Horrible call in Arizona game - New helmet rule

NFFL and call it a day.

call. That was a textbook tackle. Any higher and it is helmet to helmet.

I figured he was out of the league by now.

even more objective calls to make is such a poor idea.

And they keep doing it.

"Well, it's new for the refs too, so let's give them the benefit of the doubt".

But the refs have such a poor record, they get no such benefit..

In comment 14037828 FatMan in Charlotte said:

Quote:

even more objective calls to make is such a poor idea. And they keep doing it.

This is spot on.

My guess is the refs are going to overcall this dramatically in the preseason to make players a little more hesitant to tackle like that during the regular season. I expect it to subside a bit when the real games start.

In comment 14037885 DC Gmen Fan said:

Quote:

My guess is the refs are going to overcall this dramatically in the preseason to make players a little more hesitant to tackle like that during the regular season. I expect it to subside a bit when the real games start.

Problem is, that was a good tackle.

than just being a blown call.

In comment 14037904 NoPeanutz said:

Quote:

than just being a blown call.

Its just another opportunity to have blown calls which is the crux of the matter.

The problem with rules like these is they are very subjective, and it's up to the ref to decide. And those kinds of rules/calls have already been on the rise and a huge subject of disagreement (like the catch rule, a subjective call).

I'm just hoping this is a case of when they institute a new rule, and they call it too tight in preseason to get people to adjust - then back off in regular season. It's still a bad idea due to subjectiveness, and I tend not to agree with the people who think this will end the NFL....but if a tackle like that can be called a penalty, NFL defenses are in trouble. Imagine defenders pausing for even a microsecond to think about how exactly they are positioned for a tackle - only to miss the tackle due to hesitation. The rules have already opened up the O enough - and I know this one is to protect players, but I still don't think it helps much. You already would see calls where guys blatantly led with the helmet....imagine games being decided on these types of calls, on a key 3rd down stop in 4Q, oops that was a huge penalty and the O keeps driving...

at a crucial time, they better be 100% correct because you cannot review it.

It is already bad enough that PI calls can change the outcome of a game.

The best rule change the NFL did was to eliminate the bobble rule. Two feet down equals a catch. Period. Then most of the new things they've put in place since then force the refs to make subjective rulings. It's so stupid.

Before the beginning of preseason that they would be emphasizing this new rule to the point of excess. They hope to use the preseason as a place to better define the rule by studying each of these calls

They said they were going to do it, and the host I was listening to that shared this also predicated exactly the kind of comments made by the OP

I hope they figure out how much of a problem this is going to cause before the season starts and amend it somehow.

Any more "judgement" left to the officials is bad, as far as I'm concerned. The goal should be to make everything as black and white as humanly possible. Instead, the NFL seems intent on expanding the gray area each and every year - creating game-turning penalties that are incorrectly called (and often not even reviewable).

This is going to be a major disaster if they leave it.

quality of play might be the worst we’ve ever seen which is saying something.

struck in his helmet, I could see a flag. In this case, the call is just terrible. Terrible. You want to avoid helmet to helmet, right?

If so, then call a penalty on helmet to helmet damn it!

that the new catch rule helps clarify things (and it should)...to many cases over the last few years where something we all thought was a catch for years of watching the NFL gets overturned. I mean, even the announcers stopped saying definitively which way the replay should go, because they were often wrong - and because similar plays got called totally different in different games. There's no way that a bobble after a guy took 2 steps and dove should rule the catch invalid - or those plays where a guys falls out of bounds, and the ball moves 1/2 an inch when he hits the ground without ever losing control. The subjectiveness of the catch rule has been a disaster for the past 5 years or so, every review was a coin toss basically...

I imagine at least 1, probably more games will be decided by one of these calls next year. Hopefully we don't suffer from it - even if we benefit, doesn't mean it's a good rule. Protecting players is good, but the NFL is a rough, collision sport. No rules will prevent every injury, and a rule like this may have unintended consequences (defenders going low and taking out knees, etc). The less the refs have to judge, the better

I've been saying that for years but nothing ever changes.

The zebra that made that call should be fired for it. Period.

In comment 14037885 DC Gmen Fan said:

Quote:

My guess is the refs are going to overcall this dramatically in the preseason to make players a little more hesitant to tackle like that during the regular season.

But in this case... tackle like what?

It is once again open to interpretation by the refs....in one game it will be a catch, and in another, it won't....

In comment 14038166 santacruzom said:

Quote:

In comment 14037885 DC Gmen Fan said: Quote: My guess is the refs are going to overcall this dramatically in the preseason to make players a little more hesitant to tackle like that during the regular season. But in this case... tackle like what?

]


I don't know cruz...I was speaking in general. But yeah, this one was pretty much a textbook tackle.

but keep in mind the players successfully sued the NFL for a billion dollars due to concussions and CTE. The NFL has to adjust the game or face more suits. The players are demanding a less violent game, and getting it.

In comment 14037828 FatMan in Charlotte said:

Quote:

even more objective calls to make is such a poor idea. And they keep doing it.

I'm with you Fats!!!

They should open up replays to all on the field calls. Let us not let the refs decide the games at times, they are only human.

they keep catering to the casual, and fantasy fan, instead of the real fans of the game. the league as we've known it is long gone

Give the refs MORE objective calls, not less. The more black and white the calls are, the better imo. Presumably you'd see more consistency. I understand a bit of vagueness or subjectivity allows for referee judgement and, in theory, common sense but I think the game is too difficult to allow subjectivity tto often. and if Fatman doesn't like it he can meet me at 61st and Park...

Nice catch!!

I was about ready to head out to Park and then realized I was the grammatical buffoon!

Almost tripped me up mid-goosestep!

I had to take it :)