Ok, so I have watched several NFL games since their season start this year, and while I find the pace of the game rather slow I did notice one thing that they are incredibly faster at, and that is making the call on the field. Often the ref is making the call seconds after the tackle, not once did I see a prolonged drawn out discussion, but every flag in the CFL seems to require a conference call that takes 2 minutes, and at the minimum 30 seconds. How do I know that time, because my remote is set to jump forward 30 seconds and often the ref is just making the call, or still waiting.
Really, 2 minutes for “offside”.
So why the huge difference?
(BTW - why do they even kick off the ball in the NFL after a score when it always goes through the endzone which puts the ball on the 20,why not just start at the 20?).
…agree on all counts there tabby…the other thing the NFL officiating structure seems to have down pat are video confirmations, they also only take at the most 30 seconds or so to review the play and get some sort of message to the head ref…the teams are barely back in the huddle before the calls are confirmed or reversed and play can begin again…
It’s actually due to a technical challenge we currently have - getting the right angles to the Command Centre isn’t as instant as we’d like it to be. The new head of officiating is putting together a recommendation to fix that but it means a pretty significant capital cost. I’m hopeful it’s approved; we’ll find out in about two months.
I didn’t take it as blame - it’s one of those decisions that made sense at the time. When the CFL ventured into video review for the first time, it probably made sense to do so gingerly and without breaking the bank on something that might not last for more than a couple of years. Now that we know that video review is here to stay, it makes sense to get the Cadillac of review technology installed.
I agree completely about your comment on kick offs in 4 down ball but kicking in general seems to be an option south of the border. Some mock the 5 yard restraining zone in Canada but the fair catch rule in the US is a joke.
As far as “every flag in the CFL… taking two minutes” well, that’s simply not true. With the headsets the guys now wear, the reporting of penalties is usually pretty quick but keep in mind that non offending teams get the option to accept or decline and sometimes that decision can take five or ten seconds as the coaches figure it out. And dual fouls mean two decisions and some math tocalculate.
I knew there would be someone who thought it was faster, that is why I timed it, as I said, each FF jump of my remote is 30 seconds of tv, 4x30sec = 2 min. Never once was it less then 30 seconds. You will note that every flag in the CFL requires a referee huddle first. However I will admit that Kim Murphy seems to be faster then the others, while Proulx takes forever and then mumbles the call. Yes the 2 min for offside was an exaggeration, those normally take about 30 seconds, still too long compared to the NFL.
Angles: Does not the command center use the same video views we the audience see?
Just finished watching the SF/LAC game, SF had a 21 play drive that ate up 11+ minutes of clock time, that is nuts. In the CFL those 21 plays would be 3 average scoring drives about.
Kickoff: the one time the ball was returned from the 1, they scored a TD, much more exciting then watching it bounce through the end zone.
Just for you I am going to record the length of time for flags this weekend. Proulx mumbles, he is always confused to the call and looks around trying to figure out who the call is against.
no matter who is playing, Proulx cant stop mumbling all game long “I hate ticats”. Everytime he calls a penalty, he is looking around for a ticat to call it against. Right
I understand wanting calls to be faster, and since I generally don’t watch NFL I don’t have anything to compare it to.
But those who say it’s too slow have already forgotten how slow it USED to be, before the advent of headsets for officials and the “eye-in-the-sky” that clarifies offside/procedure penalties within seconds. What we now consider a lengthy conference was more-or-less the norm about five years ago.
So yeah, it could be faster, but at least they’re on the right track.
Ok, I have all the times down for the games just played, I am recording an NFL game on Thursday and will record their times too, just for comparison. Took me a bit to watch all the games as I also have two hockey games to watch too.
As for the headsets the refs wear, why do they, they still just get together and talk, so what is the point besides the head ref so he can talk to command?
Thank you for that. Posts like that drive me up the wall.
I've never (and I do mean never) had a problem understanding Proulx. He does not "mumble" as far as I'm concerned. When some people complain about him I get the feeling their really complaining because he has a very slight accent.
Human beings sometimes stumble on words, or choose the wrong word. Even professional speakers do this sometimes. It's totally normal. I don't expect perfection from a football ref.
