Reffing in Michigan State games
Here are Brian's UFR referee grades for this year's MSU game:
Offense: +3, -7, -4 overall
Defense: +0, -22, -22 overall
Total: +3, -29, -26 overall
Fans always complain about reffing, but this is ridiculous. I remember reffing being terrible for many of the other Michigan-MSU games in the past. Why is it always so bad for just this game? What can Michigan and the Big 10 do about it?
November 3rd, 2016 at 7:01 PM ^
Teams can and have filed complaints with the conference, of course, and have been able to for a long time, but aside from the occasional staff review and - in a few select instances - discipline, I can't remember things materially changing. The outcome of games certainly wouldn't change regardless.
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:35 PM ^
They won't change anything retroactively, but they could certainly make the types of calls that were missed a "point of emphasis" for future games. Which could come in handy against grab-happy OSU.
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:23 PM ^
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November 3rd, 2016 at 6:55 PM ^
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November 3rd, 2016 at 8:28 PM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:33 PM ^
And even then, every game is going to feature one or two missed holds or dubious PI calls (or non-calls). The issue was the sheer number of blatant holds committed by Sparty - you've got to call at least a couple of those. And the fact that the definition of PI seemed to change late in the game - contact that was let go all game was suddenly called every time.
Hell, even if 50% of the calls Brian griped about get called, that's a vast improvement, and personally would take me from "God that sucked" to "That's a pretty evenly called game".
November 3rd, 2016 at 7:13 PM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 7:06 PM ^
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November 3rd, 2016 at 7:08 PM ^
Reffing?
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:37 PM ^
Refereeing.
November 3rd, 2016 at 7:09 PM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 7:18 PM ^
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November 3rd, 2016 at 7:22 PM ^
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November 3rd, 2016 at 7:53 PM ^
F'ing reffing!
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:02 PM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:06 PM ^
I probably will complain next week anyway, but we shouldn't do it.
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:49 PM ^
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November 3rd, 2016 at 8:12 PM ^
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November 4th, 2016 at 7:14 AM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:58 PM ^
The game last year, however was a travesty. Michigan wins that game easily with competent officiating. The calls were so bad and one-sided that I truly believe there was some unethical influence at play, really.
Regarding the series against MSU, there are by far more WTF officiating moments in this game than any other. We can all name them off..
What I don't understand is why it seems our program always takes the high road. Maybe we just don't know about it, but do we ever lodge formal complaints or protests with regard to the officiating?
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November 3rd, 2016 at 9:46 PM ^
November 4th, 2016 at 12:07 AM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 9:43 PM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 9:54 PM ^
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November 3rd, 2016 at 10:42 PM ^
Officiating football (sports) is difficult.
When working the sideline as a Line Judge, Head Linesman, Field Judge or Side Judge, the head coach and every assistant coach and every support staff and sometimes the players are barking in your ear nonstop about the penalties the OTHER team is committing. Never once will a sideline comment about their OWN team holding, blocking illegally, etc. That certainly plays into the psyche of calling the game from the officials standpoint.
One play, the entire sideline will bitch and moan in your ear about the holding call you just had on their wide receiver. Barking in your ear requiring an exchange. That's going to have an effect on how you officiate the next handful of plays. Was the coach right? Did I really fuck that call up? Makes you lean towards, what they call, a make-up call. Or you say to yourself, I was definitely right and I'm sick and tired of them bitching about something every damn play. I'm not calling shit for them unless it's egregious.
There are 22 players on the field and just 8 officials (5-7 in HS). You can easily get screened by another player in your area of coverage. Officials are trained to read certain players. If the Back Judge misses an obvious jersey tug, rarely is there another set of eyes there to call it. Plus, it's not difficult to miss something right in front of you when a 275-lb TE is blocking a DB between you and the ball.
Or, you can flat out miss it. You can see the whole play, see the foul committed, and still not throw your flag. Your brain freezes. Happens to us all.
On top of this, you're asked to remember a 200+ page rulebook with all kinds of different fouls and violations that may or may not include exceptions as it relates to down, distance, time, type of play, etc. And there are 78 pages of rule interpretations and approved rulings.
Add in a rivalry game where tensions are even higher. Add in Mark Dantonio and Jim Harbaugh, who are awesome coaches and legitimate assholes during games. The officials certainly feel that atmosphere, emotion, adrenaline...
Officiating football (sports) is difficult.
Source: HS football Head Linesman
November 4th, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^
November 4th, 2016 at 7:29 AM ^
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November 4th, 2016 at 10:33 AM ^
November 4th, 2016 at 1:52 AM ^
just saying....
November 4th, 2016 at 8:44 AM ^
November 4th, 2016 at 11:52 AM ^
I think one of the reasons this comes up against MSU is they seem to have a strategy of pushing the envelope with fouls. They identify an area of the game where they can gain an advantage by pushing the rules and they go after it. Honestly, I think this is just good strategy. Trying to hurt someone is dirty, but strategic fouling is just part of the game at this point. We've adopted their strategy of constant borderline pass interference on D to great results.