Football Zebras.com

As alluded to earlier, the league has placed a new rule for replay regarding the clock. Up until now, only a reversal of an on-field call would allow the clock to be changed via replay.

The new rules, which are only in effect for the playoffs and the Super Bowl, summarized:

• Only the last play of a half or overtime period would be subject to this review.
• Replay can determine if the clock should have or should not have expired.
• For the end of the first half, the clock won’t be adjusted following a scoring play. For the end of the second half, the clock may be adjusted to allow for a kickoff as long as neither team leads by more than eight points.
• For the end of the second half, the clock can be reviewed to allow for a snap if a team is trailing by eight points or less, or the game is tied. In overtime, it would be automatic, as both teams are tied.

For the overtime session, there has never existed a situation in the history of the NFL postseason where the clock was ever a factor. That is because the conclusion of the first overtime period is treated as a change in quarter: teams just switch sides of the field, and the next play is from the succeeding spot. I suppose there could be an advantage in an outdoor stadium to allow one play before a switch because of field conditions or wind, but that is highly unlikely.

In a USFL postseason game, however, the clock was a factor. In the 1984 Quarterfinal Playoff, the Michigan Panthers and the Los Angeles Express played to a 21–21 tie through two overtime periods. The third overtime period begins with a kickoff, so the team in possession at the end of the sixth quarter might lose the ball to start the seventh quarter. This is really the only situation where the clock review will come into play in overtime.

(The longest NFL game was Christmas Day, 1972, when the Dolphins and Chiefs had 7:20 remaining in the second overtime period. In NFL/AFL history, only five games went in the second overtime.)

All of that said, there is a strong possibility that this is all moot and there will not be any review of the clock in any of the 11 postseason games. (Glad I could waste your time reading this!) The rule automatically expires at the end of the Super Bowl, and then is placed on the Competition Committee’s agenda for review.

Usually we will give a complete rundown of the “Official Review” segment from the NFL officiating department, but we wanted to advance the news out of that segment to its own post first.

A tip-off to a rare midseason rule change was dropped as vice-president of officiating Mike Pereira (video) was dissecting the fumble recovery in the Eagles–Giants game, which appeared to give the ball to the Eagles with two seconds. Being a nonreviewable play, the half had expired, and the time was not added to the clock.

Pereira said that the league ownership—which currently has a quorum attending an unrelated labor seminar in Dallas—might pass an interim rule change to allow the time on the clock to be reviewable. Because all networks record a camera (usually the live play camera) with a superimposed image of the stadium clock (as opposed to a graphical representation in the “information bar” usually seen on the screen), this combined image could be used for making adjustments to the clock. Quoting Pereira:

We may look at actually making this a rule for the playoffs, that the clock could become reviewable in certain situations. Obviously, there are some situations where it can’t, but [it could for]:

• loose ball going out of bounds,
• runner going out of bounds,
• ball hitting out of bounds,
• a pass hitting out of bounds,
• a field goal hitting the net,

where you have a definitive picture as to when the ball should be dead, and you have the clock superimposed. We may be able to get that this year for the playoffs.

Under the criteria outlined by Pereira—there may be additional criteria that was not mentioned— the play from Sunday night would still not be reviewable. We crack our rulebook to Rule 15, Section 9, which lists under “nonreviewable plays include, but are not limited to … status of the clock, … recovery of loose ball in the field of play.” So, by striking “status of the clock” under the proposed rule change, we are still looking at a fumble recovery not being reviewable unless the sideline or end zone is under review.

And, obviously, the status of the clock by itself is not currently reviewable, but if some other element of the play is under review, replay can adjust the clock to be compliant with any overturned call.

As we found out with the 2,100-inch high-definition screen in the new Cowboys Stadium that blocks punts—yes, I just broke out the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the diagonal measure—any rule changes that occur midseason expire at the end of the season and are automatically placed on the Competition Committee agenda to discuss permanent inclusion.

Predictably, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has skipped over enshrining an official, despite the fact that baseball, basketball and hockey already have done so. In fact, while officials make the long list of nominees, they are routinely pared off the list as the field of semifinalists is announced. Officials who have made the long list recently are:

• 2010: Jim Tunney
• 2009: Ben Dreith
• 2008: Art McNally, Pat Haggerty, Tunney
• 2007: Rex Stuart
• 2006: Haggerty, McNally
• 2005: Haggerty, McNally

None of these men have advanced to the semifinal. So little respect is paid to the position, that 2007′s Rex Stuart, who officiated the umpire position, had his name misspelled on the Hall’s website. The nomination of the obscure Stuart further underscores the uphill battle for officials, as he never officiated a Super Bowl, although he was an alternate in Super Bowl XXIX.

This year’s nominee hoping to advance to the semifinal list of 25 is Jim Tunney. He is currently working as a motivational speaker and writes the Tunney Side of Sports blog.

