Quote:
Originally Posted by IAUMP
AJMC, I understand what you are saying. However, if I am the closest official to the tackle and in this case it appears only 3 players involved in the "pile" then my focus is going to be tight. I have 4 other officials to watch the "forest". In looking at the video, you did not have to be "laying prone on the ground within 6" of the pile" or "Getting within a gnat's eyelash of any specific players" to see this.
It is MY and only my opinion that this should have been caught.
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Obviously, you are fully entitled to your opinion, but one of the most persistent
MISTAKES people (including some officials) make when assessing a situation from viewing film/video, is
ASSUMING that the view the camera has is the same view an official
AT GROUND LEVEL (who is often
OUTSIDE the film/video view) are the same.
Was the Umpire, in the op, looking at other players who may have been gearing up for a problem, was his view blocked by a mass of humanity between him and the players on the ground (for just a second). If you have
NO IDEA what he was looking at, how can you honestly declare what he
"should have been" looking at. It's also quite possible that the Umpire actually did vave a BETTER view of what happened and came to a different conclusion than you, based on what he
ACTUALLY saw.
Even "facing" something can be quite different than "focusing on" that same something, or even "seeing" something when there are all sorts of things going on in the direction an Umpire may be looking. Even from the video, can you be sure the opponent didn't believe the ball was still loose and was reaching for it? Can you see him
ACTUAL "poking in the eye"? Remember, we're not supposed to guess what happens, or surmise what likely happened, we're held to a higher standard of absolutely
KNOWING what happened.