NFL looking to bench "bad" refs

When it comes to officiating, NFL wants to change system of entitlement to accountability

While money seems to be, as it always is, the most important factor in the ongoing dispute between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association, the league has an important point that it's pushing unrelated to dollars and cents.

The NFL wants to establish a bench of officials, who would be available to replace officials who are struggling during the season.

During a Tuesday meeting with various NBC producers and broadcasters, NFL V.P. of officiating Ray Anderson explained passionately — and persuasively — the importance of being able to pull an underperforming official off the field during a season, not after it. Anderson said that the league intends via the lockout to change from an system of "entitlement" to "accountability."

While officials currently are held accountable via week-to-week grading that, depending on overall performance, could get an official fired or demoted, Anderson explained that some officials become complacent once they know they won't be getting a postseason assignment. He also said that some officials are in shape at the outset of the season, but that they are 20 or more pounds heavier later in the year, and in turn unable to keep up with the play on the field.

Though it's hard to discern who's right and who's wrong when it comes to issues of money, it's even harder to find legitimate fault with the league's position on this issue. It's easy to understand why the officials don't want to have to worry about getting benched for a backup. Still, the officiating will never be as good as it can be without the threat of real accountability — and without the ability to swap out a poor-performing official for someone who may be in better position to excel.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/04/when-it-comes-to-officiating-nfl-wants-to-change-system-of-entitlement-to-accountability/

But then who would ref the games?

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:
But then who would ref the games?

They would have a reserve bank of trained ref's.


EDIT - Or was that a joke?

Originally posted by Janitor:

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:
But then who would ref the games?

They would have a reserve bank of trained ref's.


EDIT - Or was that a joke?

joke

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:

Originally posted by Janitor:

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:

But then who would ref the games?

They would have a reserve bank of trained ref's.


EDIT - Or was that a joke?

joke

ill side with the nfl on this. good idea.

I believe this to be a step in the right direction as far as accountability for horrible officiating, as we have all witnessed throughout the years.

But I also can see why the refs would not want this, hence the stalemate.

A rock and a hard place comes to mind.

just we just get the college replay system?

NFLRA responds to league's effort to create "bench" of officials

On Tuesday, NFL V.P. of football operations Ray Anderson made a compelling case for the development of a bench of officials, who would replace during the season "starting" officials whom the league believes should be removed from action.

On Wednesday, the NFL Referees Association responded.

"The concept of hiring an additional 21 officials was raised for the first time by the NFL by a letter dated July 19, 2012," NFLRA spokesman Mike Arnold told PFT via email. "It proposed that the NFL could hire 21 additional officials but not pay them – it wants the current 121 officials to pay them. This is not fair or reasonable and demonstrates that it is a negotiating ploy not a serious proposal."

It seemed like a serious proposal on Tuesday. Anderson was passionate, and persuasive, regarding his views on the topic.

"If the NFL was seriously concerned about this issue why was it never raised or discussed in the 10 months of negotiations prior to July 19?" Arnold said. "The answer is obvious – it is not a serious proposal at all."

The NFL contends that the late addition of the issue makes it no less important. "That's how collective bargaining works," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told PFT via email. "Concepts develop as you bargain. It happened in the CBA negotiations."

The question of whether it's a serious proposal will depend on how aggressively the NFL pushes it. If the league surrenders on the point in exchange for a concession by the officials on another issue, then maybe it really was a ploy.

If it is a ploy, it shouldn't be. It's important to have real accountability, in every line of work.

The NFLRA says that accountability already exists. "The current 121 NFL officials are professionals dedicated to maintaining a high standard of officiating," Arnold said. "The NFL utilizes a detailed evaluation system to grade officials on every play of every game. The NFL has indicated that the accuracy percentage of the real referees is 98% – 99%. The Commissioner recently confirmed this and has stated that the NFL respects and values its real officials. Clearly Ray Anderson hasn't gotten the message from the Commissioner as he continues his ill informed attacks on the real officials.

"The reality is that the NFL monitors its real officials constantly and has a training program in place to immediately address any performance issues. This coupled with the real officials pride and professionalism have always made them accountable," Arnold added. "This latest from Ray Anderson is a distraction from the real focus which is to get back to the table to work toward reaching a fair CBA."

We hope that happens. But it may not occur until the pendulum swings one way or the other after the first set of regular-season games.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/05/nflra-responds-to-leagues-effort-to-create-bench-of-officials/

ref's actin like lil hoes

NFL should just tell the regular refs to go f**k themselves and train up these replacements and make them permanent.

they should bench whoever blew the whistle on that non fumble call in the nfccg

Give the damn refs whatever they want. It won't be much more than a rounding error on the financials and these replacements are terrible.

Originally posted by Overkill:
Give the damn refs whatever they want. It won't be much more than a rounding error on the financials and these replacements are terrible.

Lol, the regular NFL officials are probably the worst of any of the major sports. You did watch the Green Bay/Giants game last year with Bill McCauley, right? Or maybe you didn't.

The fact is, the regular officials do not want any accountability because they know that they will have to donate more time to their officiating skills instead of the cushy jobs that most of them have for 8 months out of the year. These replacement officials have all been officiating football for years...they will be just as good as the "regular" officials very quickly.

Originally posted by dcsham:
Lol, the regular NFL officials are probably the worst of any of the major sports. You did watch the Green Bay/Giants game last year with Bill McCauley, right? Or maybe you didn't.

The fact is, the regular officials do not want any accountability because they know that they will have to donate more time to their officiating skills instead of the cushy jobs that most of them have for 8 months out of the year. These replacement officials have all been officiating football for years...they will be just as good as the "regular" officials very quickly.

LOL, okay - you want to play those games, huh? I can do that, too - Have you watched any preseason games at all?

These guys are no where close to the regular refs. The players have said as much. The coaches would if they could. Their "experience" is in NAIA and Arena League 2 games. There's a reason they weren't even working D1 college ball before now.

Pay these guys close to what they're asking and watch them accept accountability. The fact is that issue wasn't even raised until well into the lock out.