Rule I Don't Understand

[surveyor]

I think it's valid, but only because the QB was, in fact, concussed. The replay official should check with the sideline, "is he in concussion protocol and you guarantee he won't play? Yes? Targeting. No? QB is a dumb bunny and deserved it."

I disagree that he must be concussed in that situation to rule it targeting. End result doesn't trump the action in question.

[boomdaddy]

Sounds to me like you want to improve the officiating. Sign up, go through the training and put on a stripped shirt is where you could start. Message me and I'll put you in contact with the right folks.

Why in the world would I want to be any part of that fraternity.? I see the product that they put on the field and it is disturbing. I could take a group of middle schoolers, explain the rules, and get better results.

The ego of the ref, a few bowl games ago, where he kicked Snell out of the game, tells me all I need to know about D1 football officials., arrogant and don't give a about doing what is right.

Why doesn't Stoops call a spade a spade in his press conference? Because not only would he get fined, but his team could become a target and receive worse calls that they are already getting.

[Lighthouse]

Why in the world would I want to be any part of that fraternity.? I see the product that they put on the field and it is disturbing. I could take a group of middle schoolers, explain the rules, and get better results.

The ego of the ref, a few bowl games ago, where he kicked Snell out of the game, tells me all I need to know about D1 football officials., arrogant and don't give a about doing what is right.

Why doesn't Stoops call a spade a spade in his press conference? Because not only would he get fined, but his team could become a target and receive worse calls that they are already getting.

Because with all your knowledge of what's wrong, then you as an official could begin to straighten the whole process out.

[johnkyblue]

I disagree that he must be concussed in that situation to rule it targeting. End result doesn't trump the action in question.

"In that situation" in this case is a QB that put himself in a position to be crushed when he could have slid earlier to protect himself. I completely agree with a majority of the targeting calls. This particular case, situation, doesn't seem fair. Why? He ran too long. But then it's not fair, either, to have your starting QB taken out of the game for a concussion either. Ergo, a bit of tit for tat is warranted. But this comment comes from a standpoint of fairness, and the rules are an institution, which some people might hold as worthwhile as fairness.

[Catatonic]

The refs are too stupid to see that the QB caused his own injury. The D player was hitting him low, to not get a penalty. This reminds me of politics, when there is no evidence, they still scream for impeachment. Those idiot refs don't care about right and wrong. They want to turn the college game into flag football. The ones who should be suspended are the refs for being idiots.

It's like politics in the sense that fans overlook obvious flaws when it's their team, and go into blame mode when things don't go their way. It always someone else's fault. Watch any team play any sport and you will see fans complaining about correct officiating.

Still, it is a truly terrible rule which puts players AND officials in an impossible position.

[boomdaddy]

Since the refs dont have any common sense when handing out this penalty and I doubt that they will get rid of it, the only way to lessen the hardship brought on by their stupidity is to rework the rule and give them a choice of a class 1 or a class 2 targeting. If they are too stupid to realize it shouldnt be a penalty and simply have to throw a flag, that could be a class 1, that carries a 5 yard penalty only, no automatuc first down and no player ejection. The more severe case, where it is clear cut that the D player laid the wood on the defensless player, would be a class 2 and given the current penalty, with the player being ejected from the game.

It wouldnt eliminate the refs bad judgement calls, but it would lessen the severity of the penalty on the ones that should never have been called in the first place.

[Spiritof96]

Since the refs dont have any common sense when handing out this penalty and I doubt that they will get rid of it, the only way to lessen the hardship brought on by their stupidity is to rework the rule and give them a choice of a class 1 or a class 2 targeting. If they are too stupid to realize it shouldnt be a penalty and simply have to throw a flag, that could be a class 1, that carries a 5 yard penalty only, no automatuc first down and no player ejection. The more severe case, where it is clear cut that the D player laid the wood on the defensless player, would be a class 2 and given the current penalty, with the player being ejected from the game.

It wouldnt eliminate the refs bad judgement calls, but it would lessen the severity of the penalty on the ones that should never have been called in the first place.

The NFL's uneccesary roughness rule is the FAR superior way to handle this.

[Lighthouse]

Since the refs dont have any common sense when handing out this penalty and I doubt that they will get rid of it, the only way to lessen the hardship brought on by their stupidity is to rework the rule and give them a choice of a class 1 or a class 2 targeting. If they are too stupid to realize it shouldnt be a penalty and simply have to throw a flag, that could be a class 1, that carries a 5 yard penalty only, no automatuc first down and no player ejection. The more severe case, where it is clear cut that the D player laid the wood on the defensless player, would be a class 2 and given the current penalty, with the player being ejected from the game.

It wouldnt eliminate the refs bad judgement calls, but it would lessen the severity of the penalty on the ones that should never have been called in the first place.

First, allow me to refer you to this forum. WCN Rules and Policies: A Reminder. Then when you read the reminder, please tone down your comments.

Second, with your knowledge of what officials are supposed to be like, you should consider becoming one.

[boomdaddy]

First, allow me to refer you to this forum. WCN Rules and Policies: A Reminder. Then when you read the reminder, please tone down your comments.

Second, with your knowledge of what officials are supposed to be like, you should consider becoming one.

Tone down? I have not used any bad language. I have only spoke the truth and called a spade a spade. If you happen to think the officials were 100% correct in their calls in the Toledo game, then you have the right to your opinion.

