National officiating for NCAA football referees?

[BB73]

Earlier this year, I realized that this would be a good idea. Enough has happened that the perception of conference refs giving 'home cooking' to the conference powers to potentially damage the sport. It's good to hear that somebody that might be in a position to get this to happen is making that effort.

SI.com

Nationalizing officiating would lessen errors, conspiracy theories

This has been a tough season for the men in striped shirts.

Games featuring SEC, Pac-10 and Big Ten contenders have produced highly publicized blown calls, and in turn ample fodder for every conspiracy theorist with a blog, press pass, Twitter account or access to a message board.

David Parry has seen the other side of those calls. Now the national coordinator for College Football Officiating (CFO), Parry spent 19 years as a ref in the Big Ten. He recalls sitting in the locker room with his crew after games, fellow refs close to tears over a blown call. He remembers phone calls days later, colleagues unable to sleep knowing their misjudgment had altered the course of a game, and maybe a season.

"That's what they remember and that's what haunts them," Parry said. "That's kind of the irony of football officiating, or all officiating: you're remembered pretty much by your mistakes, not the ones that you get right. Unfortunately, that's kind of the world we live in."

This season, several bad calls in close, high-profile games have put the spotlight squarely on officials. But as Parry knows, the bad calls are only part of the problem, and the punishments for those calls -- be it the SEC suspending the Arkansas-Florida crew, or announcing it would fine or suspend coaches who criticized officials -- are only bandages.

The real answer may lie in nationalizing and standardizing college football officiating.

Human error will always be a part of the game, but Parry and CFO are attempting to introduce a national governing body that would level the field.

"It would take the label off the back of the officials," Parry said. "So therefore [no one] would say 'This is an SEC crew and we'd bombard the SEC with our complaints.' It would give more neutrality instead of saying they belong to a particular conference and officiate a certain way or have a certain agenda."

Parry is working with the commissioners from each of the FBS conferences, two FCS conferences and NCAA executives to develop national standards for interpretation and officiating mechanics and to change how officials are matched, assigned to games and evaluated.

Currently, individual conferences govern and assign officials to games; that's why, two weeks after the LSU-Georgia controversy, the same crew created further headaches in the Arkansas-Florida game. Eventually, the crew's work came back to haunt it, and it was suspended. Under the current system, each crew member receives a grade for accuracy, and those who score too low don't earn bowl assignments. But when the same crew makes headlines two out of three weeks, it's bad for the officials involved, the conference for college football.

Ultimately, Parry hopes to eliminate conference-specific crews, instead splitting the country into regional crews reporting to a regional supervisor. If such a system followed the current bowl assignment standards, it would reduce instances of the same officials working together on a crew, and the same crew working more than one game for a given team.

Cont'd ...

[bkochmc]

Would definitely be a good idea. Most other sports use a national association like USATF (USA Track & Field) or PAVO (Professional Association of Volleyball Officials) for that work. They already have the structure set up for certifying officials, holding clinics and rules interpretation meetings... no reason for the NCAA to have to reinvent the wheel as long as they are comfortable with and have good working relationships those associations. National associations for football (and basketball) would be a benefit to the sport and would keep the conspiracy theorists a little further at bay.

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by BB73

SI.com

To get slightly off-subject a bit, I want to say that I am absolutely amazed at how often the referees get the right call the first time. And not just football referees, but for all sports. Granted, I'm either sitting up in the cheap seats at the baseball game, C-deck at the football games, or sitting at home or in a bar watching a 2-dimensional display of the game. But I watch it live, and often think, "That was a terrible call!" Then I watch the replay, and think, "Wow - he was right." Maybe it's easier to call the play correctly being that close to the action. Maybe not.

But it's a shame that we, as fans, typically remember all the bad calls. A fifth-down play, an obviously wrong call on an on-sides kick, a whistle blown too soon, etc. It's a thankless job that the referees do, and they're mostly really good at it.

