MEAC Suspends Officiating Crew For Doing Something You'd Expect Of MEAC Officiating

[superman7515]

http://pilotonline.com/sports/college/norfolk-state/football/meac-suspends-officiating-crew-for-missed-down/article_18b3b255-775f-532e-9056-7e58e9f1175d.html


The MEAC took action against the eight-man crew “for failure to accurately monitor the down and distance that occurred in the first half” after reviewing game footage, reports and interviews. The officials face a two-game suspension.

The game replay on ESPN’s website and the play-by-play from the box score showed that N.C. A&T, which faces Norfolk State on Thursday, missed a 45-yard field goal on what it believed was fourth down but was actually just third down, with 34 seconds left in the first half. The officials did not give the Aggies, who were leading 10-3 at the time, all four downs on that possession...

[ASU33]

Can't be any worse than SWAC refs.

[POD Knows]

Can't be any worse than SWAC refs.

NBA officials, not even close

[citdog]

Can't be any worse than SWAC refs.

Are you familiar with the SoCon??

[SUPharmacist]

I don't see in the article if the players and coaches were complaining at the time of the lost down. Did the officials just overrule them and force everyone to move on. I can't picture this happening without at least someone getting a flag for arguing with the refs about it.

[YoUDeeMan]

MEAC officials have been known to call a football player for traveling.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

MEAC officials have been known to call a football player for traveling.

xlolx

[Go...gate]

Are you familiar with the SoCon??

Welcome back citdog! The Citadel is off to a fine start!

[TheKingpin28]

NBA officials, not even close

TBH, is the nba even a sport?

[BisonFan02]

Which conference had a chain gang ejected from a game?

[Bisonoline]

Why in the hell didnt the coaching staff catch it?

[PantherRob82]

Why in the hell didnt the coaching staff catch it?

That's Wlwhat I said. Doesnt down and distance determine your play call? xlolx

[POD Knows]

Why in the hell didnt the coaching staff catch it?

Yea, I am pretty sure they miss more than down and distance and the like.

[JayJ79]

That's Wlwhat I said. Doesnt down and distance determine your play call? xlolx

I wonder what the procedure is for that, assuming the team is out of timeouts.
Obviously the coach can yell at the nearest official that the down is wrong, and if the official things it is a valid claim, they can whistle and stop the clock while they huddle up to review.

If they determine that there was a mistake made, do they put time back on the clock?

What would they do if a coach was yelling that the down was wrong, the officials stop the clock to discuss, and they determine that the down was correct. Would the coach be penalized? would they run time off the clock?

[MacThor]

Which conference had a chain gang ejected from a game?

MEAC. One member of the chain gang was escorted out, Richmond @ Hampton last year.
The whole crew was reprimanded after the game, per the article in the OP.

[BisonFan02]

MEAC. One member of the chain gang was escorted out, Richmond @ Hampton last year.
The whole crew was reprimanded after the game, per the article in the OP.

Ok. So this is just the MEAC doing MEAC things. xlolx

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Ok. So this is just the MEAC doing MEAC things. xlolx

Well, that was even extraordinary by their standards. One of the guys on the crew threatened to "smoke" one of our players and made his hand into the shape of a gun.

[superman7515]

Every MEAC team should get credit for two wins when they manage to beat the other team and the conference refs.

[ASU33]

MEAC refs robbed NC Central out of a trip to the Celebration Bowl last year with 3 botched calls in the Bethune-Cookman game. Those calls cost NC Central the ball game and eventually lead to a 3-way tie for the Conference Title.

[MR. CHICKEN]

.........IT'S WORFF.....WATCHIN'........THURSDAY NIGHTS........MEAC ZEEBS......GET UH FIRST-HAND LOOK........xflaggedx.......CAN BROCK!


.........NORFOLK STATE....vs.....NORTH CAROLINA A&T.....UP NEXT........AWK!

[ysubigred]

MVFC officials are not to stellar xnodx Making BOP crazy!! :D

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/yankton.net/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/36/b36588da-6a32-11e5-9751-5769057fdac0/5610792985f18.image.jpg?resize=300%2C242

[PAllen]

MEAC officials have been known to call a football player for traveling.

I have seen them call intentional grounding when an eligible receiver drops the ball.

[PAllen]

TBH, is the nba even a sport?

It's more "sports entertainment" or whatever they call professional wrestling these days.

