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The week prior to a calendar changes prompts a look back at the biggest and best of the year in every imaginable category. There are no trophies, but in this case there ought to be. In the year-end Sports Illustrated, Richard Deitsch named NFL on Fox officiating analyst Mike Pereira as the best sports media person of the year.

Periera retired last year as the vice-president of officiating, in which his weekly chores included an “Official Review” segment on the NFL Network. It was the first time someone from the league office made himself available on a weekly basis to discuss the calls on the field. Even though it was filtered through the league-owned cable network, he still used the platform to engage in controversial calls and critiques of the officials.

Pereira’s retirement was partially motivated by his desire to live near his elderly parents in California, and the league office is in New York. Fox Sports seized the opportunity to hire Pereira, as they are, unlike their competition, located in Los Angeles.

The incorporation of Pereira into the broadcast is nothing short of genius. Serving as a rules-interpretation jukebox, he will pop in to a broadcast to relieve the game commentators from embarrassingly wrong analysis of the NFL rulebook. So far, he was correct on 49 of 50 replay challenges this season, or right on the league average of 98 percent. (In this case, “correct” means matching the call made on the field.)

Pereira has even made himself available during the Thanksgiving Day game and the regionally telecast Giants–Vikings game that was moved to Monday due to stadium damage.

The part that we miss, however, is the non-Fox games, obviously. It becomes painfully obvious when a former jock shows his complete lack of knowledge of the sport he once played. (Isolated example, video of Matt Millen’s complete lack of understanding of how the end-zone pylon indicates in-bounds and out-of-bounds.)

We appreciate Pereira’s analysis, but he is now hamstrung by league rules from showing game footage outside of the “broadcast window” to explain the calls beyond Fox game broadcasts or on the Internet. Even with that limitation, his analysis has been the obvious, slap-to-the-forehead answer to decades worth of bad rules interpretation from the booth.

We haven’t been reviewing the “Official Review” segments on the NFL Network this season since its debut under Carl Johnson. Johnson, the new vice-president of officiating, has not appeared on the network’s signature program NFL Total Access on a weekly basis, like his predecessor, Mike Pereira. In addition, the segment has less plays and less-controversial plays under review than last year.

We happened to catch this week’s “Official Review,” so here’s the recap:

• From the Tuesday night game against the Eagles, Vikings receiver Sidney Rice scored a touchdown that was overturned on replay. Rice did not secure the ball through the process of the catch, and the ball touched the ground, rendering it incomplete (video).
• From the Giants–Packers game, there is more of a process review, rather than analysis of a call. On the fumble by Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, it was apparent from the replay that all players who touched the ball were in bounds (video). Johnson briefly notes the need for a player to re-establish himself in the field of play, which could have been explained at greater length for an audience, rather than repeating the same points.

Johnson is improving his presentation skills slightly since his first appearance, but he appears to have enough material to cover one-third of the segment, requiring him to repeat some of the more basic points in his presentation. Hopefully by next year, the network can coach Johnson to not divulge everything up front, allowing the host to ask follow-up questions to pad out the segment.

Dec. 28, 1975
NFC Divisional Playoff: Cowboys at Vikings

Thirty-five years ago, “Hail Mary” became a football term after Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach so described the desperation pass that connected with Drew Pearson in a playoff game with the Vikings.

In the final drive, the Vikings were convinced that the touchdown should never have counted by crucial calls on two plays in the drive. In protest, a hailstorm of debris was thrown from the Metropolitan Stadium crowd, with a half-full bottle of Corby’s whiskey striking an official in the head.

A video of the original CBS television broadcast called by Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas is below.

Fourth and 16. Staubach connected with Pearson near the sideline, but landed out of bounds at the 50-yard line. Head linesman Jerry Bergman ruled that it was a completion, and that he would have landed in bounds if Vikings cornerback Nate Wright had not pushed Pearson out. The rule, which was changed in 2008, allowed the official to rule a completion in case of a “force out” prior to being able to get two feet down in bounds. Vikings coach Bud Grant disagreed with the call, but said that when Wright contacted Pearson, “the official gave Pearson the benefit of the doubt.”

