Bobref

One of the most interesting and enigmatic characters I’ve run across in my 42 seasons of officiating. Inspires absolute loyalty and dedication in his players, and (at least in his younger days) alienates almost everyone else. I believe he’s actually mellowed ... a little. There was a time when my favorite game to officiate in the Region was Griffith vs. Lowell, when coaches Radtke and Kennedy were there. The teams didn’t like one another, the coaching staffs didn’t like one another, the fans didn’t like each other, just an electric atmosphere whether at the Boneyard or the Inferno. A real challenge to officiate.

Yes. On a TD, the game clock stops after the completion of the try.

Since we seem to be on the topic of overtime, here’s an interesting play. Team A starts the OT procedure at the B 10 yd. line, 1st and goal. On 1st down they get a holding penalty that pushes them back to the B 26. They then throw 3 straight incompletions. On 4th and goal from the B 26, they attempt a long field goal. The kick is blocked at the LOS and goes to the B 23 where it is muffed by B19 back across the LOS and recovered at the B 28 by A4. He then (a) advances for an apparent TD, or (b) runs it down to the B 5, where he is tackled. Ruling?

The real takeaway from this discussion is IT IS NOT A FOUL UNDER NF RULES TO HAVE 12 IN THE HUDDLE! It is illegal substitution, a 5 yd. dead ball foul, if a substitute comes onto the field, and the player he is replacing does not BEGIN to leave the field within 3 seconds after being replaced. If a replaced player is leaving the field and doesn’t make it off before the snap, that is a 5 yd. live ball foul at the snap for illegal substitution.

This morning I received an official interpretation from the IHSAA. Indiana’s Mercy Rule does not permit any other form of alternate timing, regardless of whether both teams agree. No more running clocks in the first half.

Interesting ... since the new “Mercy Rule” cannot be implemented until the start of the 2nd half at the earliest.

Yes, unless the foul occurred after the ball is dead, the down should be replayed after enforcement. If it was a 5 yd. facemask, it wasn’t a dead ball foul. I have had to explain to coaches several times over the years that, yes, the offended team gets the yardage they made on the play, plus the penalty yardage, and they get to replay the down. But that should not have to be explained to an official.

Yes, Ohio has its own OT procedure, Here it is straight from the OHSAA website: 1) Overtime • At the end of regulation, there will be a three-minute intermission during which both teams may confer with their coaches. During the intermission, the officials will meet the captains at the center of the field for a coin toss. The winner of the toss shall be given the choice of defense or offense or which end of the field the ball will be put into play. Each team will be permitted one timeout per overtime period. • After the coin toss, the offensive team will put the ball in play, first and 10 on the defensive team’s 20-yard line. The possession shall be terminated if the offense scores, the defense has possession of the ball at the end of any down (if the defensive team gains possession, the ball becomes dead immediately) or the offense fails to make the line-to-gain. • After the offense has completed its possession, the defense will become the offensive team. In order to ensure equal game conditions, the same goal shall be used by both teams. • If the score remains tied after each team has been given one series, the procedure shall be repeated, except there will be no coin toss, until a winner is determined. There will be an intermission of two minutes, during which the loser of the original coin toss will be given first choice of the options, which includes the option to change goals. First choice of options will alternate for each overtime period. • There will be an intermission of five minutes after every third overtime period.

“The Pit” is aptly named.

I’m not so sure even the Patriots’ magic would work with AB. I know it worked with Randy Moss. But frankly, Moss was much smarter than AB.