[Thumper 76]

MVFC officials are not to stellar xnodx Making BOP crazy!! :D

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/yankton.net/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/36/b36588da-6a32-11e5-9751-5769057fdac0/5610792985f18.image.jpg?resize=300%2C242

And you know you're bad if you can even get BO mad at you xlolx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Milktruck74]

I officiated FB for over 10 years...(Squirrel....I remember being called for a hold and yelling "no F##kin way" at a Saturday afternoon and staring into the seering eyes of the white hat and then looking up to see the same eyes minus the white hat in the pulpit the next morning...Girl I was seeing drug me to the church the Ref/Rev Frank Jump (so traumatized I still remember his name 20 years later)...anyway, having officiated, I view officials with a bit of a different slant....I don't judge their calls, that is judgement, and I don't know what they saw...I judge their mechanics, their ability to manage the game, their ability to deescalate tension and their application of the rules. I can forgive a missed hold (you may not have seen it), I can't for give a 12 yard penalty, or a missed down. That is EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL. Of course most things of the MEAC are that way!!! I hear a ton of complaints of our SoCon officials, but on the way I judge them, they are pretty good. They are usually in the right spot to make the call, and I have yet to see a miss application of the rules!!! That is one thing they get right!!!!

[Bisonator]

MVFC officials are not to stellar xnodx Making BOP crazy!! :D

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/yankton.net/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/36/b36588da-6a32-11e5-9751-5769057fdac0/5610792985f18.image.jpg?resize=300%2C242
Can you imagine Bo having to deal with MEAC refs? xlolx

[ysubigred]

Can you imagine Bo having to deal with MEAC refs? xlolx

Scary **** right there ^^^ xshakingmadx

[BEAR]

I have seen SLC officials, they were Big 12 or Big 10 officials officiating a Thursday game , count 13 players on the field, restart their count, look at their notepads, count the players again, and blow the whistle to begin the play. I used to have video of this event. Wish I had saved it.

Nothing to see here....move along...xcoffeexxlolx

[Sycamore62]

I officiated FB for over 10 years...(Squirrel....I remember being called for a hold and yelling "no F##kin way" at a Saturday afternoon and staring into the seering eyes of the white hat and then looking up to see the same eyes minus the white hat in the pulpit the next morning...Girl I was seeing drug me to the church the Ref/Rev Frank Jump (so traumatized I still remember his name 20 years later)...anyway, having officiated, I view officials with a bit of a different slant....I don't judge their calls, that is judgement, and I don't know what they saw...I judge their mechanics, their ability to manage the game, their ability to deescalate tension and their application of the rules. I can forgive a missed hold (you may not have seen it), I can't for give a 12 yard penalty, or a missed down. That is EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL. Of course most things of the MEAC are that way!!! I hear a ton of complaints of our SoCon officials, but on the way I judge them, they are pretty good. They are usually in the right spot to make the call, and I have yet to see a miss application of the rules!!! That is one thing they get right!!!!

I would like our officials to do as good of a job for $1000(i dont know their actual pay) as I did the nigh before for $70.

[WileECoyote06]

MEAC refs robbed NC Central out of a trip to the Celebration Bowl last year with 3 botched calls in the Bethune-Cookman game. Those calls cost NC Central the ball game and eventually lead to a 3-way tie for the Conference Title.

xbawlingx

That's okay, we host the farmers this year and plan to defeat them for the third year in a row.

[FUBeAR]

I officiated FB for over 10 years...(Squirrel....I remember being called for a hold and yelling "no F##kin way" at a Saturday afternoon and staring into the seering eyes of the white hat and then looking up to see the same eyes minus the white hat in the pulpit the next morning...Girl I was seeing drug me to the church the Ref/Rev Frank Jump (so traumatized I still remember his name 20 years later)...anyway, having officiated, I view officials with a bit of a different slant....I don't judge their calls, that is judgement, and I don't know what they saw...I judge their mechanics, their ability to manage the game, their ability to deescalate tension and their application of the rules. I can forgive a missed hold (you may not have seen it), I can't for give a 12 yard penalty, or a missed down. That is EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL. Of course most things of the MEAC are that way!!! I hear a ton of complaints of our SoCon officials, but on the way I judge them, they are pretty good. They are usually in the right spot to make the call, and I have yet to see a miss application of the rules!!! That is one thing they get right!!!!

Interesting perspective, funny story, and puts you in a position to knowledgeably opine on my question/thoughts.

My biggest problem with officials is not what they don't call. I get that they can't see everything. That is, unless, they are missing calling something because they don't know or don't understand the rules/new rules...as I witnessed in 1 SoCon game earlier this season.

My issue is when they call something that they think they might could have possibly seen...or are expecting to see (but actually don't) because of the situation.

