It's been visited and revisited, but yes, the referee of the Steelers/Chargers game made a colossal error at the end of it. Thankfully, it did not affect the outcome of the game, but the NFL is looking to make changes to ensure a future outcome is not affected by an officiating error. Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, said in a televised interview Monday that the referee on the field should be allowed to check the replay booth a second time if necessary to get the call correct. Currently, a second consultation isn't allowed, and Pereira said a second consultation might have prevented Sunday's error.At first glance, this doesn't seem like a great idea. People are surely imagining an official getting onto the field and announcing the outcome of the review, only to be buzzed back to look at the replay again. That's not really what's going to happen, though.
Should a situation like Sunday's arise -- which won't be often -- where the official incorrectly interprets a play or rule, the replay booth would buzz him to come have a word with them. They would surely then have told Sunday's referee, Scott Green, that the touchdown by the Steelers should stand.
He'd then mosey back out onto the field and make the proper announcement. As the rules are currently set up, the official cannot go back to the replay assistant once he leaves. According to Pereira, the rules committee will discuss the possible rule change and we could see it implemented before the playoffs this season.
One might question the fairness of the rule change midseason, but I don't think there's a single play where this would have been used with the notable exception of this Steelers/Chargers game. The much-maligned calls from earlier in the season either wouldn't have found a different result with a second replay or aren't reviewable.
The other potential discussion point is that the referee should have gotten the call correct the first time. I agree with this whole-heartedly, however, there's nothing wrong with putting another safeguard in place to ensure human errors don't cost teams games.
via PFT
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-18-2008 @ 10:46PM
Dave Pierce said...
Well the rule changes are just in time for gamblers!!! errr ump!
Don't gamble!
-Dave aka the Pittsburgh Kid at http://www.SteelersTrade.com
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11-19-2008 @ 11:13AM
bob k said...
i love it when the NFL,with a straight face, says they don'tencourage gambling on the games.
it brings up one question; why in the world would someone in new mexico give a damn if buffalo beats cleveland if they didn't have a few bucks on the game?it's like going to the racetrack and just watching the horses run around in a circle.
11-19-2008 @ 1:14AM
Erica Hotsinpiller said...
The mistake can be easily corrected -- simply award the six points to the Steelers.
The play was the final one of the game, so nothing else would be affected.
Points scored, points allowed and touchdowns are part of the tie-breaker process, so the issue goes far beyond point spreads and fantasy leagues.
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11-19-2008 @ 2:59AM
G-man said...
What is it that the officials have against Troy Polomano ? I am reminded of the famous call against him when the Steelers played and beat the Indianpolis Colts during the 2006 playoffs. Troy makes a legitimate play for an interception, only to be told that it was no good, then the official is apologizing the next day to the press, for his bad judgement. I hope they do change the rules for playoffs. I guess we are not asking for a perfect system, but what happened last Sunday was embarrassing !
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11-19-2008 @ 3:42AM
mystermyke1 said...
a few points to point out, one dont bet on the the steelers. luv ya black n gold. two dont change the score of the game because it will cause world wide turmoil and vegas will be blow up and reno will self destruct. third just give polamalu his stats. int. (of course ) give him the fumble recovery and the t.d. its all bullcrap the mafia and bookies cant get mad at a stat change and not the score. refs blew a call again againts a good guy a soft spoken caring individual. give him his stats. palamalu its polamalu do doo doo do
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11-19-2008 @ 9:29AM
LovetheSteelers said...
I agree with Erica-It's not too late to award the Steelers the six points. It sure would benefit Troy's career statistics and help them at the end of the season when home field advantage has to be determined for the playoffs.
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11-19-2008 @ 10:21AM
Rena said...
Sure it is one thing to say, Oh, so sorry, we blew it. It is another to take action and change (or tweak) the rules if they need to be. How many times have we had post-game comments about calls that were made (or not made) and we get a lame post-game explanation as to "it should have been....but...". This is an example of one game that wouldn't have meant the difference between Pittsburgh winning or losing a game, but the fact remains there have been COUNTLESS Playoff or Championship games where this has happened. If the NFL thinks that there are some flaws in the rules, then by all means, change it now before the playoffs. And BY ALL MEANS, recognize Troy by giving him credit for his quick thinking and actions. He definitely deserves it! I can't watch that play enough!
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11-19-2008 @ 11:54PM
Dennis Crawford said...
Aside from the replay rules,they should modify sudden death.Two teams have played hard for sixty minutes and the flip of a coin is rediculous.We all know who usually wins.A ten minute period would be perfect.That way both teams are assured to get a possession.If it still ends in a tie its over.I'm sure there won't be many ties.What do you think?.........I think they"ll wait another fifty years before a change.
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