Ethics or Not?

[Ed Hickland]

On Monday Night Football Coach Madden talked about ethics among NFL officials when a flag was thrown for a minor infraction near the end of the game.

It brought back a play last year. Score 55-7. The team on the bottom on offense. Following the snap an offensive lineman grabs a defensive player and turns him sideways. The runner sweeps to the left and gains 30 yards.

Coach is yelling "55 to 7."

Should you not call the obvious? Was it poor judgement?

[JDLJ]

For a number of reasons, you should call the obvious foul-
It's going to show up on the film and you'll look like a fool for missing it.
It promotes bad habits by the players. That same hold could cost the team a game later in the season.
You signed a contract and agreed to officiate the game according to the rules. If you don't intend to do that, you're not fulfilling your contract.
Be consistant in your calls. If you start letting things go in blow outs are you going to start letting things go in close games because "you don't want to take the game away from the players"?

[WyMike]

I don't believe this to be an ethics issue. If you have a foul flag it, period. You let one go this time what will happen on the next play? Will the defense ratchet it up a notch and tempers start to come into play? Will the game get out of hand? Will you toss a flag against the other team for the same infraction a few plays later?

There was a recent article on the last page of Referee Mag regarding young girls softball I was reading this morning while in the "study". One team is up something like 52-0 and the mercy rule doesn't come into play until after the 3rd inning. Losing team's pitcher lobs a ball and it comes up short and "rolls" to the batter. Ump hollers "STRIKE ONE!". Next pitch is over the batters head, "STRIKE TWO!" and of course he gets a "STRIKE THREE! in there as well. Ref Mag made it seem like an "honorable" thing to do.

I don't get it. I would rather be known as a fair official whom makes fair calls on a consistent basis than the type of official whom'll let things slide. Life isn't always fair and one will get beat down at times. Sports isn't any different. Learn a life lesson and by the way, my senior year we went 2 and 9 and managed to be everyone's Homecoming opponent that year. LOL

WM

[jfurdell]

And in the NFL, where they get graded on everything, I don't think they have a choice but to call the obvious fouls, even in a blowout.

[JRutledge]

An NFL Umpire in my association said at a clinic one time, "The NFL knows every time I scratch my arm, what else do you think they know?"

Call the game until it ends. When you are being evaluated on every play like the NFL you should call the game as you did at the very beginning of that game. Someone is always watching, you should keep calling fouls the obvious fouls until the game ends.

Peace

[cowbyfan1]

This was brought up in a game I had as well. Team A down by a ton and fixing to punt. Only 10 players on the field. A11 comes running on late with 2 of his chin straps (one on each side) unsnapped and flapping like a bird's wings. He tried to snap one side and could not and he gets set. I blow my whistle and flag him for it. I was told I was "rubbing it in" and to let it go in a blow out. It was obvious to everyone in the stadium this kid was not legal and I also looked at it as a safety issue. So was I wrong?

Side note. The HC of that team started chirping at me for calling it. I finally told him "did you not say before the game all your player were legally equipped?" He said "yes." So I told him "then consider yourself lucky that I flagged him for a 5 yarder instead of you for a 15 yarder." I know that it really does not work that way but it clammed him up quickly.