The reason for increased review is the documented frequency of not getting the call right on the field.
And they have no problem with initiating a review, sometimes for little if any reason, so actual serious issues such as happened with the end of first half can also be reviewed, and reset the ball and the clock, and get it right.
The problem isn't the reviews, its the 3 and sometimes 4 minute media timeouts when there is no game event that warrants such a lengthy delay. That is the price of the big media deals; you won't get agreement on capping media breaks at 2 minutes and still get as high a payment for games.
Good points all. I doubt that review is going away; would you as would I like to see a time limit on review? Something like the play remains as called if not overturned within the first 2 minutes once a review begins?
Better yet. How about the adopting the NFL rules and a limited number of times when a coach can challenge except for TDs and in the last 2 minutes of the half?
But, if it isn't 'clear + convincing' to overturn a call on the call on the field within 2 minutes shouldn't the play stand?
If further analysis by 'Monday Morning QBs' shows the play should have been reversed I chalk those rare occasions up to human error and 'the rub of the green' as we say in golf.
I do agree something around a 2 minute limit makes sense; if you can't figure it out in that time, go with the call. That said, some of the delay is not figuring out the call, its subsequently getting the spot, the down, the involved player's number, and the clock all right, and communicating it all. Which comes back to game management skills.
Yes the clock expired but officials let USC run a play. They threw a completion to the half yard line. I don’t understand then and don’t now why it’s a big deal. Yes the clock started at the wrong time but USC got it’s play off and didn’t score. There is no way that they could have gotten two plays off in those five seconds when one was a completed pass, so what’s the harm. It was an error without consequence.
You and the previous poster must have been watching a different game. First, the clock started and ended BEFORE USC hiked the ball. The refs blew their whistles and ended the half before USC ran that last play. Secondly, the ref HAD THE BALL IN HIS HANDS WHILE THE CLOCK RAN OUT! No clock operator should start running off time until the ref spots it. Thirdly, the refs told Lincoln Riley they screwed up. What more needs to be argued here?!? Worse yet, if they know they blew it, why didn't they review it? They folded, let AZ run off the field, and compounded their incompetence. Ridiculous. And you ask "What's the harm"? Really?
I came here to say what you said, and noticed that the two people who responded to you didn’t acknowledge your main point. Since the refs didn’t expect the clock to start, they let the play happen and it didn’t result in a touchdown. Half over. If the clock snafu had wiped a TD off the board, I’d also be livid. But Riley just wanted a redo on a failed play.
No they threw a ball after the clock expired and the half ended, there was no actual play run. Nor were they given a reasonable chance to even setup TO run a play before the clock started, which is the letter of the rule and the issue.
Not only that, half the team on both sides clearly were expecting a stopage, they all just stood up and looked around because neither was set.
They didnt actually snap the ball before time expired, they couldn't s the ref was still holding the ball. Thats the point. The ref made the line shift while respotting the ball and held it while time expired. It did not allow them to run a play, which the qb was trying to point out. The center snapped the ball anyway and half the line on both sides was standing up not knowing what the hell was happening since time expired with the ball still not in play.
Referee Michael Mothershed — one of the Pac-12’s best officials — should have called the teams back, re-spotted the ball, and put a few seconds back on the clock. Instead, he waved off the first half and announced “That’s the end of the half.”
Hoo boy, "best" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
The clock starts when the chains are set not the ball spotted and that’s when the umpire said go on clock signal. Just because the announcers made it out to be an error doesn’t make it one. The ball spot was late but the chains were set. The lineman and receivers were also moving when ball was snapped..a penalty and clock run off.
Your assessment is incorrect. You can clearly see that the clock is at 00 when the chain (down marker) is set. That is the entire issue right there. The clock was started before the chains were set. It was an error of the timekeeper. Not sure if the officials have the ability (according to the NCAA rulebook) to fix that at the end of the half, but seems like they should.
A common problem is the umpire of the center judge holding up the team from running a play even though they are ready, short-changing them of time. At the end of a half, its increasingly critical (and the end of the first half is just as critical as the end of the game, it can alter both the score and the strategy or the second half). Compounding the problem, officials not ready have in too many cases called the offense for a phantom false start/illegal procedure because they aren't in position. These are all poor game management practices. If there is a need to hold up proceedings, and there can be, stop the clock, and start it again on the snap.
