NFL Prepared to Hire Replacement Refs

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Why do they need to be full time? Can you practice what they do? I guess they could target pratice throwing the flag so not to hit someone in the eye, I just don't see how going full time would change anything.

I don't understand the logic of saying full-time wouldn't help anything. What do you mean they can't practice. I can think of several things that would help right off the bat:

All refs would be trained to see penalties the same way. For example: Through computer videos you can let them see 4 plays, 3 are PI, one is not, they select which one isn't.

Officials Teams could be varied in the off season, and evaluated and adjusted so that the strengths and weaknesses are better understood.

Officials would be able to watch OTA's and other team based functions providing feedback and also more on field experience for the officials.

Surely the more they see actual and video examples the better they would get.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

I don't understand the logic of saying full-time wouldn't help anything. What do you mean they can't practice. I can think of several things that would help right off the bat:

All refs would be trained to see penalties the same way. For example: Through computer videos you can let them see 4 plays, 3 are PI, one is not, they select which one isn't.

Officials Teams could be varied in the off season, and evaluated and adjusted so that the strengths and weaknesses are better understood.

Officials would be able to watch OTA's and other team based functions providing feedback and also more on field experience for the officials.

Surely the more they see actual and video examples the better they would get.

This. More time for training so it's universally understood what constitutes a penalty can only make the refs better. Think about all the film they could watch, all of the examples they could study, that could help them judge better in real time. I would definitely support refs working full time for the NFL. Pretty sure the NFL wouldn't though because paying the refs would take more money out of their profits, with no forseeable way to make up the difference.

[Lotus]

Since we always win the Super Bowl in strike seasons, does that include seasons when the refs strike?

[Chief X_Phackter]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

I don't understand the logic of saying full-time wouldn't help anything. What do you mean they can't practice. I can think of several things that would help right off the bat:

All refs would be trained to see penalties the same way. For example: Through computer videos you can let them see 4 plays, 3 are PI, one is not, they select which one isn't.

Officials Teams could be varied in the off season, and evaluated and adjusted so that the strengths and weaknesses are better understood.

Officials would be able to watch OTA's and other team based functions providing feedback and also more on field experience for the officials.

Surely the more they see actual and video examples the better they would get.

Well said.

I think there are a lot of potential positives having them at "full time". It would benefit their own knowledge base, tactics, techniques and procedures; and I think NFL teams would surely benefit from having refs present during on-the-field training before the season.