Having Coached in College (as a G.A.) and for many years from Flag/PeeWees to 7A HS Football in GA, I see this most frequently among 3 'types' of Officials - the inexperienced ones (who seem to think it's their job to call something on every play), the ones who maybe should have hung up their whistles (quite) a few years earlier (no one's going to say they've lost a step - look how many calls they made!), and just BAD officials (who never improve or think they should/could).

This happened (at least) 3 times in the Mercer/VMI game last week in the 4th quarter - 2 on Mercer/1 on VMI...and all 3 were, potentially, game-changing calls - 15 yarders that negated a score (turned out to be a net 109 yard / 14 point swing penalty; the way I see it), kept a critical late scoring drive going, and allowed a game that should have been over (after it should have already been over previously) to go into Overtime. ALL CALLS WERE CLEARLY WRONG and all of them were made by an official who was nowhere near the play, or didn't have a clear view of the play, or wasn't looking at the play, or expected to see something that didn't happen. BTW - for the expected trolls, Mercer WON the game...this is a convo about Officiating...not about a certain Team or a particular outcome.

As a former Official, what are you thoughts on this? Shouldn't Officials ONLY call penalties that they ACTUALLY see CLEARLY?

[PantherRob82]

As a former Official, what are you thoughts on this? Shouldn't Officials ONLY call penalties that they ACTUALLY see CLEARLY?

My biggest pet peeve is the ref who throws his flags 25 yards when the guy right there didn't call it. (unless the closer ref was screened out). Seems like a lot of refs throw flags on things they could not see.

[MacThor]

In last year's Hampton-UR game, the Hampton coach went ballistic over an unsportsmanlike call that prolonged Richmond's GW drive. He was fined by the MEAC for his post-game comments.
That's a judgment call.
However, the MEAC crew was disciplined for faulty mechanics and game management. One of Hampton's TD's was scored when no part of the receiver came down in bounds in the end zone. There were several egregiously (more than one yard) bad spots. A Richmond player was injured on a flagrant late hit in the open field. They just had no control of that thing.

[Milktruck74]

My biggest pet peeve is the ref who throws his flags 25 yards when the guy right there didn't call it. (unless the closer ref was screened out). Seems like a lot of refs throw flags on things they could not see.

That goe's back to my point about poor mechanics. Everyone has a part of the field/point of the play they are too watch. In a 5 man crew (HS football) there is really not much overlap, so you should rarely see two flags on the same play...if so someone was watching something they shoudn't have been,and what did they miss where they were suppose to watch? Very Rarely (but occasionally) your keys may put your area to watch away from you and the guy that is actually further away makes the call (ex. often the Ref is closer to the actual hold, but the Umpire calls it). In College there are 7 men on the crew so there is some overlap, but to call something from that far away is usually unacceptable. As a guy that like order and professionalism, I hate to see 4 flags on the same call, if there are 4 flags out I expect to see 2 or 3 different fouls.


Interesting perspective, funny story, and puts you in a position to knowledgeably opine on my question/thoughts.

My biggest problem with officials is not what they don't call. I get that they can't see everything. That is, unless, they are missing calling something because they don't know or don't understand the rules/new rules...as I witnessed in 1 SoCon game earlier this season.

My issue is when they call something that they think they might could have possibly seen...or are expecting to see (but actually don't) because of the situation.

Having Coached in College (as a G.A.) and for many years from Flag/PeeWees to 7A HS Football in GA, I see this most frequently among 3 'types' of Officials - the inexperienced ones (who seem to think it's their job to call something on every play), the ones who maybe should have hung up their whistles (quite) a few years earlier (no one's going to say they've lost a step - look how many calls they made!), and just BAD officials (who never improve or think they should/could).

This happened (at least) 3 times in the Mercer/VMI game last week in the 4th quarter - 2 on Mercer/1 on VMI...and all 3 were, potentially, game-changing calls - 15 yarders that negated a score (turned out to be a net 109 yard / 14 point swing penalty; the way I see it), kept a critical late scoring drive going, and allowed a game that should have been over (after it should have already been over previously) to go into Overtime. ALL CALLS WERE CLEARLY WRONG and all of them were made by an official who was nowhere near the play, or didn't have a clear view of the play, or wasn't looking at the play, or expected to see something that didn't happen. BTW - for the expected trolls, Mercer WON the game...this is a convo about Officiating...not about a certain Team or a particular outcome.

As a former Official, what are you thoughts on this? Shouldn't Officials ONLY call penalties that they ACTUALLY see CLEARLY?

So good question and I think you nailed most of it on your three types of officials...which I will address, but a few points before...