He was not on the list.

We reported when Tunney was first placed on the long list that at least two non-players advance to the semifinal, usually of the ownership ranks. (This year, former Browns/Ravens owner Art Modell and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue advance to the group of 25.) While there would not be a game today if not for the tremendous investment that a franchise requires, there also would not be any respectable competition if not for a highly qualified officiating staff.

Perhaps some of our nominated officials should band in their cause with retired NFL punters, another position excluded from the Hall of Fame.

Update: Tunney posted the following statement on his blog:

A huge THANK YOU to each and every one of you who took time to vote for me as a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Committee has selected its top 25 to be voted on for the class of 2010. I was not selected, however, as I said above, “Wait’ll next year!” Indeed, I do count my blessings.

This point from the weekly “Official Review” segment deserved a post as a newsworthy item in its own right. Mike Pereira, the league’s vice-president of officiating, addressed three critical administrative errors in Week 10, which we discussed in length. (video, discussion of new mechanics at 6:10)

One of the errors has lead to a change in operation. When a coach has exhausted his coach’s challenges, he will be informed by the referee, much like when all three timeouts have been used. Quoting Pereira:

We are going to initiate a change in …  these situations. When a team uses all of their timeouts, [the current practice is that] the referee has to go over and tell the head coach. We are going to same thing when he has used his challenges. We are going to go inform the coach face-to-face that he’s used all of his challenges.

Usually, this is done by announcement, but the new rule will require the referee to inform the coach, consistent with Rule 15, Section 2, Article 4:

The Referee must notify the coach and field captain when his team has used its three charged time outs, signal both coaches when two minutes remain in a half, and positively inform the coach of any disqualified player. He may not delegate any such notifications to any other person. He will announce on the microphone when each period is ended.

Referee Peter McCabe is recuperating from a vicious attack at the conclusion of a North American Football League game on Saturday in Rochester, N.Y. McCabe was allegedly assaulted by a player from the Western New York Cougars, who, according to reports, pummeled the referee with the player’s helmet.

McCabe’s nose was detached with most of his facial bones broken. His alleged assailant, Leon Woods, is in prison on $10,000 bail, charged today with first-degree assault.

Peter McCabe, a referee of a football game in Rochester, N.Y., is tended to after being allegedly struck in the face by a player swinging a helmet.

A witness, in a deposition released by police, claimed that he “heard a hard crack” while another said that he “saw the player swing his helmet over his head and hit McCabe in the face with [the] helmet.” Another official told a local TV station that the player was yelling, “Take that! Take that!”

The commissioner of the NAFL, Robin Williams, contacted the Zebra Blog on our request for comment. She expressed that the league is “deeply saddened by the event and wishes the injured referee a speedy and full recovery.”

“We’ve been managing a quality organization for the past 11 years and have never seen an incident like this before.”

We questioned whether the league conducted, or teams were required to conduct, background checks on their players. Williams stated, “In terms of background checks, the NAFL has a relationship with several other leagues, where we cross ban players and owners from joining our league, or vice versa, if that member had been banned by either organization. Because we do encourage mentoring, leadership and getting at-risk youth and adults off the street, we do not have a policy [of] banning players with former criminal or misdemeanor record.”

The Cougars applied for admission to the NAFL in 2009 but have yet to pay the league dues. Rather than canceling games, the NAFL permitted its teams to play the Cougars this year to help defray their costs.

McCabe is home right now, but scheduled to return to the hospital for more reconstructive surgery on Friday. In the meantime, the 25-year veteran official indicated that Saturday’s game will be his last.

Update, 10/29/09: A representative from the Cougars replied to our e-mail, stating that the team intends to issue a press release, but otherwise did not comment on the allegations or answer our questions.

The photo on this post was taken by another referee and is credited to 98.9 The Buzz in Rochester.

This morning, Adam Schefter reported on ESPN that the Competition Committee is looking to recommend that umpires wear protective headgear. The umpire position on the officiating crew, positioned in the middle of the field near the line of scrimmage on the defensive side, is the one most frequently subject to hard hits.

The issue of protecting the umpire was on the agenda at the owners meeting earlier this month in Boston. The Competition Committee makes recommended changes in the offseason on matters of safety and fair play, subject to league approval.

Of course, with all of the attention paid to the umpire position, just today we witnessed a back judge in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Week 7: Vikings at Steelers

During a breakaway runback by Percy Harvins of the Vikings on a kickoff return, back judge Rich Reels found himself right in the path of the coverage team. While running to cover the third quarter runback, he was caught off guard when the play quickly shifted away from the sideline and was plowed to the turf (video).

Reels left the field on his own feet, and the officiating crew reconfigured to six officials. His condition and his chance of return are unknown.

The latest news in the search for the next vice president of NFL officiating is that there is no news. But, a new timetable is now emerging in the process of appointing the successor to Mike Pereira, who announced his retirement last January.