The targeting rule gives the officials too much power to influence games. When you not only have one, but a whole group of officials whose intent is to dole out penalties without regard to what is right and wrong, teams and players suffer. I don't think all officials are bad. But, I clearly have seen something lacking in the crew that worked the Toledo game. In my opinion, the officials are coddled. No, I don't think they are paid enough. I do think they should get three or four times what they are making. That being said, they are treated like Judges in federal courts. A coach, nor a player, is allowed to question a call without being fined or suspended. Yes, player safety needs to be addressed. Even so, this is not flag football. It is tackle.

Throwing a player out of a game is too easy for officials. It needs to be reigned in. It needs to come with severe consequences, when the official makes the wrong call, and that punishment against the official needs to be made public. There is no way that Snell should have been kicked out of that bowl game. The officials ego was bigger than the game. The officials egos should never be bigger than the game they are officiating. There should have been a head of officiating who could have reviewed the film and told them that Snell is coming back into the game. The same with the incorrect call for targeting in the Toledo game. As it is, they rarely overturn a call for targeting, even when the film shows the offensive player caused the angle of impact.

A QB sliding into a defensive player who has already launched, should be figured in. It was not, The result, was a player being ejected. Lucky for him, it is not the Florida game he is missing.

It is a one sided affair. I am not talking about officials being paid off or favoring one team over another. I am talking about them refusing to be logical, when they see a play. There is nothing wrong with overturning a call and picking up the flag. it is much better than penalizing a player for a good play.

[Lighthouse]

Obviously you didn't read the Reminder. And, I did have to edit out some bad language you used. But, calling the officials or any person the names you used is not allowed on WCN. You are well within your right to post your opinion, but tone down the name calling adjectives please.

And, as a retired NCAA Official, I can tell you for a fact there has never been a perfect game called and won't be. In the officials evaluation of our game, there were some missed holding calls, one or two other concerns and a couple bad spots, but overall the crew got a satisfactory. You also are ignoring my suggestion that you become an official.

[boomdaddy]

Obviously you didn't read the Reminder. And, I did have to edit out some bad language you used. But, calling the officials or any person the names you used is not allowed on WCN. You are well within your right to post your opinion, but tone down the name calling adjectives please.

And, as a retired NCAA Official, I can tell you for a fact there has never been a perfect game called and won't be. In the officials evaluation of our game, there were some missed holding calls, one or two other concerns and a couple bad spots, but overall the crew got a satisfactory. You also are ignoring my suggestion that you become an official.

No sir, I didn't use any bad language. Just because I have different viewpoint than you, regarding this rule that is being misused by the officials, does not mean that I am using bad words. In your opinion, I am using words that you don't agree with and are against your heart felt beliefs of officials. Not sorry for that. I don't believe officials are sacred cows and shouldn't be called our for their actions. I will say it again, they need a two tier penalty, for the refs who cant resist making the call, even though the flag should not have been thrown. You can't fix stupid, but you can lessen the damage, if you give them option B.

[Spiritof96]

You also are ignoring my suggestion that you become an official.

That's because it isn't a real suggestion.

The "suggestion" is like saying that if someone dislikes their customer service experience with the TSA, they should become a TSA agent. That ain't how it works. I get that you are thin-skinned about criticizing officials, but that is part and parcel of fandom.

It is an empirically bad rule, often unevenly enforced, and potentially game-changing.

There was LITERALLY nothing Oats could do to avoid the penalty. A great official might have recognized that the rule was built to stop predation and in this case (even if a violation) kept the flag in his pocket. That is a lot to ask I suppose.

[CATHYnKY]

Bottom line...this rule isn’t going anywhere this year. Looks to me, intentional or not, players are going to be called for targeting when there is no way they can stop in midair. Maybe after this 1st week, defensive coaches can help prevent some of these players not get thrown out. My fear is more QBs will start sliding to get the call.

[Lighthouse]

That's because it isn't a real suggestion.

The "suggestion" is like saying that if someone dislikes their customer service experience with the TSA, they should become a TSA agent. That ain't how it works. I get that you are thin-skinned about criticizing officials, but that is part and parcel of fandom.

It is an empirically bad rule, often unevenly enforced, and potentially game-changing.

There was LITERALLY nothing Oats could do to avoid the penalty. A great official might have recognized that the rule was built to stop predation and in this case (even if a violation) kept the flag in his pocket. That is a lot to ask I suppose.

After as many years as I wore the stripes, I can assure you I'm not thin skinned at all. I'm not saying some things about this rule don't need to be changed, but it's not going to be changed this year so we might as well get used to it. And, just because an official apply's a rule as it is written doesn't make them a bad official.

My suggestion is very valid, because if someone is so adamant about how bad officiating is, or anything else for that matter, what they need to do is try to change it for the better,and they'll never do it by sitting on the top row and yelling about it. Get down on the field, or court, as see how it really is. Fans are fans, I get that.

[Lighthouse]

No sir, I didn't use any bad language. Just because I have different viewpoint than you, regarding this rule that is being misused by the officials, does not mean that I am using bad words. In your opinion, I am using words that you don't agree with and are against your heart felt beliefs of officials. Not sorry for that. I don't believe officials are sacred cows and shouldn't be called our for their actions. I will say it again, they need a two tier penalty, for the refs who cant resist making the call, even though the flag should not have been thrown. You can't fix stupid, but you can lessen the damage, if you give them option B.

I think you need to review your posts and see a couple I edited. And you know, I've never met you and know nothing about you other than you are a Kentucky fan, I think. But reading your comments, you remind me of a boat load of fans who sit in the stands, say nothing about calls made on their opponents,but let an official point at one of their beloved's and the name calling begins. I can assure you that said officials just laughed, shook their heads, and went about their business of calling the game the best they could.