1. No one remembers the flag you didn't throw. Meaning, when in doubt leave it in your pocket.
2. Flags only slow the game down. Meaning leave it in your pocket.
3. More flags=more plays=more chance for injury. Meaning leave it in your pocket.
4. See the entire play from start to end. Meaning if you didn't see it all, Leave it in your pocket. How often do we see a player pushed into another only to get a block in the back call? The official didn't see the entire play, or he would not have called it.
5. IF it doesn't directly impact the play, a safety issue or a sportsmanship issue....leave it in your pocket. A 5'9" 295# kid being held 20 yards away from a 6' 160# running back doesn't impact the play, he isn't going to get there,and if he can...we would love to sign him to the Mocs!!!

I was an umpire and one season I was happy to say I had 5 straight games without a holding call, does that mean It wasn't there? I didn't see it? No, but it didn't impact the play.

So now with my officiating philosophy laid out there....I'll address the three types you nailed.

The Newbie (easy fix) - New officials have to learn that unless their girlfriend is in the stands, nobody is there to see them. They tend to fall really hard on either side of the fence....too timid to throw a flag or throwing one on every play. This can be overcome with experience, but they have to get the experience. It is judgement, what impacts the play and what does not. Time can heal this. You also tend to catch an inadvertent whistle from these guys (cardinal sin of officials) because they "thought" the dive man had the ball.

The Bad (lost cause)- This is can appear to be much like the Newbie (too much/too little) but never improves with time....There is no hope here, we just hope they are assigned to a crew that only works blowouts!!!!

The Old Guy (this is complex) - Different positions on the field require different levels of fitness. You can not have a 300# back judge trying to keep up with a WR, but most of the time you don't have too. Long plays in FB are 25-30 yards (yes there are 99 yd runs, but rarely) and most of the time the official gets a 10 yard Head start. Officials understand football too,so they know on 3&17 it is probably not going to be a dive play (unless it is the Citadel...and they get the First), so they prepare for it.... So does the lost step impact the game....well sometimes, but not to the degree you would think. Along with this lost step come experience (remember our issue with the Newbie) and a thing I call "Softer eyes"...the older guys tend to see the play as a whole more of a movement, the orchestra and not the individual parts. These are the guys that will never have an inadvertent whistle. So with age come that valuable experience....Now if you are talking about an old guy that feels the need to insert himslef into the game by throwing flags and making everyone notice him....that is a BAD OFFICIAL, his age is only a way to describe him.

I hope that helps...I would say a good assigner knows what crews are good and bad, and hopefully he will do his job to make sure you get officials that are top notch for those rivalry games, playoff games, ones with playoff/conference implications....when it is pretty well known you are going to win or lose by 50, sorry, you getting the Bad and Newbies!!!

I also think the way parents act toward officials has a bunch to do with why we don't have solid ones all the way up the line. To get experience the Newbie needs to work that Middle or High school game, and he is going to make bad calls...he is doing the best he can, but to threaten bodily harm and call him names....we all have thick skin, but at some point its over. Parents that have no clue of the rules......I'd say many of them are to blame for why our officiating has worsened over the years. Since College officials come from HS, and HS come from MS.....its usually the younger ones that are the worst.

[BisonFan02]

That goe's back to my point about poor mechanics. Everyone has a part of the field/point of the play they are too watch. In a 5 man crew (HS football) there is really not much overlap, so you should rarely see two flags on the same play...if so someone was watching something they shoudn't have been,and what did they miss where they were suppose to watch? Very Rarely (but occasionally) your keys may put your area to watch away from you and the guy that is actually further away makes the call (ex. often the Ref is closer to the actual hold, but the Umpire calls it). In College there are 7 men on the crew so there is some overlap, but to call something from that far away is usually unacceptable. As a guy that like order and professionalism, I hate to see 4 flags on the same call, if there are 4 flags out I expect to see 2 or 3 different fouls.



So good question and I think you nailed most of it on your three types of officials...which I will address, but a few points before...

1. No one remembers the flag you didn't throw. Meaning, when in doubt leave it in your pocket.
2. Flags only slow the game down. Meaning leave it in your pocket.
3. More flags=more plays=more chance for injury. Meaning leave it in your pocket.
4. See the entire play from start to end. Meaning if you didn't see it all, Leave it in your pocket. How often do we see a player pushed into another only to get a block in the back call? The official didn't see the entire play, or he would not have called it.
5. IF it doesn't directly impact the play, a safety issue or a sportsmanship issue....leave it in your pocket. A 5'9" 295# kid being held 20 yards away from a 6' 160# running back doesn't impact the play, he isn't going to get there,and if he can...we would love to sign him to the Mocs!!!

