made. This is because the closer official typically watches whether the ball is caught while the official further away focuses on the receivers feet. The need for such a mechanic is that it is virtually humanly impossible for a single official to span the 8-10 feet with his eyes simultaneously to see all aspects of the play in real time.
As an example of the complexity of a play with multiple opportunities for fouls by one or both teams, the following play that occurred late last season is provided as an example (and as a rules quiz):
Second and 10 at the opponents 40 yard line. Offensive team QB A11 throws a long pass that is intercepted by defensive player B23 on the 3 yard line. His momentum carries him into the end zone where he attempts to run out but he is grabbed by the face mask by A50 and fumbles the ball. The ball rolls out of the end zone into the field of play where it is recovered by A88 at the 6 yard line. However, A88's foot is touching the sideline when he first touches the ball. A17 was illegally in motion at the start of the play. Where will the ball next be put in play and by which team? [Answer to be provided next week. Feel free to PM me with your guess.]
One of the plays receiving special attention from the officials this year is the offensive pick play. Typically it involves an inside receiver (covered by the wing official) making contact with a DB allowing the outside receiver (covered by the SJ or FJ) to get free. As a result, there have been many more OPI calls than there have been in the past. However, not all "picks" can be called as it requires the official to read the intent of the initiating player, not just the fact that there is contact. This is an especially difficult call to make when the DB steps up to jam the receiver and as a result initiates the contact that results in picking off his team mate. Unfortunately, there was a (non) call on a play of great significance towards the end of the Eagles - Bills game that certainly looked like a illegal pick from the views shown on TV. I am sure that the play will receive significant attention and comments during this week.
Similarly, there has been a rise in the number of calls for blockers making contact downfield on wide screen passes before the ball is caught. Although NFL rules (Rule 8-5-4) indicate that the blocks cannot occur more than 1 yard downfield before any pass (i.e., behind or beyond the LOS) is caught, typically some leeway was given on such plays. This year the officials are tightening up on such calls although like the pick play this is a difficult call and not all fouls are being called. [It is noted that the NCAA rule is a little different in that the restriction only applies on passes that cross the LOS.]
During the Bengals - Steelers game, Referee John Parry could be seen escorting two players off the field due to possible health concerns. Officials have been directed to do so by the NFL office when they see a player who appears to be hurting. Expect to see more such actions taken by the officials no matter the game situation and/or players involved. Once the concussion protocol begins, it can be expected that the involved player will miss, as a minimum, at least 4- 8 plays and more if he is escorted into the locker room for further testing.