Let’s be honest… the horrible officiating in the PAC is nothing new… there’s officiating crews that you know in advance are going to be horrible…and while there’s always going to be a level of human error (isn’t that why they’ve instituted instant replay) it shouldn’t be as obvious as it is every week…the end of the half debacle at USC-Arizona was inexcusable…it wasn’t a judgement call…it was gross incompetence…the entire crew should be suspended indefinitely…
Your photographer posted a picture of Bo in the pocket, about to throw downfield in the Cal game. There was no one else in the frame at all. It looked like he was standing on the field before the game. He has been truly awesome this year, but that O-line...They deserve a column JC!
Two comments: 1) Thanks for the history lesson on Dillingham. Clearly, the man know his stuff and he’s going to be a BIG name nationally soon. A State should make the move ASAP and give him a bunch of money (the only negative is the Duck Homer will have to deal with facing him :-/)
2) As a Bruin fan, I think your prediction Vs
$c sucks… yes, their offense is very good, but they ain’t no Ducks on D. Bruins will take em out and play Oregon for the PAC-12 title. You heard it here first, fellas!
Sorry Canzano but your statement that Mothershed is one of the best in the conference is just laughable. He and his crew are probably the worst in the conference. I’d bet that if you took a poll on this you’d find your opinion in a very small minority.
All I can say is that “one of the best” wouldn’t have made such a mess of it. I know mistakes are made but that one was too obvious. Booth should have figured it out before the crew on the field let the teams leave.
I know this isn't a PAC 12 note either...but PSU beat Eastern Washington in Cheney. Not a word about this in The Oregonian or anywhere else in the Portland area. What's up with that? I think I know the answer but let's hear it.
Back to the football !! Love this article! Utah was impressive considering my UTES have not won in Pullman in years! Thanks for the Utah love. Also. As a high school football coach I had the opportunity to be hosted by the Utah football team to attend summer practices and get an inside look at the team. That culture is impressive. The coach you rarely hear about is Jim Harding. He is the assistant head coach and offensive line coach. He is a leader and a man of integrity and tremendous football knowledge.
Sports and officiating are not a sciences. I think the world would be better off with the elimination of reviews in any sport. Let the chips fall where they may, some are correct, some incorrect. Complaining about officials is part of sport.
You state Fri nights game is "huge" for Ore State. Later you mention Oregon has two "opportunities" left on their schedule (I guess) to erase the 46 point crushing. I am curious, did Washington also leave the Pac? You managed to cover that without even mentioning the UW program in any way. Hard for me to believe that doesn't mean something. Its OK that you are all Oegon/Ore State, LA schools and Bo Nix all the time. We get that. But a little token balnce in your touching on the conference would add the the content.
Not sure a win over now-unranked Washington is going to measure with the committee like beating No. 12 Utah or winning at Reser Stadium against an OSU team that could be an 8-9 win team. But I'll give you this... Washington's offense is lethal.
- latest “official” official debacle; USC brings out the best of our PAC12 refs, but it’s getting old
- Portland State; Stellar performance with no acknowledgement…
- Beavers; got a crew of Beaver fans coming over Friday for the Husky game, including a grandson and a son-in-law. It’s a shame to make family cry…
- Oregon; Bo and company are getting better every week. Looking forward to traveling to Eugene Saturday to give the Ducks their first conference loss 😎
Football is a human game and humans make errors. I personally do not like the pursuit of perfection. Improvement? Yes.
I would be happy to hear less "The previous play is under review". Go with the call on the field more often then not. and centralize all officials.
1. Officiating should be the responsibility of the NCAA. NOT conferences.
2. The ruling on the field needs to hold more weight
A VERY short list of "official" reviews
-Targeting
-Clock management
3. Each Coach can request the review of ANY play/call 1 time per quarter.
That's it! Nothing more from the "booth"
I know everyone is going to hate this idea, but I think these simple changes would improve the on-field performance of the officials.
I am good with human error. But want it tightened up. The training, the leadership need work.
The reason for increased review is the documented frequency of not getting the call right on the field.
And they have no problem with initiating a review, sometimes for little if any reason, so actual serious issues such as happened with the end of first half can also be reviewed, and reset the ball and the clock, and get it right.
Yet, a significant percentage of calls on the field are not overturned.
For TD reviews, going over same for more than 2 minutes would be OK with me.
Attendance is down in CFB and 1 reason is the length of the games; especially, when compared to NFL games.