Seriously, is there anything in the world of sports that was easier to predict than this? Antonio Brown and Raiders general manager Mike Mayock got into a heated exchange Wednesday, and the team is now planning to suspend its star wide receiver, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The confrontation, according to Schefter, stemmed from Brown's Instagram post Wednesday when he displayed a letter from Mayock that detailed about $54,000 in fines for missing time during training camp. A source tells ESPN's Josina Anderson that Brown and Mayock got into the argument during Wednesday's practice in front of the team. In the letter, Mayock informed Brown that he was being fined $13,950 for missing a walk-through on Aug. 22, an unexcused absence. The letter also mentions that the team previously had fined Brown $40,000 for missing camp on Aug. 18 -- the day the GM issued his ultimatum to Brown, saying, "It's time for him to be all-in or all-out, OK?" It was not immediately clear as of Thursday afternoon how long the suspension will be. According to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, a player can be suspended a maximum of four weeks for conduct detrimental to the team. The Raiders open their season on Monday night with a home game against the AFC West rival Denver Broncos. After being a mainstay during the Raiders' offseason program, Brown began camp on the non-football injury list because of frostbite on the soles of his feet after a cryotherapy mishap in France in early July. He left camp for two weeks seeking therapy for the feet, which included laser treatments. Brown also was upset with the league for not allowing him to wear his Schutt Air Advantage helmet, the only helmet he has worn in his NFL career, because it is older than 10 years, thus no longer certified. He lost two appeals to use the old helmet. Brown announced Wednesday that he will wear the Xenith Shadow helmet this season, believing it makes him feel more agile and comfortable while allowing for better visibility. Brown was acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a March trade for third- and fifth-round draft picks. He then signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Raiders that includes $30 million guaranteed. The news of Brown's impending suspension had an impact at Caesars Sportsbook, where the betting line moved in the Raiders' season opener against the Broncos. The Broncos now are a two-point favorite at Caesars; the spread had been a pick 'em before news of the suspension. The total also dropped a point to 42.5. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27543780/sources-raiders-suspend-ab-tiff-gm

It was actually a soccer study. What did you expect?

He makes the point that the bias is subconscious. The factors that you talk about become relatively less important as the number of data points increases. These factors end up controlling for one another, i.e., “evening out.”

The subject of unconscious bias on the part of sports officials is a fair one, and numerous studies have shown that it exists under certain circumstances. It’s part of the home field advantage. Because it’s unconscious, it’s difficult to find a way to overcome it, although this study suggests that it diminishes with the experience of the officials involved. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-referees-decision/referees-influenced-by-fans-crowd-size-study-idUSN0327558320070403

I think it should take several seasons of apparent HCC superiority, in both the regular season and the tournament, before we can say the torch has been passed.

Let’s pump the brakes a bit. The HCC is having a fine exhibition season. Let’s see how they do in the real season.

I interpreted the question a little differently. There are 6 distinct types of defensive pass interference, one of which is called “the cutoff.” It’s described as follows: 5. Cut Off Cutting Off or riding the receiver out of the path to the ball by making contact with him without playing the ball. Perhaps this is what the question is about.

Gonzo, I confess that I misinterpreted your post. I thought when you asked if any kids had been fatally injured since lawn jarts were taken off the market, it was a rhetorical question. My bad.

Believe it or not, I’m tipping my cap to the Whiting Oilers. They’ve long been the most successful of the smaller “urban” schools in NW Indiana, but never got as far as they would have liked in the tourney. So, they are trying to upgrade their non-conference schedule. They traveled all the way to Evansville Saturday to play Mater Dei. They got waxed 52-16, but now those kids have a taste of what it is like on the next level. It will help them in the long run, and kudos to the program for being willing to take on such a formidable challenge.

Seriously, this is not the level of analysis we’ve come to expect from you. You could make the case that banning lawn jarts has resulted in an increased risk of serious injury or death. Presumably, many of the kids who enjoyed playing lawn jarts and avoided being killed or maimed are now engaged in more dangerous pursuits, like skateboarding or eating Tide pods.

Is it wrong that I find this funny?

I know a few coaches with an opposing viewpoint. 🤣😂😅

As I said previously, @TrojanDad, here we go ...

The problems with timing under the Mercy Rule I’m hearing about most are easily fixable. But one thing I’ve noticed is that when you ask the crew chief if he went over the Mercy Rule timing procedures with the clock operator prior to the game, he didn’t. Curiously, that’s true even though they did meet with the clock operator in the pregame. I know the IHSAA put together a very clear guide on how the Mercy Rule is implemented, and sent it to every school. But don’t assume the clock operator from your game got it, or read it, or understood it. Make that part of your pregame meeting on timing procedures.

It’s not really a form. More like one of those online surveys.