Is It Time for Replays at the High School Level?

[With_Two_Flakes]

Here's a point that no-one seems to have really made yet. Having instant replay at a game affects the way you call the game.

Your philosophy changes in several areas with IR. If you don't believe me, ask any NCAA guy in your association who works IR games about it. If you have IR:- then a fumble/no fumble, you will favour fumble and keep off the whistle, IR can always say the kid was down and overrule you. If you have catch/no catch, you stay off the whistle as IR can always overrule it to be an incomplete, etc, etc.

These things are in direct opposition to your normal officiating philosophy of "if in doubt, it's XXXXX". If all the schools you work in your city have IR of sufficient standard then OK, you can probably do it. But if they do not, your philosophy will be changing from one Friday to another and you will likely screw up.

As for what constitutes a sufficient standard of camera coverage for IR, I'd suggest a absolute minimum of 4 cameras, one on each sideline, one behind each endzone. All would need to be at a decent elevation. Personally I think there is no place for it in HS football. Has IR even reached down to Div II or Div III college yet?