The problem isn't the reviews, its the 3 and sometimes 4 minute media timeouts when there is no game event that warrants such a lengthy delay. That is the price of the big media deals; you won't get agreement on capping media breaks at 2 minutes and still get as high a payment for games.
Good points all. I doubt that review is going away; would you as would I like to see a time limit on review? Something like the play remains as called if not overturned within the first 2 minutes once a review begins?
I can see how that could help. But to me, 2 minutes seems like too much time. I'm gonna have to start timing reviews. So, thanks for that!
Interesting how your excellent varies with AndyPanda's response.
Better yet. How about the adopting the NFL rules and a limited number of times when a coach can challenge except for TDs and in the last 2 minutes of the half?
Because that's an open license for uncorrected mistakes once the reviews are exhausted.
Hogwash! Centralized, see NCAA managed, officiating would minimize that.
The replay hurts more than it helps College ball. That is truth nobody likes to admit.
But, if it isn't 'clear + convincing' to overturn a call on the call on the field within 2 minutes shouldn't the play stand?
If further analysis by 'Monday Morning QBs' shows the play should have been reversed I chalk those rare occasions up to human error and 'the rub of the green' as we say in golf.
I do agree something around a 2 minute limit makes sense; if you can't figure it out in that time, go with the call. That said, some of the delay is not figuring out the call, its subsequently getting the spot, the down, the involved player's number, and the clock all right, and communicating it all. Which comes back to game management skills.
Yes the clock expired but officials let USC run a play. They threw a completion to the half yard line. I don’t understand then and don’t now why it’s a big deal. Yes the clock started at the wrong time but USC got it’s play off and didn’t score. There is no way that they could have gotten two plays off in those five seconds when one was a completed pass, so what’s the harm. It was an error without consequence.
The final play of the first half was the 34-yard pass, per the official book. They never ran a play. Waved off.
You and the previous poster must have been watching a different game. First, the clock started and ended BEFORE USC hiked the ball. The refs blew their whistles and ended the half before USC ran that last play. Secondly, the ref HAD THE BALL IN HIS HANDS WHILE THE CLOCK RAN OUT! No clock operator should start running off time until the ref spots it. Thirdly, the refs told Lincoln Riley they screwed up. What more needs to be argued here?!? Worse yet, if they know they blew it, why didn't they review it? They folded, let AZ run off the field, and compounded their incompetence. Ridiculous. And you ask "What's the harm"? Really?
I came here to say what you said, and noticed that the two people who responded to you didn’t acknowledge your main point. Since the refs didn’t expect the clock to start, they let the play happen and it didn’t result in a touchdown. Half over. If the clock snafu had wiped a TD off the board, I’d also be livid. But Riley just wanted a redo on a failed play.
No they threw a ball after the clock expired and the half ended, there was no actual play run. Nor were they given a reasonable chance to even setup TO run a play before the clock started, which is the letter of the rule and the issue.
Not only that, half the team on both sides clearly were expecting a stopage, they all just stood up and looked around because neither was set.
They didnt actually snap the ball before time expired, they couldn't s the ref was still holding the ball. Thats the point. The ref made the line shift while respotting the ball and held it while time expired. It did not allow them to run a play, which the qb was trying to point out. The center snapped the ball anyway and half the line on both sides was standing up not knowing what the hell was happening since time expired with the ball still not in play.
Referee Michael Mothershed — one of the Pac-12’s best officials — should have called the teams back, re-spotted the ball, and put a few seconds back on the clock. Instead, he waved off the first half and announced “That’s the end of the half.”
Hoo boy, "best" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
The clock starts when the chains are set not the ball spotted and that’s when the umpire said go on clock signal. Just because the announcers made it out to be an error doesn’t make it one. The ball spot was late but the chains were set. The lineman and receivers were also moving when ball was snapped..a penalty and clock run off.
Your assessment is incorrect. You can clearly see that the clock is at 00 when the chain (down marker) is set. That is the entire issue right there. The clock was started before the chains were set. It was an error of the timekeeper. Not sure if the officials have the ability (according to the NCAA rulebook) to fix that at the end of the half, but seems like they should.
A common problem is the umpire of the center judge holding up the team from running a play even though they are ready, short-changing them of time. At the end of a half, its increasingly critical (and the end of the first half is just as critical as the end of the game, it can alter both the score and the strategy or the second half). Compounding the problem, officials not ready have in too many cases called the offense for a phantom false start/illegal procedure because they aren't in position. These are all poor game management practices. If there is a need to hold up proceedings, and there can be, stop the clock, and start it again on the snap.
agreed, as soon as the spot of the ball was changed they should have stopped play and fixed the spot and the clock, then had it started on the snap.
