[mikesears]

Originally posted by Derock1986
Sportswriter,
I agree with you 110%! What you call "passion or feel for the game" is what I referred to earlier as "game sense". I was attacked by almost every official in this forum--got no respect. These guys are strickly by the rule book with very little "passion or feel for the game".[/b]

Bologna! I think a majority of the officials who post here DO have a passion and feel for the game. Yes, I've met some that don't. They are the ones who officiate by the seat of their pants. They are the ones who think game-sense ALONE will save them. They are ones who think getting the money is the most important part. They are the ones who have no idea that a forum like this even exists because they haven't looked. Even if they did know it exists, they wouldn't spend the off-season posting to a forum like this because they don't want to learn. Derock, I'm not trying to be mean, but you are bordering that line. Your only saving grace as far as I'm concerned is that you are here (and during the off-season I might add).


[QUOTE]Originally posted by Derock1986
You and I being youth officials understand how important it is to combine some game sense with your rule knowledge. Throwing a flag for every foul you see is poor officiating. I'm not suggesting we close our eyes, just let 'em play!

Agreed. In comparing you two, Sportswriter has the rules knowledge. (ba-da-dump-bump). I also agree that officiating is also about knowing when to apply the rules and when to let things go. However, you have to KNOW the rules in order to know when NOT to apply them.

Originally posted by Derock1986
Making the right calls or non calls during key moments of the game has everything to do with using "game sense" or "having a feel for the game" and this is important at all levels of officiating.

I partly agree, but I wouldn't say only during KEY MOMENTS of the game. Something I'd flag as a safety foul in the first minute should be called the same way in the last minute.

Originally posted by Derock1986
The running into the kicker call made by the R in the Steelers-Titans game was a bad call. Did the guy run into the kicker--yes, slightly. Should he have been penalized--no. The kicker flat out missed the field goal . . .

I didn't see the play so I can't comment. All I've seen is a still picture of contact. However, the fact that the field goal was missed doesn't have any bearing. The white-hat who makes that call isn't going to know if the attempt was good or not anyway. He will make the call based upon the action against the kicker. This is mechanics 101.

Originally posted by Derock1986
. . . and the contact was not severe enough to draw a flag and give them another opportunity. In a critical situation like that, you don't want to make a questionable call to decide the game(won't find this in the rule book, check your game sense).

NFL officials are told over and over not to guess. "Be sure it is a foul" is their motto. Roughing and running into fouls are SAFETY fouls and should be flagged every time - regardless of game situation. You contend that the action wasn't "running into". The R saw the play differently and he was much closer to the action. He also has to have a number of years of experience in order to even work in the NFL, let alone white-hat. I think I will defer to the NFL referee's call on this one.



The fact that the play was a "Critical Situation" isn't a factor. NFL officials are graded on every play regardless of the game situation.