I was an umpire and one season I was happy to say I had 5 straight games without a holding call, does that mean It wasn't there? I didn't see it? No, but it didn't impact the play.

So now with my officiating philosophy laid out there....I'll address the three types you nailed.

The Newbie (easy fix) - New officials have to learn that unless their girlfriend is in the stands, nobody is there to see them. They tend to fall really hard on either side of the fence....too timid to throw a flag or throwing one on every play. This can be overcome with experience, but they have to get the experience. It is judgement, what impacts the play and what does not. Time can heal this. You also tend to catch an inadvertent whistle from these guys (cardinal sin of officials) because they "thought" the dive man had the ball.

The Bad (lost cause)- This is can appear to be much like the Newbie (too much/too little) but never improves with time....There is no hope here, we just hope they are assigned to a crew that only works blowouts!!!!

The Old Guy (this is complex) - Different positions on the field require different levels of fitness. You can not have a 300# back judge trying to keep up with a WR, but most of the time you don't have too. Long plays in FB are 25-30 yards (yes there are 99 yd runs, but rarely) and most of the time the official gets a 10 yard Head start. Officials understand football too,so they know on 3&17 it is probably not going to be a dive play (unless it is the Citadel...and they get the First), so they prepare for it.... So does the lost step impact the game....well sometimes, but not to the degree you would think. Along with this lost step come experience (remember our issue with the Newbie) and a thing I call "Softer eyes"...the older guys tend to see the play as a whole more of a movement, the orchestra and not the individual parts. These are the guys that will never have an inadvertent whistle. So with age come that valuable experience....Now if you are talking about an old guy that feels the need to insert himslef into the game by throwing flags and making everyone notice him....that is a BAD OFFICIAL, his age is only a way to describe him.

I hope that helps...I would say a good assigner knows what crews are good and bad, and hopefully he will do his job to make sure you get officials that are top notch for those rivalry games, playoff games, ones with playoff/conference implications....when it is pretty well known you are going to win or lose by 50, sorry, you getting the Bad and Newbies!!!

I also think the way parents act toward officials has a bunch to do with why we don't have solid ones all the way up the line. To get experience the Newbie needs to work that Middle or High school game, and he is going to make bad calls...he is doing the best he can, but to threaten bodily harm and call him names....we all have thick skin, but at some point its over. Parents that have no clue of the rules......I'd say many of them are to blame for why our officiating has worsened over the years. Since College officials come from HS, and HS come from MS.....its usually the younger ones that are the worst.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/AP9qsVbM7lDdS/200w.gif

:D

[ASU33]

xbawlingx

That's okay, we host the farmers this year and plan to defeat them for the third year in a row.

LMAO xlolx @ "THE FARMERS"

[dgtw]

Can't be any worse than SWAC refs.

Why is the officiating so bad in HBCU leagues? Do they just not pay enough to get good ones?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PAllen]

My biggest pet peeve is the ref who throws his flags 25 yards when the guy right there didn't call it. (unless the closer ref was screened out). Seems like a lot of refs throw flags on things they could not see.

Realize that different officials are looking at different players. Sometimes the guy 25 yds away is the guy looking at that player, and therefore the one to see it, while the official standing right next to it is looking at other parts of the play. Each official has his keys, and more often than not, it's not the player closest to him.

[PAllen]

My issue is when they call something that they think they might could have possibly seen...or are expecting to see (but actually don't) because of the situation.


That's one of the first things I was taught as an official. The process of throwing a flag:

I think that's a penalty - reach for the flag
I'm pretty sure that's a penalty - pull the flag out
Yeah, that's definitely a penalty - throw the flag

Now this is all done in one fluid motion and you'd be amazed at how quickly your mind can go through that process. There were more than a few times when in one smooth motion, that flag came out and went right back into my pocket. Countless times I reached for a flag but never pulled it.

[ASU33]

Why is the officiating so bad in HBCU leagues? Do they just not pay enough to get good ones?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Officiating is not "stellar" at any level of college football by any stretch. The absolute worst officials I've seen were from the Sun Belt and those officials are consistently bad.

[PantherRob82]

Realize that different officials are looking at different players. Sometimes the guy 25 yds away is the guy looking at that player, and therefore the one to see it, while the official standing right next to it is looking at other parts of the play. Each official has his keys, and more often than not, it's not the player closest to him.

I do realize that. I've officiated. There are times where they play goes on and an offficial calls something that was not his responsibility and that he could not have seen very well.