I really like the new ideas and rule changes the CFL has implemented over the last year and have always been a fan. But, if we want to showcase the game and increase engagement and attendance we cannot afford to have so many flags being thrown throughout games. Penalties can be called on each and every play; let the kids play! So, that all the kids watching will enjoy the great game we have. Too Many Flags boys! You're ruining the game!
The first half of the MTL. Vs. OTT. game this year was laughable and an embarrassment...
The RB DB who accompanied the teammate who picked off Lulay threw the football into the stands and the refs flagged him for objectionable conduct.
That’s crap.
We had that last year. Because it was a pick it wasn’t Ottawas ball so they can’t throw it into the stands. Dumb rule. Correct call according to the rule book, but a stupid rule.
We had that last year. Because it was a pick it wasn’t Ottawas ball so they can’t throw it into the stands. Dumb rule. Correct call according to the rule book, but a stupid rule.
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Why is it a stupid rule?
What’s to stop one team from throwing all of the opposing team’s footballs into the stands without this rule?
First I fixed the quotes. Don’t attribute quotes I DID NOT MAKE to me. Second, you seriously think a team is going to deliberately throw all the other teams balls into the stands? You can’t be serious. The guy made an interception and ran it back for a good gain so he celebrated. The league is trying to figure out how to bring in new fans yet they have rules in place that discourage celebrations.
But without the rule some smart coach would toss all the opponents balls out of play so what? They win by forfeit? :roll:
Has common sense completely vanished from the English language this season?
The rule was brought in because offenses wanted to use their own ball in the game regardless if playing at home or on the road. All teams agreed to this rule change. Obviously this means that offenses believed that they had some sort of advantage by having the ball prepared they way that they like it as opposed to how the opponent may like it. The opposing team could therefore negate that advantage by eliminating the opponent's balls from play. Therefore a penalty only makes sense.
Now each team I believe brings 7 balls to the game. 1 or 2 going missing should not be too big of a deal. But where do you draw the line? Should the defense be allowed to throw 2? 3? 4? 6? If you do not see how silly this is getting, I'm sorry I can;t help you. The officials have better things to do than count balls tossed into the crowd. So the best rule is, if you throw away the opponents ball it's 10 yards. Neat. Tidy. Done.
The rule has been around for a couple of years now. The players should just know not to do it.
And criticizing the officials for it is just dumb.
McDonald must have felt the BC Ball was under inflated.
But I agree there are too many flags of borderline calls that ruin the game for the fans in the CFL. I thought both the calls on the kick returns tonight were very boderline. Difficult to find enough officials with common sense and a feel for the game. Good officials don’t always call the game by black and white rules. This is true in any Sport, Baseball, Hockey you name it.
Up until two years ago the home team would supply a dozen balls to the officials pregame so they could review their inflation and their size. Once pumped up (many would be factory fresh and not inflated to between 12.5 and 13.5 psi) and approved they’d go back into the ball bag (a 3’x3’ foot high nylon bag with a battery heating kit to keep them warm in the fall) and that ball bag would then be taken to the timers table by the ball “boys” (they’re sometimes 40+ so hardly actually boys) where they’d be in possession of the off field officials for the entire game. If a player tossed a ball into the crowd then he’d simply find a deduction on his next paycheque of $125 or so.
As I understand it, the officials now get two ball bags, a dozen balls from each team, and check them as they did before. Difference is now the bags go back to the respective team where they can be further “customized” without the officials ever knowing. The potential problems here are obvious as we saw last fall with “deflategate” and actually cost the league more money as the sideline crews now need two extra ball boys…not that they pay these guys all that well.
In Canadian Amateur ball the head referee is still the sold arbiter of whether or not a ball can be used and both teams use the same ball…the way it should be and the way it used to be in the CFL. I have been told that with High School ball here in BC, like the NFL, they allow each team to supply their own ball as it’s also four down NHFS format ball all over the province.
I agree the Flags are getting to much. When after each big play you have to sit there and wait to ensure that the play did not get a flag before you can cheer, then flags are out of control.
Flags for player saftey Yes
Flags that DIRECTLY effected the play yes
Let them play ball. tired of watching a play get called back becasue some guy on the opposite side of the play did something minor. it had NO direct outcome on the play. issue a warning and let it go. Fans are getting turned off, and its hard to bring people in to get them to watch a game and convert them to CFL fans, when all they see is flags
How many times was Toronto OFFSIDE yesterday? 5 or 6 times? This penalty is 100 years old, it's not a new rule. The officials HAVE to call this. The Argonauts lined up offside ON THEIR OWN GOALLINE ffs!! You know you have to be a yard off the ball at the snap and not only that, when the ball is on the 1, there's a great big painted stripe across the entire width of the field showing exactly where you need to be behind. And the Argos lined up offside in this situation TWICE!! Jefferson, not just a toe over, a full step, half yard into the neutral zone. Unbelieveable how stupid these penalties are. This is 100% on the player, not the ref.
Chris Best hands to the face 15 yards. Then a dirty selfish clip, another 15 yards. He's a veteran player he has zero excuse. These things have to be called. The officials have no choice but to flag them. Again, 100% on the player, not the ref.
Teams are taking around 15 penalties a game on average (not including the declined ones). Some teams are taking over 20! New illegal contact rules only account for 3 or 4 of those tops. What are the other 11 or 12 or 15? So the new rules are only a small contributor to the increase in penalties.
If we want to see less flags, the players need to stop taking fricking penalties. The only way to make them stop is to keep flagging them until they get the damn message through their thick skulls.
Get rid of the punt out of bounds penalty. It was never necessary in the first place. It was only brought in because Adam Rita whined for it because he wanted Bashir Levingston to get more returns. It had nothing to do with improving the game and everything to do with giving his Argos an edge. A couple years later both Rita and Levingston were out of the league and we were stuck with this stupid rule. Now with the delayed release of the linemen on the coverage, there is no excuse for anyone to want to keep this stupid rule. But even that is not the refs fault, it's the league office and their rules committee.
All in all, get off the refs' back. They're doing their job. PLAYERS need to stop being stupid.