The Hail Mary. After an incomplete pass, Staubach heaved the ball to Pearson who was at the 4-yard line and tangling with Wright. Pearson caught the pass and walked in for the go-ahead touchdown. Wright immediately protested the call with field judge Armen Terzian, claiming offensive pass interference should have been called, and would have had the interception if he wasn’t interfered with. Coach Grant thought it was clearly a penalty:

From our side of the field, there is now question that Nate was pushed. No question. [Pearson] had nothing to lose. If they called a penalty on him, what had he lost? They would just line up and try another long pass. It was one chance in a hundred that he would get away with it, but it was the only chance he had.

Pearson claimed he was playing the ball, but admitted that he might have gotten called for a push:

It was a little bit short so I had come back a little and that gave me a chance to get away from Nate. The ball juggled around a little and I finally caught it between my elbow and my ribs. … I thought I might have gotten pass interference. It could have gone either way.

No penalty was called, and the touchdown stood.

Terzian gets pelted. The irate crowd was already throwing things onto the field, as an NFL Films slow-motion video shows an orange hitting the field during the touchdown reception. With the Vikings in possession for the final seconds of the game, Terzian, the field judge, was struck in the head by a bottle, rendering him unconscious. Bergman, the head linesman, immediately came to his aid and was holding Terzian’s head until the Vikings medical staff arrived. Terzian had to leave the game and backup official Charley Musser officiated his position for the final two plays. Terzian required 11 stitches to close the gash in his forehead.

There are two postscripts to Terzian’s career. First, he is immortalized in a 1978 NFL Films clip which Chiefs head coach Marv Levy was wearing a microphone on the sideline. After admitting in pregame that he went to the college with Terzian, he is later seen screaming one of the most memorable quotes captured by the NFL Films microphones (which I cannot find online without being doctored up by the uploader):

Hey, Armen. Hey, you over-officious jerk.

Second, Terzian moved to a replay judge in the first generation system in the mid-1980s. During a 1988 Giants–Cowboys game, the opening kickoff was muffed by the Cowboys receiver and was ruled a safety. Terzian should have overruled the call (as was the procedure in the earlier version of replay review), but he never called for a review. The points were decisive, as the Giants won 12-10. For his error, Terzian was suspended by commissioner Pete Rozelle, but Terzian opted to retire.

Terzian died in 1989 at the age of 74.

Video credit: NFL/CBS Sports. Photo  credit: Charles Curtis/Duluth News Tribune

Week 16: Lions at Dolphins

With under two minutes left in the second quarter of the Lions–Dolphins game, Chad Henne completed a touchdown pass to receiver Davone Bess (video). The replay assistant called for a review, and referee Tony Corrente upheld the ruling on the field of a touchdown. However, while Bess did get both feet down in bounds with possession with the ball across the goal line, several replay angles show Bess’ left foot out of bounds just before he leaps to make the catch.

A tipped ball complicates this play. Any player who steps out of bounds cannot be the first to touch the ball. However, the ball was tipped by Lions defensive back Tye Hill, so if Bess’ foot returned to the field of play before the tip, the catch would’ve been legal. But replays seem to show that Bess’ foot landed out of bounds just after the tip, then was in the air, and thus not yet re-established in the field of play (if this even matters), as he caught the ball.

So the question is, does the defender tipping the pass negate the need for Bess to get his foot back in bounds before touching the ball? Or should this TD catch have been overturned?

Luckily for the Lions, it wound up not costing them the game.

Week 16: Vikings at Eagles

Tonight’s game in Philadelphia had to be postponed due to a coastal winter storm that is forecasted to bring blizzard conditions to the area. It is the first Tuesday game since Oct. 1, 1946, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, when the Giants played the now-defunct Boston Yanks.

Oddly, this game was originally scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m., when conditions were not bad for Philadelphia, but the game had already been moved to primetime under the flexible scheduling provision for Sunday Night Football. By 8:00, the conditions are expected to be far too dangerous for the public.

Philadelphia hosted the 1948 NFL Championship game at Shibe Park between the Eagles and the Chicago Cardinals in a heavy snowstorm. Despite the league office considering a postponement, commissioner Bert Bell allowed the game to be played (video from E-footage.com).

