Sporting News item with Harbaugh and Kick-off Rule Makes Me Wonder about the Officials...

[Beau Petard]

...AGAIN!

I know there's a separate thread on the kick-off rule change(s) (and shas, my apologies, I realize you have already cited this), but I thought this thread might be better suited to discuss the officials and their ability (or inability) to competently officiate an NFL contest during the 2011-2012 season. There's an article I found that quotes Harbaugh on the changes, and also refers to the Bears-Bills game --
"Yahoo Sports reports the Chicago Bears went against the rule in their preseason opener against Buffalo, actually placing the ball on the 30-yard line. The officials did not catch the rules infraction and therefore, the Bears were not penalized."

While my comments may not be strictly Ravens-related, how much longer can the owners diddle around with the rules and not continue to run into the Law of Unintended Consequences, much less find out that the officials are STILL asleep at the wheel way too often?

[edtude]

...AGAIN!

I know there's a separate thread on the kick-off rule change(s) (and shas, my apologies, I realize you have already cited this), but I thought this thread might be better suited to discuss the officials and their ability (or inability) to competently officiate an NFL contest during the 2011-2012 season. There's an article I found that quotes Harbaugh on the changes, and also refers to the Bears-Bills game --
"Yahoo Sports reports the Chicago Bears went against the rule in their preseason opener against Buffalo, actually placing the ball on the 30-yard line. The officials did not catch the rules infraction and therefore, the Bears were not penalized."

While my comments may not be strictly Ravens-related, how much longer can the owners diddle around with the rules and not continue to run into the Law of Unintended Consequences, much less find out that the officials are STILL asleep at the wheel way too often?

Beau
You bring up some good points so I had to check out my High School rulebook --yeah I know it is Highschool but for the most part the rules are the same-- and it clearly states that the kick must be on the the Free Kick line and the funny thing is the official establishes the free kick line by standing on it waiting for the kicking team to come out. So there would be no way that the officials could have or should have missed that call. That is a pretty easy call for them to have missed. It is a difficult task to officiate the game. My god we miss so much at the high school level I can't imagine how fast the pro game is and I can see how plays could be missed but not the kick-off.

[Beau Petard]

ed--
I haven't officiated HS football, but from my experience with soccer, the HS rules have so much BS minutia, it gets distracting, not to mention disconcerting. But doesn't one specific official (of the officiating team) have the explicit responsibility to ensure the kick-off is taken properly? I can't imagine that the NFL officials don't have a similar situation.

Of course, I may unintentionally (or, maybe intentionally ;)) have started another piss & moan thread about the sorry state of officiating.

[edtude]

ed--
I haven't officiated HS football, but from my experience with soccer, the HS rules have so much BS minutia, it gets distracting, not to mention disconcerting. But doesn't one specific official (of the officiating team) have the explicit responsibility to ensure the kick-off is taken properly? I can't imagine that the NFL officials don't have a similar situation.

Of course, I may unintentionally (or, maybe intentionally ;)) have started another piss & moan thread about the sorry state of officiating.

Yes, in HS it is the Back Judge and the Line Judge that go out between the hash marks and wait for the kicking and receiving teams and establish the free kick line and the free kicking zone. The official actually hands the ball to the kicker --unless of course the team has a special kicking ball because in HS both teams do not have to use the same ball, just an approved one. So this missed call by the officials is well kind of inexcusable.