All Things Zebras (Refs)

[ACamp1900]

I know that officiating can sometimes be bad or at least questionable, but a lot of what fans think is biased or bad is just them not understanding the rules, seeing what they want to see, or officials doing their best and simply missing something or just getting it wrong. There's still some bias and bad officiating, but not nearly as much as most fans think.

.... please stop....

 

[Bishop2b5]

.... please stop....

Sorry, it is what it is. Every week the fans of every losing team in the country cry about how the refs robbed their team. You look at the game as an unbiased outsider and it's just not there. A couple of bad or questionable calls for both sides (which generally even out) and that's it. Fans see what they want to see, only see the calls that don't go their way, and most of them don't have a clue about what the rule book actually says.

Go to ANY fan board after a loss (and I often do as it's funny and interesting) and there will ALWAYS be a full-on rant about how bad the refs were and all the biased calls, bought off refs, bad calls, etc. Refs aren't perfect and there are some biased calls and bad calls, but the vast majority of it is refs doing their best and fans making excuses.

 

[Irish YJ]

 

[DONTH8]

Sorry, it is what it is. Every week the fans of every losing team in the country cry about how the refs robbed their team. You look at the game as an unbiased outsider and it's just not there. A couple of bad or questionable calls for both sides (which generally even out) and that's it. Fans see what they want to see, only see the calls that don't go their way, and most of them don't have a clue about what the rule book actually says.

Go to ANY fan board after a loss (and I often do as it's funny and interesting) and there will ALWAYS be a full-on rant about how bad the refs were and all the biased calls, bought off refs, bad calls, etc. Refs aren't perfect and there are some biased calls and bad calls, but the vast majority of it is refs doing their best and fans making excuses.

Worked with an SEC ref back in the day. He told me he hated Tenn so bad that whenever he officiated a game they were involved in he would always call holding on them when they were backed up inside their own 20 yard line.

You're right, bad calls don't happen.

Honestly, I think we (college football fans as a whole) complain a lot more than necessary. My purpose in creating this thread was more the fact that I hate that refs are employed by conference, and don't understand that. Watch the ND/Stanford game last week and tell me those refs weren't trying to rob that game on a couple of spots. And there are always questionable things that go the way of the big boys because conferences want their good teams to succeed so they bring in more money. There are always questionable things that will happen.

Is it as prevalent as we try to make it seem? Probably not. However, one or two bad calls, correctly placed, can have a huge effect on a game. (See "Pick Play" against FSU where one of their players took off his helmet and should have been penalized but wasn't.) Did the refs screw us the whole game? No. But they screwed us on one play and that's all that matters.

 

[Bishop2b5]

From a fan of the most deliberate calls never in question.

If you wanna say we did get hosed in the first 15 minutes of the 2013 championship game I'll forgive ya.

If you're referencing the non-fumble on the punt, I absolutely thought the refs got it wrong when I saw the play. I sure thought it was a fumble and should've been ND's ball. The head of NCAA officiating came into the booth a couple of minutes later though and explained that according to the rule book, the refs got it right. I disagree with the rule, but that's irrelevant.

 

[Irish YJ]

If you're referencing the non-fumble on the punt, I absolutely thought the refs got it wrong when I saw the play. I sure thought it was a fumble and should've been ND's ball. The head of NCAA officiating came into the booth a couple of minutes later though and explained that according to the rule book, the refs got it right. I disagree with the rule, but that's irrelevant.

bag man
lol

 

[Bishop2b5]

You're right, bad calls don't happen.

Honestly, I think we (college football fans as a whole) complain a lot more than necessary. My purpose in creating this thread was more the fact that I hate that refs are employed by conference, and don't understand that. Watch the ND/Stanford game last week and tell me those refs weren't trying to rob that game on a couple of spots. And there are always questionable things that go the way of the big boys because conferences want their good teams to succeed so they bring in more money. There are always questionable things that will happen.

Is it as prevalent as we try to make it seem? Probably not. However, one or two bad calls, correctly placed, can have a huge effect on a game. (See "Pick Play" against FSU where one of their players took off his helmet and should have been penalized but wasn't.) Did the refs screw us the whole game? No. But they screwed us on one play and that's all that matters.