The decision to postpone the 2010 game is the right one from a public-safety standpoint. As incredibly awesome as the sight might have been of a heavy snowstorm, it is not worth jeopardizing the safety of the fans, game personnel and emergency services. In the end, it is just a football game.

Rule 17 of the NFL rulebook outlines the procedures that the NFL took in making a decision today:

Article 4. The NFL affirms the position that in most circumstances all regular-season and postseason games should be played to their conclusion. If, in the opinion of appropriate League authorities, it is impossible to begin or continue a game due to an emergency, or a game is deemed to be imminently threatened by any such emergency (e.g., severely inclement weather, lightning, flooding, power failure), the following procedures (Articles 5 through 11) will serve as guidelines for the Commissioner and/or his duly appointed representatives. The Commissioner has the authority to review the circumstances of each emergency and to adjust the following procedures in whatever manner he deems appropriate. If, in the Commissioner’s opinion, it is reasonable to project that the resumption of an interrupted game would not change its ultimate result or adversely affect any other inter-team competitive issue, he is empowered to terminate the game.

Article 5. The League employees vested with the authority to define emergencies under these procedures are the Commissioner, designated representatives from his League office staff, and the game Referee. In those instances where neither the Commissioner nor his designated representative is in attendance at a game, the Referee will have sole authority; provided, however, that if a Referee delays the beginning of or interrupts a game for a significant period of time due to an emergency, he must make every effort to contact the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designated representative for consultation. In all cases of significant delay, the League authorities will consult with the management of the participating clubs and will attempt to obtain appropriate information from outside sources, if applicable (e.g., weather bureau, police).

Article 6. If, because of an emergency, a regular-season or postseason game is not started at its scheduled time and cannot be played at any later time that same day, the game nevertheless must be played on a subsequent date to be determined by the Commissioner.

Let us know your opinions about the calls in Week 16 in the comments. Referee assignments are after the jump.

Quick Updates

• Titans at Chiefs. Chiefs were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for a leap into the front row by several players. As referee Scott Green announced “Only one man is permitted to jump into the stands.”

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Week 15: Jets at Steelers

A failure in basic officiating crew mechanics is rare in the NFL. While there is room for argument on a judgment call or a missed call, errors in mechanics are inexcusable.

In the second quarter on a first-and-10 play from the Jets 35, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall gained nine yards. Line judge John Hussey clearly spotted the ball at the 26, way short of the line to gain (video). The CBS yellow-line graphic is estimated by a technician outside of the stadium, so it cannot be counted on for accuracy. However, we don’t need the benefit of the first-down graphic; we can clearly see that the Steelers had to advance to the 25.

(A similar instance happened in Week 14 between the Redskins and Buccaneers, but ultimately it appears that there was confusion, not an incorrect call. We hope to have a post up on that soon.)

There are two first down markers: the 10-yard chain and a reference (or “auxilary”) marker placed on the first down line on the sideline opposite the chain. The chain is the official demarcation of a first down, and we can clearly see that both stakes are placed exactly on the 35- and 25-yard lines. That is what makes this even more troubling, because it is certainly easier to judge a first-down line that is on, rather than between, the five-yard intervals.

Although not seen in the video, referee Pete Morelli would have signaled first down after the run. Only then would the chain crew advance to mark a new set of downs. However, head linesman George Hayward has a responsibility for the chain crew, and in this case, should have been the first to step in to correct the error. Hussey, as line judge, and opposite the head linesman, should have been the second one to call out the error. In addition, umpire Ruben Fowler, while hovering over the ball to maintain the spot until the next play, should have noticed that the ball did not advance to the 25-yard stripe, when the previous down was dead on the 35-yard line.

The spot of the ball in relation to the first-down marker can be challenged in replay, but the Jets would have had to use one of their challenges.

The Steelers completed the drive with a touchdown. Following the erroneous first down, the Steelers had an incomplete pass and were sacked, which, not counting a different play selection based on the down, would have brought up a 4th-and-8.

An odd side effect of the phantom first down: fantasy football. Mendenhall rushed for exactly 100 yards, including the one yard the statisticians had to give him in order to credit him with the first down.

