CFL Officiating Is Ruining the Game

[Argo]

A sturdy foundation of far too many penalties supporting too many bad (putrid) calls.
Particularly noticeable is one especially incompetent official.

[doubleblue]

I don't know what the answer is, the officials have obviously been ordered by Glen Johnson to call things closer, is he just taking orders from Jake Ireland or is it coming from the owners. I don't think the current players have decided to play the game differently this year. It will always be difficult not calling the obvious off sides, holding or interference. But some of these chinzy calls such as taunting and such like might be better addressed by fines from the League. Why spoil the game by making these continual parade of flags. The fans who pay the bills want to see the players play. They will never stop all the grabbing and holding by OLinemen or so called illegal blocks on kick returns. The game is just too fast now. But just use some common sense, everyone can see the blatant fowls which should be called. Someone is going to look foolish when the order finally comes down to back off. Is that going to be Glen Johnson, Jake Ireland or someone in the League office?

[Double Dare]

A big YES!

[Fumblitis]

A big YES!Yup the outcry of poor officiating resounds nation wide.

[ArgoRavi]

The CFL has admitted to a mistake during the Montreal/Ottawa game which could have had huge ramifications in the East Division race:

The CFL admitted Monday it messed up a call in the RedBlacks-Als game. The RedBlacks were credited with a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter on the field, but the Als challenged and the refs overturned the call. “After reviewing the play, we believe that there wasn’t indisputable evidence to overturn the call on the field of a fumble,” a CFL official said in a statement

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/10/27/refocused-tiger-cats-aim-to-secure-playoff-spot

[argolio]

Maybe they need a super command centre to review the command centre. :D

I guess it's good that they admitted making a mistake, but it still stinks.

[D-Gap-Willie]

I'm really shaking my head about CFL officiating this year. Penalty calls have spiked by more than 25% this year, and the additional calls all seem to be of the 'nit-picking' variety - marginal holding, illegal block and similar calls. The continual interruptions and delay are ruining the flow and excitement of the game; fans ( remember us? - we pay the bills) are fed up with it from coast to coast. I detest NFL comparisons, but in this case it is valid - the NFL averages 13 flags per game - the 2014 CFL average is 23, up from 18 last year.

Even worse is that dangerous play is still not being called more to protect the players. One need only look at the weekly CFL fines for dangerous play, and realize that most of these plays were not penalized before the fine. The players are frustrated that their welfare is not a consideration, but only an apparent need by the officials to be overly officious for their own gratification.

I had hopes (with some skepticism) that the change to an experienced official as the head of officiating (Glen Johnson) would result in great improvement in CFL officiating - I was very wrong. After the public relations disaster dumping Tom Higgins, the officials seem to have closed ranks behind Johnson and are becoming more and more a secret society which cares very little what fans, players or the teams think. I thought Higgins had done a few good things, especially in transparency and response to fan concerns. Now that is all gone as the officials operate their little secret club as they see fit, and if we don't like it, I presume they would tell us to "go watch the NFL".

[AngeloV]

IMO, the worst of all the nitpicking is the amount of OC calls being made. When a player feels he was fouled and acts as if he's reaching for a flag to be thrown, there is no way he should be given an OC for that. If he verbally abused the official, or badly taunts a player he has just beaten, sure go ahead and flag him. But what they are calling OC's for this season is just ridiculous.

[shayman]

Players and fans and the band are of course perfect at all times. We should expect the same from the refs :-)

[Will]

Jim Barker may be facing discipline for being behind the referee on the 3rd and 1 on Saturday. Ticat fans have been insufferably whining since Saturday, firstly over the offside call, which Austin admitted was so and finally about Barker, which they are probably right about since the GM isn't supposed to be where he is.

Bob Young's view of it as per Drew Edwards's Scratching Post:


Unfortunately the other teams are working hard to get better too. So all teams need to win the occasional close game to be successful. The debate here is whether the CFL officiating is good enough to ensure that the outcome of the close games is fair. I would argue the CFL officiating is good and getting better, but still not good enough.

The biggest "controversy" is not so much the call itself, but is the Toronto GM coaching the sideline judge during the play. The result was the official called a very marginal penalty (we've been looking for a similar call on a marginal goal line hand infraction and cannot find one. Every other similar offside we can find has the player's hand offside by four or five inches or more. At the very least there should have been two penalties. The other for objectionable conduct to Toronto for their GM's blatant and successful attempt to influence an official on the field. And, yes, our rules and precedent allow for such a penalty.

As you might expect we (and the other teams) provide loud and pointed feedback to the League office whenever there is an officiating mistake. But the teams seldom publicly comment on these because over a season they tend to even out. The difference here is the Toronto GM's role. I'm looking forward to hearing how the League will ensure this -never- happens again.

[jerrym]

While there is no doubt that CFL officiating could improve, I feel that a significant part of the problem this year comes out of head office demanding tighter calling of penalties. I am all in favour of this with respect to player's actions that increase the risk of injury, but it seems that even other infractions are being called more tightly leading to a growing rate of penalties.

