Block/Charge

[tomegun]

After all the discussion concerning plays in the men's NCAA and a play in the Uconn/Stanford women's game I just saw, this thought come to mind - if a block/charge play is close, we should just call whatever and keep it moving.

Honestly, it is starting to seem like some calls are more about what feels right or is more palatable - the path of least resistance - and not what is technically accurate.

These are tough plays and I don't want to criticize the officials working because...they are working the best games, but some of these plays make you go, "Mmm, that was a block?" I saw the same things in games I worked this season too - I could be doing the same thing. Could statistics and overanalyzing have made this worse than it should be?

[JRutledge]

It seems like these calls are predetermined, instead of calling what actually happens.

Peace

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

It seems like these calls are predetermined, instead of calling what actually happens.

Peace

I agree.

[Pantherdreams]

I agree with the comments about predetermining or anticipating.

I also think that for the sake of consistency officials and crews want "like" plays to be called similarly. Maybe the difference between PC/Block is a step forward later or a half second but I don't think it always gets called on the merits of its own play as much as we got a couple a lot like this as blocks so the crew protects the shield a little bit. Similar to if one guy is letting them play we don't have the other officials calling it tight.

The most difficult part of the block charge for me in a lot of cases like this when I actually officiate, is who and what you can watch. Officiating the defense is fine but on bang-bang plays i need to be able to see what the defense is doing, the offensive player's feet, when a gather happens, when the upward shot is started, and at what point the defender stopped moving forward/ contact happens. Not just assuming based on what it looks like is going to happen. Defense might not be there when the offensive player goes to take the angle but if he slides in and the offensive player tries to pull up. I might have had a block on the drive it had kept going but now the offense has stopped moving so any contact as defense settles is probably incidental. Now I have to see when the ball actually gathered and lifted and I'm trying to track how the offensive player landed through the defender's body as they establihsh . . .it becomes problematic.

Basically on a lot of these right or wrong (an I know I have to get better) I will no call unless certain one way or the other. I won't call based on what i think happened.

[JRutledge]

I think block-charge is one of the easists things to call if you are doing the right things. The NCAA made this tougher by involving a subjective standard to the situation on only airborne players. The problem is IMO the officials have just went to a default mode of calling blocks. Many of these block-charge players have not involved an airborne player and certainly not the ones we have watched this past weekend.

Peace

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think block-charge is one of the easists things to call if you are doing the right things. The NCAA made this tougher by involving a subjective standard to the situation on only airborne players. The problem is IMO the officials have just went to a default mode of calling blocks. Many of these block-charge players have not involved an airborne player and certainly not the ones we have watched this past weekend.

Peace

Jeff -

I know I've seen this on the forum before but didn't one of our members say Adams has told you guys "when in doubt, call a block?" If that's the case that's a huge problem right there. It doesn't even become a "50-50" call anymore.