It is going to be really interesting to watch how games are called this season. With massive turnover over the last 2 years, there are larger numbers of new officials throughout the league. Additionally, there has been a lot of reshuffling of the crews in order to geographically align them. The goal for the officiating staff is to allow them to drive to their games instead of flying. So it is possible that each team could see the same crew multiple times this season. Does familiarity breed contempt or comfort?
So we have a lot of rookie and 2nd-year officials, many experienced crews have been broken up, and there has been zero game practice for these crews.
I'm seeing a recipe for disaster here. We're either going to see ticky tacky called games where every other play is a penalty or a free for all

Overall officiating in the last several years has been terrible and seemingly gets worse every year. A lot of this has to do with goofy-a$$ed rules leaving things open for interpretation.

I don't see this year being any different and imagine it will again be worse than the prior year - especially since they have no practice games either.

(08-31-2020, 01:57 PM)Daddy-O Wrote: Overall officiating in the last several years has been terrible and seemingly gets worse every year.  A lot of this has to do with goofy-a$$ed rules leaving things open for interpretation.

I don't see this year being any different and imagine it will again be worse than the prior year - especially since they have no practice games either.

when your a bad team you need officiating. When your a good team you overcome officiating

Look at the bright side, maybe it will break up some of these pro pissburgh crews

I don't understand when teams have scrimmages like we did Sunday night, why were there no refs. Seems like it would have been a good time to get some kind of reps for the refs?

(08-31-2020, 04:08 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I don't understand when teams have scrimmages like we did Sunday night, why were there no refs. Seems like it would have been a good time to get some kind of reps for the refs?

Hobson said that had to do with Covid. They weren't allowed in the building. 

(08-31-2020, 03:03 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Look at the bright side, maybe it will break up some of these pro pissburgh crews

That is what I was thinking.

(08-31-2020, 04:08 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I don't understand when teams have scrimmages like we did Sunday night, why were there no refs. Seems like it would have been a good time to get some kind of reps for the refs?

Same, should of had refs, Lap didn't like this either.

(08-31-2020, 01:57 PM)Daddy-O Wrote: Overall officiating in the last several years has been terrible and seemingly gets worse every year.  A lot of this has to do with goofy-a$$ed rules leaving things open for interpretation.

I don't see this year being any different and imagine it will again be worse than the prior year - especially since they have no practice games either.

Yep

My guess is that as bad as the officiating has been for some time now, if it sux this year, nobody will know the difference.