Should have flagged offense too for not being set.
Let’s be honest… the horrible officiating in the PAC is nothing new… there’s officiating crews that you know in advance are going to be horrible…and while there’s always going to be a level of human error (isn’t that why they’ve instituted instant replay) it shouldn’t be as obvious as it is every week…the end of the half debacle at USC-Arizona was inexcusable…it wasn’t a judgement call…it was gross incompetence…the entire crew should be suspended indefinitely…
John,
Your photographer posted a picture of Bo in the pocket, about to throw downfield in the Cal game. There was no one else in the frame at all. It looked like he was standing on the field before the game. He has been truly awesome this year, but that O-line...They deserve a column JC!
The line has been amazing. Good point.
I would have sworn I saw Bo get sacked Saturday. But nothing on the stat sheet. Guess he made it back to the line of scrimmage.
Two comments: 1) Thanks for the history lesson on Dillingham. Clearly, the man know his stuff and he’s going to be a BIG name nationally soon. A State should make the move ASAP and give him a bunch of money (the only negative is the Duck Homer will have to deal with facing him :-/)
2) As a Bruin fan, I think your prediction Vs
$c sucks… yes, their offense is very good, but they ain’t no Ducks on D. Bruins will take em out and play Oregon for the PAC-12 title. You heard it here first, fellas!
Bruin Brian approves this comment.
Sorry Canzano but your statement that Mothershed is one of the best in the conference is just laughable. He and his crew are probably the worst in the conference. I’d bet that if you took a poll on this you’d find your opinion in a very small minority.
Can't speak for the crew. The coaches like him.
All I can say is that “one of the best” wouldn’t have made such a mess of it. I know mistakes are made but that one was too obvious. Booth should have figured it out before the crew on the field let the teams leave.
I know this isn't a PAC 12 note either...but PSU beat Eastern Washington in Cheney. Not a word about this in The Oregonian or anywhere else in the Portland area. What's up with that? I think I know the answer but let's hear it.
Back to the football !! Love this article! Utah was impressive considering my UTES have not won in Pullman in years! Thanks for the Utah love. Also. As a high school football coach I had the opportunity to be hosted by the Utah football team to attend summer practices and get an inside look at the team. That culture is impressive. The coach you rarely hear about is Jim Harding. He is the assistant head coach and offensive line coach. He is a leader and a man of integrity and tremendous football knowledge.
Sports and officiating are not a sciences. I think the world would be better off with the elimination of reviews in any sport. Let the chips fall where they may, some are correct, some incorrect. Complaining about officials is part of sport.
Yep!
You state Fri nights game is "huge" for Ore State. Later you mention Oregon has two "opportunities" left on their schedule (I guess) to erase the 46 point crushing. I am curious, did Washington also leave the Pac? You managed to cover that without even mentioning the UW program in any way. Hard for me to believe that doesn't mean something. Its OK that you are all Oegon/Ore State, LA schools and Bo Nix all the time. We get that. But a little token balnce in your touching on the conference would add the the content.
Not sure a win over now-unranked Washington is going to measure with the committee like beating No. 12 Utah or winning at Reser Stadium against an OSU team that could be an 8-9 win team. But I'll give you this... Washington's offense is lethal.
They are supposed to beat Washington, the last 2 are toss ups , so thats why
Dilly to ASU...NOOOOO!
He'd do well to reflect on the last two Ducks coaches.
As a head coach, yes. As a coordinator... he's got to do what's best.
Worry more about Auburn, that job just opened up
Yo Brian… as the minority segment up here, we’ve got to keep these homers in place 😁. Let’s hope the Utes AND the Bevs do us right!
John you must be doing a good job. Lots of critics mean lots of readers.
Random Thoughts;
- latest “official” official debacle; USC brings out the best of our PAC12 refs, but it’s getting old
- Portland State; Stellar performance with no acknowledgement…
- Beavers; got a crew of Beaver fans coming over Friday for the Husky game, including a grandson and a son-in-law. It’s a shame to make family cry…
- Oregon; Bo and company are getting better every week. Looking forward to traveling to Eugene Saturday to give the Ducks their first conference loss 😎
GO DAWGS