Week 15: Packers at Patriots

Referee Ed Hochuli won’t have the benefit of his informative public-address announcements to defend a flag in the second quarter of the Sunday night game.

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reports a helmet-to-helmet hit by Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty on Packers tight end Andrew Quarless was penalized 20 to 30 seconds after the play because Hochuli received visual confirmation from a scoreboard replay.

The scoreboard video can never be used by officials to make any ruling. Ever.

I have to see the video of the call myself, but it may not be relevant if Hochuli saw a penalizable action on the scoreboard. As the head referee, Hochuli doesn’t call downfield penalties, because his coverage area is the quarterback. However, Hochuli would make the ultimate call in a case where the covering officials are “tied” in their decision.

That said, the appearance of the use of the scoreboard video is troubling. This is likely to stoke the rumor mill, so I expect the league to make a statement on this by midweek, even if it is a one-sentence (or one-word) answer.

Also likely is that Patriots coach Bill Belichick will fry the video board director who rolled a replay that oddly may have disadvantaged the home team.

Belichick also addressed the highly litigious Hochuli crew: “Look these guys call the most penalties of any crew in the league. … We knew it was going to be a [tightly officiated] game, and it was. I’ve got to do a better job preparing the team.”

Week 15: Packers at Patriots

After administering a pass interference penalty at the 1-yard line, the Packers were trying to snap the ball quickly, which referee Ed Hochuli announced was impermissible:

We were coming out of a penalty and the team has the opportunity to line up. [Whistles heard after a pause.]

There was no timeout called. There was no timeout called. I came in and stopped the play, because coming out of an administrative stoppage, both teams need to come out and be set.

Thanks to the Sunday Night Football Extra online feed, I was not only able to rewind to see exactly what was being called, but could do so from multiple angles (something oddly missing from each team’s replay review capabilities). Within seconds of the penalty being announced and spotted, the Patriots are seen substituting at least four players when the Packers are huddled. (At least four are seen offsides in the picture, three entering and one leaving the field; there are others out of frame.) The Packers break the huddle at that point, trying to catch the Patriots shorthanded and offside.

A reasonable amount of time was not given, especially since the ball was as far away from the team bench as possible.

Unrelated post-script. A quick side note of appreciation from the Sunday Night Football crew for their work on a first down measurement. NBC brought one of their StediCams on the field to zoom in on the one-link-short measurement. In the photo below, you can see the live camera angle in the inset picture, with the overhead cable camera in the larger picture, revealing the StediCam operator. Now why he’s wearing shorts in sub-freezing Foxborough, Mass., is another story, but his shot was excellent.

(Lawyers, please, I try to keep game footage pictures to a minimum, only if the point can’t be illustrated otherwise. But, do appreciate the plug.)

Image credits: NFL/NBC Sports via Sunday Night Football Extra

Jets trainer Sal Alosi, who was suspended for the remainder of the 2010 season and postseason for tripping an opponent, has confirmed conspiracy theories that there was a deliberate attempt to ensnare a member of the Dolphins’ punt coverage.

Alosi admitted to the Jets, after his original discipline was announced, that he aligned inactive Jets players in a 5-yard sideline flank intending on creating an obstacle along the sideline. There is no specific “rule” against it, other than it is unsportsmanlike conduct.

However, there are sideline restrictions in place, but officials are unable to patrol sideline activity, unless it involves the boundary line or some obvious interference from the sidelines. I can recall attending an NFL game on a windy day where the referee directed stadium security to call the sideline because of an allegation that a large door was opened when the visiting team had the ball. The referee wasn’t monitoring the situation, but directed stadium personnel to take charge.

Nonetheless, the NFL issued a reminder to all 32 teams that sideline interference harms the integrity of the game, as if that needed to be said. However, there is one new point of enforcement in the league’s memo:

To assist with the enforcement of this rule, effective immediately, all game officials are being instructed not to engage in any prolonged discussion with any coach outside of the permitted zone while play is in progress.

Because this is a midseason change of mechanics, this automatically places it on the Competition Committee’s agenda for the offseason. We will put it on ours, as well.

The entirety of the NFL’s statement is after the jump.

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