[ArgoRavi]

While there is no doubt that CFL officiating could improve, I feel that a significant part of the problem this year comes out of head office demanding tighter calling of penalties. I am all in favour of this with respect to player's actions that increase the risk of injury, but it seems that even other infractions are being called more tightly leading to a growing rate of penalties.

I suspect that you are right, Jerry. When you look at the penalties called and then look at the replays, in most cases the call is correct in that the player being penalized did really do something against the rules. Some calls could be a little "iffy" but if the league wants the officials to call things by the book, then they will call everything that is happening.

[AngeloV]

While there is no doubt that CFL officiating could improve, I feel that a significant part of the problem this year comes out of head office demanding tighter calling of penalties. I am all in favour of this with respect to player's actions that increase the risk of injury, but it seems that even other infractions are being called more tightly leading to a growing rate of penalties.

Yeah, good point. Probably Glen Johnson wanting to put his new (abuse of) authority to work.

[D-Gap-Willie]

Yeah, good point. Probably Glen Johnson wanting to put his new (abuse of) authority to work.

Glen should realize that if fans want to pay to see 'stripes', they will go to the zoo to watch the tigers and the zebras. "Rules are for the giudance of wisemen and the strict obedience of fools." - Douglas Bader

[Double Dare]

They "let them play" in yesterday's Mtl. vs. T.O. game.

[Argo57]

They "let them play" in yesterday's Mtl. vs. T.O. game.

Yes indeed one of the better officiated games of the season.

[Argocister]

They "let them play" in yesterday's Mtl. vs. T.O. game.


Yes indeed one of the better officiated games of the season.

I whole heartedly agree .....
on fridays Ticat/ Rouge et Noir game t seemed that the stripes were not calling pass interference.... many a time it looked like there was.

I was at the TD Place for the game (cat fan hubby) and it was quite funny how the stadium announcer calls " Mouchoir sur la terre" when there is a flag on the play. then all the fans start yelling out mooooooouuuusssshhhhwwaaaa .... in fact for halloween there were a pair of Orange "Moooouuuussshhhwwaaaaa" costumes . It seems an Ottawa thing .... it wasnt there for the opener though with the Argos . The announcer in Montreal didn't use "mouchoir"

It just goes to show you how the numbers of penalties has been extreme this year .... they've created their own character ..... maybe thats all the stripes wanted was some recognition.

[Double Dare]

Maybe the officials finally got a "memo" (a strip torn off their a$$es) from higher up!

[Argocister]

Maybe the officials finally got a "memo" (a strip torn off their a$$es) from higher up!

Probably true ..... And when news articles are being written about the penalties/ challenges and the refs more than once a season, the supporting crew are taking over the prima donnas spot ...... Not good.

[doubleblue]

Glen should realize that if fans want to pay to see 'stripes', they will go to the zoo to watch the tigers and the zebras. "Rules are for the giudance of wisemen and the strict obedience of fools." - Douglas Bader

I like that.

It does take a special talented person to officiate any sport correctly to maintain the flow of the game and keep control using the rule book as a guide. However, just like any athlete the good ones are hard to find.

[Argo]

Apparently yet another putrid effort from CFL officiating:
http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthread.php?131883-Worst-game-ever-televised

[Argo57]

Apparently yet another putrid effort from CFL officiating:
http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthread.php?131883-Worst-game-ever-televised

An issue the league has to address, half the time the officials look like the keystone cops out there, takes the focus off of the game and squarely on the crappy calls which over time will damage the interest in the CFL.

[Deerkeeper]

Apparently yet another putrid effort from CFL officiating:
http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthread.php?131883-Worst-game-ever-televisedI wonder what team lost.

[AngeloV]

An issue the league has to address, half the time the officials look like the keystone cops out there, takes the focus off of the game and squarely on the crappy calls which over time will damage the interest in the CFL.

Absolutely..you can usually find one of Vallesi, Foxcroft or Bradbury when there is massive confusion among the officials. IMO, this all traces back to Glen Johnson. He should be fired from his position of head of officials if he can't see these three are incompetent as head officials and demote them to line judges at best.

There were at least 3 different occasions Friday, when Bradbury identified the wrong team on a penalty call. Vallesi did the same last night, and IMO is the worst in the league at judging roughing the passer (although Bradbury gave him a run for his money on Friday), and Foxcroft is just usually lost.

[Gill The Thrill]

Bradbury is the worst by a long shot...this clown should be the offensive and defensive player of the week. He moved the ball better than the offenses on Friday with his flags for breathing within 5 yards of the passer. No rhyme or reason or proper discretion of interpreting this penalty and the CFL better address this in the off-season. These protecting the QB rules are getting a little ridiculous and turning the CFL into a touch football league...What next...steamboat counter before the defense can rush the QB. Does the CFL actually scout for the best officials or do they just hire people with names despite their incompetencies. Wonder why Foxcroft is a CFL, and loves his whistle?...his family invented the FOX 40 whistle. The best guy is Proux, Bradbury is so bad it makes Kim Murphy look like a hall of fame ref, which isn't saying much.

Maybe they got to put Higgins back in his role as head of officiating for the CFL because it's gotten worse since he got back into management.