NFL Network Super Bowl Replays

[NewGuy]

I was watching the same game earlier tonight and was thinking the same thing. The officials seemed to have certain places to start, but no particular mechanics after that. The high school players that help officiate youth ball around here have better mechanics than used back then. Being a young guy myself (22), I'd never seen an old game like this, I guess as an officiating group we have made hugs leaps in looking professional over a couple of decades.

[Texas Aggie]

I've noticed this about as long as there have been replays of older games, but mostly from the college level. Its amazing that the little things, like the stopping the clock signal done while running full speed when not necessarily, by these guys doesn't look good even though they've done it for 20+ years.

Things seem to look better from the mid-80s on, so your 20 year assessment is about right.

[Jim D]

The same basic coverage was there but the mechanics were much less choreographed than they are today. The current practices of sidestepping, squaring off and moves like that developed over the years, possibly in response to the video reviews by officials showing that certain moves looked better on film.

[HLin NC]

I watched it last night and noticed that they seemed real herky -jerky in their movements. In fact in older films I've noticed a lot of jumping over players to get the ball or spot.

It almost looked to me once that a side judge ran in and got a spot on a relatively short running play

I noticed the chains on the sideline and the HL working in some too.

Things have definitely changed.

[Jim D]

The chains worked on the sideline until the sometime in the 80's. Later they moved back about 6 " or so then finally they started the white marking around the field and they moved back to there. Ed Marrion was the HL who championed moving the chains off the sideline because he had a chain crew guy get hurt in a game he was working.

[FredFan7]

I recently was able to watch some NFL games from the early 80s. What I noticed was the deep officials (SJ, FJ, BJ) would let the play PASS them and chase the ball carrier to the endzone. It would often result in the HL and LJ running five yards behind the deep wings. The two wing officials on the same sideline would often converge on the goal-line on 10 yard TD runs and both would arrive at the goal-line at the same time and both signal TD.

I also noticed the wings angled to the dead ball spot and didn't square off coming in the get the forward progress. Then also would charge in to get the spot and not lay back and observe the action. I've seen games from the 60s where one offical actually STRADDLED a player to get the ball and the spot; the player couldn't get up!

Also, the referee would step off penalties and then make his signals. It took penalty enforcements over twice as long.

These officials were the best in their day (Cal Lepore, Fred Silva, Pat Haggerty, Jerry Bergman, Dean Look, Jack Fette, Bob Beeks, Burl Toler, Fritz Graf and more). However, the mechanics taught today are worlds better. It would have been fun to see those officials work with today's mechanics.

[JasonTX]

It makes you wonder what the officials 30 years from now will be saying about our mechanics of today.