Back on subject, I like the idea of using a larger group for the referees. I don't have any reasons to add that haven't already been said, so...

END COMMUNICATION

[xcrunner]

Originally Posted by Zurp

To get slightly off-subject a bit, I want to say that I am absolutely amazed at how often the referees get the right call the first time. And not just football referees, but for all sports. Granted, I'm either sitting up in the cheap seats at the baseball game, C-deck at the football games, or sitting at home or in a bar watching a 2-dimensional display of the game. But I watch it live, and often think, "That was a terrible call!" Then I watch the replay, and think, "Wow - he was right." Maybe it's easier to call the play correctly being that close to the action. Maybe not.

But it's a shame that we, as fans, typically remember all the bad calls. A fifth-down play, an obviously wrong call on an on-sides kick, a whistle blown too soon, etc. It's a thankless job that the referees do, and they're mostly really good at it.

Back on subject, I like the idea of using a larger group for the referees. I don't have any reasons to add that haven't already been said, so...

END COMMUNICATION

Yeah I completely agree. I really am astounded at how good refs are sometimes. And in fact when they get a call wrong, I don't get that annoyed.

What [censored]es me the [censored] off is when the REPLAY BOOTH makes an obviously wrong call. How the hell does that happen? You're watching it in slow motion... Boggles the mind.

[jimotis4heisman]

who is going to pay to ship 50 some sets of officials around the country? with the clock folks, chain gangs, review and on-field stripes its a large crew. it doesnt seem real efficient (or cheap) to do that. does the big ten/sec/bcs conferences want to subsidize the full costs of big sky officials to bring them up to par? will the best officials bolt to the nfl? back to transporting these officials like hockey linesmen theyll like end up in geographical "pods" and create some sort of constructive alliance (similar to "conference bias")

i just dont see it working logistically, financially or realistically...

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

who is going to pay to ship 50 some sets of officials around the country? with the clock folks, chain gangs, review and on-field stripes its a large crew. it doesnt seem real efficient (or cheap) to do that. does the big ten/sec/bcs conferences want to subsidize the full costs of big sky officials to bring them up to par? will the best officials bolt to the nfl? back to transporting these officials like hockey linesmen theyll like end up in geographical "pods" and create some sort of constructive alliance (similar to "conference bias")

i just dont see it working logistically, financially or realistically...

I've thought about this, too. But why is this different from the NFL?

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by xcrunner

Yeah I completely agree. I really am astounded at how good refs are sometimes. And in fact when they get a call wrong, I don't get that annoyed.

What [censored]es me the [censored] off is when the REPLAY BOOTH makes an obviously wrong call. How the hell does that happen? You're watching it in slow motion... Boggles the mind.

can they watch it in slow motion?
http://www.oficiales.org/A_2009/ncaa...ule%20Book.pdf

hate to say it but even the best systems, one with one ice officials at the venue replay and centralized "war room" is a boondoggle...

YouTube - NHL War Room

for downsfalls...see here
Room with a review | BlueJacketsXtra

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by Zurp

I've thought about this, too. But why is this different from the NFL?

what 15 or so games a week versus 50 or more? kind of a big deal.

nfl teams are in towns like new york, dallas, atl. college teams state college, iowa city, boone nc, etc.

then do you have to do it for all the divisions (subdivisions)?

[buckeyesin07]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

who is going to pay to ship 50 some sets of officials around the country? with the clock folks, chain gangs, review and on-field stripes its a large crew. it doesnt seem real efficient (or cheap) to do that. does the big ten/sec/bcs conferences want to subsidize the full costs of big sky officials to bring them up to par? will the best officials bolt to the nfl? back to transporting these officials like hockey linesmen theyll like end up in geographical "pods" and create some sort of constructive alliance (similar to "conference bias")

i just dont see it working logistically, financially or realistically...

Then how about this idea: only the replay official is a national official.

