reviewable plays

[AnonEmouse]

Simple answer is the rules and the officials themselves. To my mind the crew has to be tested regularly, and guys doing day jobs mostly (or retired) are maybe not getting enough time in game type situations to hone their reactions and skills. In the UK Premier football officials are all pro, but to honest it hasn't stopped bad decisions. What has increased the number of bad decisions is the rule changes. PLayers can't remove shirts, can't leave the field of play to celebrate, can't geture to opposing fans etc. All these things are over and above rules affecting play and an added responsibility of officials. They have no impact on the game so shouldn't be in the rule book.

In the NFL I think the issues about removing your helmet, gesturing to provoke opponents/fans, TD celebrations et al have all caused the fun level to be diminished, but for what? The league seems soworried about image and political correctness, they seem to be slowly forgetting what the game is about. Safety and fairness rules are fine (such as offsides, false start, holding or helmet to helmet contact), but the obsession with protecting QB's like the can throw ball away once outside the pocket etc. just over complicate the officials responsibilities. They really need to look at whether the rule book can be trimmed to aid officials.

Incidentally, one more thing about those 2 PI calls. There are 2 if not 3 officials in position to call PI or not on those plays. The one line judge facing the players faces, and the back judge should both have seen the first contacts made on each play and called it. the other line judge should have also had a view. Yet all 6 officials decided the call or non-call were both fine? I'm not sure I go with the conspiracy theories, but in both cases those officials showed gross incompetence, not to mention a level of incompetence on the other bum calls. As such they shouldn't officiate another NFL game this season (at least not as a team). I'd also query how they were rated prior to the game, considering they were given the job on a MNF game played out in front of millions worldwide.

I can't see how replay challenges on bad or missed penalties would ever work, but the teams should be permitted to critisize said offials and where justified request their suspension etc.