Originally, Pereira was going to be shadowed by his eventual replacement in the 2009 season. We ruled out any active officials at the beginning of the season for that reason, until it was reported that the search was starting anew. But as CBS Sports is reporting, the goal is to get someone in place by February 2010.

In Clark Judge’s article, a league source said that the league will open the search to 15 to 20 participants. This does include active and inactive officials.

Interestingly (for reasons we will point out soon), there were five candidates considered in the offseason, which were winnowed down to three. A consensus could not be reached, however, on a successor, which necessitated a reboot in the replacement search. We can only speculate who was in that pool of five, but we have noticed that is the same number as Pereira’s direct reports: five former officials who all carry the title “supervisor of officials,” and presumably all candidates for successorship. They are:

• Johnny Grier, a long-time former head referee, who moved off the field in 2004.
• Neely Dunn, a former side judge, who moved to the league office in 2001, the same year as Pereira. (He suited up for one more game in 2001 due to a contractural lockout of officials.)
• Ed Coukart, an umpire until the 2005 season.
• Gary Slaughter, a headlinesman whose last game was Super Bowl XLII.
• Bill Vinovich, a former head referee, who moved first to replay work in 2007, presumably due to an undisclosed illness.

It seems, in order to include current officials in the selection pool, the league office will have to take advantage of bye weeks. As we noted before, the new vice president of officiating has to have solid presentation skills, as the position has become much more visible to the public under Pereira’s reign.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has released its 2010 preliminary list of nominees for the Hall. The preliminary list of 131 will be whittled down first to 25, then 15, with four to seven being elected prior to Super Bowl XLIV. Among the list of nominees that is newsworthy here is former referee and current motivational speaker and blogger, Jim Tunney. He was previously on the long list of nominees for 2008.

Unfortunately, this is pretty much the end of the road, as history tells us. No official has ever been enshrined in the Hall, and none has made the semifinal list of 25 in the past five years at least, according to the Hall’s website. Those nominated in previous years:

• 2009: Ben Dreith
• 2008: Art McNally, Pat Haggerty, Tunney
• 2007: Rex Stuart
• 2006: Haggerty, McNally
• 2005: Haggerty, McNally

Looking over this list makes it readily apparent that game officials do not have serious consideration for the Hall. Last year, they nominated Ben Dreith, the referee known for his colorful descriptions of penalties (most notably, the penalty because “after he tackled the quarterback there, he was giving him the business down there!”). Now, I really enjoyed Dreith’s vivid vernacular, and he was certainly a good referee, but he was the sole nominee last year? Also, I will admit that, while I can’t recall every official that has worked the game, I have never heard of Rex Stewart Rex Stuart, the 2007 nominee. (If someone can please enlighten me, please do. Update: See comments.) McNally and the late Haggerty make the list frequently; notably absent is the late Norm Schachter.

While we don’t see many officials listed in the long list of nominees (with three in ’08 being the recent high-water mark), at least a half-dozen owners and general managers make the list, and generally two of them graduate to the semifinal list each year. I don’t doubt the qualifications of the Art Modells and the Jerry Joneses in their nominations and their contributions to the game. However, officials are not only athletes—sometimes decades senior to the players they must keep up with—but also must maintain a high level of accuracy. Consider that an average official is 98% accurate, and the best season for a quarterback is 71%.

So, we do extend congratulations to Tunney, and will be rooting him on to the next level. Hopefully, we will be pleasantly surprised.

It is not exactly America’s Got Talent, but finding the new vice president of officiating is turning out to be one tough audition.

Peter King of SI.com is reporting that the league is restarting its process to find a replacement for current officeholder Mike Pereira. Pereira announced on the NFL Network in January that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

The process is definitely taking longer than anticipated. In February, Pereira said his replacement would shadow him through this season.

Pereira took over from Jerry Seeman (then, the position was senior director of officiating) in 2001. Prior to being elevated to the league office, Pereira served as a side judge for only two seasons at the NFL level.

I am not sure that Seeman would be a candidate for the position as it is today. Pereira is now the league’s highest profile executive with a weekly “Official Review” segement on NFL Total Access. This involves presentation skills far more polished than a 10-second announcement over the public-address system. A successful candidate must also navigate and rise above the flood of faux hipness that the network talking heads constantly exude.

While this represents the most visible part of the job, Periera and his staff grade every play of every game from no less than three camera angles. The grades are then computed into a percentage for playoff assignments.

It is unlikely that the league will field a candidate from the current roster of officials, if the new appointee is to shadow Pereira this season. There were five officials that retired in the offseason, including referee Bill Carollo and field judge Duke Carroll.

But, for now the league is back at square one for lining up potential candidates. Perhaps the NFL Network can start a clone of America’s Got Talent, with commissioner Roger Goodell, Pereira, and Goodell’s newest special advisor, John Madden, manning the buzzers.