[BB73]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

who is going to pay to ship 50 some sets of officials around the country? with the clock folks, chain gangs, review and on-field stripes its a large crew. it doesnt seem real efficient (or cheap) to do that. does the big ten/sec/bcs conferences want to subsidize the full costs of big sky officials to bring them up to par? will the best officials bolt to the nfl? back to transporting these officials like hockey linesmen theyll like end up in geographical "pods" and create some sort of constructive alliance (similar to "conference bias")

i just dont see it working logistically, financially or realistically...

The travel costs are obviously a factor, but this was stated in the article.

Ultimately, Parry hopes to eliminate conference-specific crews, instead splitting the country into regional crews reporting to a regional supervisor.

[bkochmc]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

who is going to pay to ship 50 some sets of officials around the country? with the clock folks, chain gangs, review and on-field stripes its a large crew. it doesnt seem real efficient (or cheap) to do that. does the big ten/sec/bcs conferences want to subsidize the full costs of big sky officials to bring them up to par? will the best officials bolt to the nfl? back to transporting these officials like hockey linesmen theyll like end up in geographical "pods" and create some sort of constructive alliance (similar to "conference bias")

i just dont see it working logistically, financially or realistically...

Who pays for the officials to get to their assignments right now? I know MAC officials are on their own dime... they might get a hotel room from the host institution but that's about it outside of their stipend. Same thing applies for USATF officials... they are lucky to get a hotel room paid for. Many officials do it because they love the sport, not because it makes them a bunch of money (Ed Hightower does not apply).

As BB73 points out, officials are already regional and would stay regional... it is doubtful many officials would leave their region except for bowl games. The main point would be to bring the officiating instruction and interpretation under one umbrella and not many individual ones.

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by BB73

The travel costs are obviously a factor, but this was stated in the article.

doesnt that create the same sort of alliance bias, especially in big cross country games...

Originally Posted by bkochmc

Who pays for the officials to get to their assignments right now? I know MAC officials are on their own dime... they might get a hotel room from the host institution but that's about it outside of their stipend. Same thing applies for USATF officials... they are lucky to get a hotel room paid for. Many officials do it because they love the sport, not because it makes them a bunch of money (Ed Hightower does not apply).

As BB73 points out, officials are already regional and would stay regional... it is doubtful many officials would leave their region except for bowl games. The main point would be to bring the officiating instruction and interpretation under one umbrella and not many individual ones.

the stipen likely accounts for that, no? i dont know what it is mac..

so one guy over 60 some crews? they likely still have to be eval/managed by a groups, likely in similar size to conferences.

one thing is technology. 20 years ago you couldnt see half these bad calls on tv, heck 10 years ago you saw few replays, 20 years ago you only the "big plays" and at that they were in bad quality, you couldnt tell 1 inch from 1 yard on your 25 inch tv (a good size tv for 15 years ago) in crappy definition, with no dvr, only they even crappier/grainier vcr, if you taped the game. go back further than that, tv were smaller, replays were fewer, resolution was worse. toss in the tv scoreboards installed in stadiums in the past 10 years.

you cant overcome crappy officiating, only hope to minimize it.

[Taosman]

Has Replay helped......at all? It was supposed to "fix" all the errors.
I'm not seeing it. Just ask Indiana.

[BB73]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

doesnt that create the same sort of alliance bias, especially in big cross country games...


you cant overcome crappy officiating, only hope to minimize it.

I think having regional refs not allied with conferences would reduce the appearance of (and maybe actual) conflicts of interest in games; since the refs wouldn't be employees of the conference that stands to benefit from having its marquee team win.

I agree with your last line, and think that eliminating conference affiliations of the refs would help to minimize it.

[Taosman]

College football refs are amateurs. They get "paid" like the refs they are.( Pac Ten refs get about $1000 a game ) As long as the NCAA and conferences aren't willing to pay for better refs, we are stuck with incompetence.