ESPN - The Future of Officiating

[briancurtin]

i just read this article http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/featu...=ESPNHeadlines and figured i would pass it on and see what you guys think about it.

i have posted the baseball references in this thread for those who just want the quick access. if anyone thinks it is too long for this post, let me know and i'll take them out and you can just check out the article directly.

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The Jeffrey Maier rule
Florida 6, Arizona State 3 (College World Series semifinals), June 23, 2005

Florida was up one game to none in the best-of-three series, but trailed 3-0 in the fourth inning of Game 2. After the Gators' Brian Jeroloman reached first on a walk, Brandon McArthur hit a foul ball off first base. ASU catcher Tuffy Gosewisch dove into the stands but missed making the catch. Home plate umpire Bill Davis ruled fan interference and called McArthur out. The play didn't stop Florida's rally, though, and the Gators advanced to the championship series.

AND . . .

Nationals 6, Phillies 3, Aug. 15, 2005

A huge crowd showed up at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to watch the battle between the NL East rivals and wild-card contenders. The Nats were up 3-2 in the top of the third and had a man on base when Preston Wilson apparently sent a Brett Myers pitch over the center-field wall. A fan (wearing a Yankees cap) leaned over to try to grab the $4 souvenir, but missed. The ball careened back onto the field. First-base umpire Alfonso Marquez ruled it a home run.

But Phillies right fielder Bobby Abreu contended the ball hit the fan below the top of the wall, and should have been a ground-rule double. After Phillies manager Charlie Manuel also protested, the umpires huddled and ruled that Marquez had made the correct call. Home run.

The 2015 scenario: The solution to baseball's fan-interference problems will be ancient history, as every major league ballpark will be required to push seats back from all walls and provide at least a 3-foot separation between fans and any ball that could possibly be in play. No longer will fans be able to lean over onto the field, and players will no longer be within diving reach of the stands.

Referee magazine publisher Barry Mano looks forward to a day when ground rules will be more heavily scrutinized and fans who interfere with the action will be dealt with more harshly. In addition, outfield walls will more clearly delineate home runs. Painted lines (did the ball hit over it or under it?) and fences atop walls won't be allowed, except in a few historical parks such as Fenway. And even there, sensors on the wall will indicate the precise point of impact. As a backup, a multitude of digital cameras will be available; and the stodgy baseball traditionalists who've resisted instant replay will finally have been pushed aside. A limited replay system, much like the one in place in the NFL, will be in use.

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'Trap' door
White Sox 2, Angels 1 (Game 2, ALCS), Oct. 12, 2005

A.J. Pierzynski was at bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the score tied at 1-1. Angels reliever Kelvim Escobar induced Pierzynski to swing for strike three, and Angels catcher Josh Paul rolled the ball back to the mound, ready for extra innings. But Pierzynski, believing the catcher had trapped the ball, took off for first when Paul didn't try to tag him to ensure the third out. He made it easily, since the Angels were already on their way to their dugout. The Angels protested, arguing that home plate umpire Doug Eddings had clearly signaled strike three.

Eddings conferred with the other umps, and the play stood. Then Joe Crede drove Pierzynski home with the winning run. After the game, Paul said he would have tagged Pierzynski or thrown to first if he had heard Eddings call the customary "No catch, no catch" when a third strike is trapped. Eddings admitted he hadn't said "No catch," but added that after reviewing the play from multiple angles, "I had questions. I didn't have him catching the ball."

The 2015 scenario: MLB will embrace instant replay, using it most frequently in playoff and World Series games. In addition, sensors implanted in every game ball will register every point of contact with a time-stamp, accurate to the thousandth-of-a-second. The sensor will be able to differentiate between types of impact, as well -- whether the ball hit the plate, a base, the dirt, the grass, a glove, a uniform, skin, a helmet, and so on. This data will be matched up precisely and quickly, with high definition digital video cameras that tightly focus on key areas of play -- especially home plate. Within 60 seconds, the sequence of events -- from the ball's point of view -- will be precisely determined. It will be clear whether the ball hit the dirt before it was squeezed in the glove.

By 2015, umpiring also will be much more standardized. Home plate umpires no longer will be allowed to have idiosyncratic styles for calling balls and strikes. They will be judged for game management skills, and signature styles will be no more than a distant memory.

In addition, officials in all sports will become more skilled at dealing with the media in explaining their calls. They will receive more training in this area, and the best at these skills will be called upon more frequently to be official spokesmen.

[Edited by briancurtin on Dec 31st, 2005 at 12:41 AM]