I agree with you that a couple of bad calls can change the outcome of a game and there's too much room for that happening. Replay has helped a lot, but hasn't solved the problem entirely. I wish the NCAA would run the officiating and hire all the officials instead of letting the conferences do it, more like what the NFL does. That wouldn't eliminate all bad officiating, but it would eliminate a lot of the biased officiating.

 

[Bishop2b5]

bag man
lol

TTT makes shit happen. He's as important to the team as Saban.

 

[Irish YJ]

TTT makes shit happen. He's as important to the team as Saban.

I keep trying to recruit him over to the good guys, but Saban has pics of him boofing.

 

[TheIrishAre#1]

I can't think of many times that a targeting call was reviewed and a player not under review was ejected.

 

[GowerND11]

I can't think of many times that a targeting call was reviewed and a player not under review was ejected.

They had the number wrong. It isn’t like they used the review to assess a new penalty they didn’t see until then.

 

[irishfanjho15]

I am college baseball umpire and I work back judge in football. I work some really good football in Indy. Trust me when I tell you, I know guys that work in major conferences all over the country in both football and baseball. I know guys that work in the NFL. It’s a tough job. The one thing I try to impart on everyone I know is that 99.9% of officials in the country have real jobs also. I go to officiating meetings (about 30 a year), pay to go to clinics, and study/review film. I have kids and a wife and work over forty hours a week in my real job. I work my ass off on the field and I still miss things. It happens. It doesn’t mean an official is biased, some guys just are not very good, some are way past their prime, others are just know it all assholes that do not want to get better nor do they work on their craft. The problem with officiating, especially at the top level of college athletics in basketball, football, and baseball, is that it’s not always the best officials a lot of times it’s about guys playing politics and kissing ass. Guys get entrenched with an assigner and get tabbed as “top officials” when in reality they are not very good. Couple that with a “I have arrived” attitude and a lack of commitment to working on the craft and you get shit officials.

Having said all that the line judge in last night’s game was atrocious. Bad spots, looked lazy, and was very nonchalant with his mechanics and signals. I just do not understand how these crews continue to ignore blatant holding at the point of attack week after week. And it’s not just in ND games.

 

[phgreek]

I am college baseball umpire and I work back judge in football. I work some really good football in Indy. Trust me when I tell you, I know guys that work in major conferences all over the country in both football and baseball. I know guys that work in the NFL. It’s a tough job. The one thing I try to impart on everyone I know is that 99.9% of officials in the country have real jobs also. I go to officiating meetings (about 30 a year), pay to go to clinics, and study/review film. I have kids and a wife and work over forty hours a week in my real job. I work my ass off on the field and I still miss things. It happens. It doesn’t mean an official is biased, some guys just are not very good, some are way past their prime, others are just know it all assholes that do not want to get better nor do they work on their craft. The problem with officiating, especially at the top level of college athletics in basketball, football, and baseball, is that it’s not always the best officials a lot of times it’s about guys playing politics and kissing ass. Guys get entrenched with an assigner and get tabbed as “top officials” when in reality they are not very good. Couple that with a “I have arrived” attitude and a lack of commitment to working on the craft and you get shit officials.

Having said all that the line judge in last night’s game was atrocious. Bad spots, looked lazy, and was very nonchalant with his mechanics and signals. I just do not understand how these crews continue to ignore blatant holding at the point of attack week after week. And it’s not just in ND games.

...as a coach over many years and many levels...just wanted to say thanks....sincerely.

I have my opinions about "crews" and conference officials in college football, and have expressed them...maybe unfairly at times (PAC12 and ACC refs have a long history of making my blood boil...)

In my own coaching, I see certain refs., and I know to re-inforce the idea that, if a blown call looses us the game...its our fault for letting it be that close...kids laugh, because they know too. Part of the game. Control what ya can.

Which brings me back around to your work ethic. It matters. Kids see it, we see it. It is valuable because it makes the game better when people approach it like you.

 

[TheIrishAre#1]

They had the number wrong. It isn’t like they used the review to assess a new penalty they didn’t see until then.

Yeah, I know the refs on the field just called the wrong number since both were involved on the play, and I do think it was the right call, but it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Circa]

It is official. Pac 12 officials are absolutely DRUNK. I'm watching UW- CU.
It's absolutely horrendous the calls that are being made for UW. Then they give the ball back to CU because it's too obvious their being biased.

There are some bratty ass kids out there on that Pacific coast too.