Football Zebras.com

Oct. 5, 1986: Bills at Jets

Rarely does the referee make the highlight reel for anything positive. But, 25 years ago Ben Dreith made the call that turned quite a few heads. While calling Jets defensive lineman Marty Lyons for unnecessary roughness on Bills quarterback Jim Kelly — well, I will let Dreith explain:

View at Dailymotion

Dreith had other calls through his career that made him one of the first household names in the officiating circuits. In 1990, he was asked to work as a replay official. He declined, and the league reassigned him as a line judge. After being fired in the ensuing offseason, Dreith sued the NFL for age discrimination and won a settlement from the league in 1993.

Use the comments area or hit us on Twitter (@footballzebras) for any questionable calls in Week 3. We will be tied up today, so check back later for our quick takes.

Referee assignments are after the jump.

Quick calls

Things at Zebra Blog headquarters didn’t allow us for updates today. I got caught up on some of today’s action with some help by the detailed discussions over at Behind the Football Stripes.

• Jets at Raiders | 2nd quarter | :04 remaining | video. It’s never pretty when an official does something to merit a highlight clip on NFL.com. While attempting to spot the ball in the final seconds of the half, umpire Ruben Fowler lands on all-fours. The ball is spotted in time for the Raiders to stop the clock.
• Jaguars at Panthers | 2nd quarter | 1:28 remaining | video. When the Panthers lead 5-3 (yes!) in an ugly quagmire, Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart had a large gain called back because he was ruled down by contact. You know the conditions are really bad when a network cameraman is unable to see and just maintains a live shot 30 yards wide and pans side to side like it’s The Price Is Right. Somehow, referee Bill Leavy and replay official Charles Stewart were able to see indisputable visual evidence, but surely there was plenty of squinting.
• 49ers at Bengals | 3rd quarter | 6:39 remaining | video. A touchdown catch by 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree was nullified by penalty. Crabtree stepped out of bounds and was then the first to touch the pass, therefore it is an illegal touch penalty. The replay provided did not give a sufficient angle to determine. (It is one of the few penalties that is reviewable, as it is a call related to the sideline/endline.) Field judge Doug Rosenbaum had coverage on the end line; in the video his hat is seen on the endline to mark Crabtree stepping out of bounds.
  6:06 remaining | video. Two plays later, referee Jerome Boger announced a false start penalty on “the entire offensive line.”
• Packers at Bears | 2nd quarter | 2:44 remaining | video. Mike Carey halted the game because of a foreign object (reportedly a sprinkler part) sticking out of the turf, reminiscent of a recent restaurant chain commercial. Although it is hard to hear over Joe Buck’s prattling on like he’s some venue maintenance expert, Carey announced, “There is a dangerous situation down on the field; we will wait until it is repaired by the grounds crew.”

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Entering Week 2, let us know in the comments or @footballzebras if you see anything in this week’s games that seems to be the wrong call. Referee assignments after the jump.

Quick calls

• Browns at Colts | 2nd quarter | :38 remaining. A touchdown run by Peyton Hillis was reviewed and reversed. In a new rule (apparently the first time invoked), a reversal in the final minute of the half that also changes the status of the clock (not running to running), will result in a 10-second runoff. In this case the original ruling (touchdown, clock stopped) was reversed (short in the field of play, clock should be running), the 10 seconds were docked from the game clock. Either team may use one of their timeouts to avoid the 10-second runoff.
• Jaguars at Jets | 1st quarter | 10:33 remaining | video. Referee Scott Green, umpire Bruce Stritesky, and line judge Tom Barnes conference to determine a safety call. If any part of the ball is in the end zone on a sack, it is a safety (contrary to the interpretation by the NFL Network commentators on their highlight video). As it was a scoring play — yes, for safeties, too — it was subjected to video review and upheld. Good call and good mechanics on the field.
  3rd quarter | 2:14 remaining | video at 2:03. An interception return by Jets safety Antonio Cromartie was initially ruled a touchdown, but overturned on replay. Referee Scott Green said that Cromartie crossed the plane of the goal airborne with the ball outside of the corner pylon, making the ball dead ½ yard from the end zone. (Video link of the play itself on NFL.com is “no longer available.”)
• Bears at Saints | 4th quarter | 12:12 remaining | video. A touchdown by Saints running back Darren Sproles was not even reviewed, even though it was obvious that he stepped out before crossing the goal line. Walt Coleman is the referee, and his replay official is Bill Spyksma.
• Raiders at Bills | 4th quarter | 14:15 remaining | video. A 15-yard penalty was assessed on the Raiders bench for a challenge by coach Hue Jackson on a 1-yard touchdown run by Bills running back Fred Jackson. This year, all scoring plays are the exclusive discretion of the replay assistant for requesting a replay review, and challenging a play that cannot be challenged is a penalty. (The challenge is not shown in the video link.)
• Eagles at Falcons | 3rd quarter | 6:41 remaining. Last year the NFL said that flagrant helmet-to-helmet hits would result in suspensions. Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson lowered the boom on Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin. Robinson leveled a similar hit in 2010 against the Eagles, which resulted in a $50,000 fine, which was lowered to $25,000 on appeal. For such a repeat offense, even in a subsequent season, this could be the litmus test to see if the league is serious about these hits.

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Saints at Seahawks

Walt Coleman is the referee, heading up Terry McAulay’s crew.

First half. No replay reviews. Saints have 4 penalties for 18 yards, Seahawks 3/14, no penalties declined.

Hasselblock in the back? Credit: NFL/NBC Sports

4th Quarter, 3:38 remaining. On the amazing touchdown run by Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, did quarterback Matt Hasselbeck throw an illegal block in the back? No penalty was called, likely because the officials determined the Saints defender wasn’t knocked over (he, instead, dove for Lynch) or otherwise disadvantaged (video, after Lynch passes the 30-yard line).

4th Quarter, 1:34 remaining. In spite of help from behind, Saints running back DeShawn Wynn failed on his two-point conversion attempt (video, forward to 9:01). With a boost from a lineman Jermon Bushrod to keep Wynn on his feet, if the conversion scored, it would have been nullified by an assisting-the-runner penalty. From the rulebook, Rule 12, Section 1, Article 5:

No offensive player may … lift a runner to his feet or pull him in any direction at any time.

Had there been a score, it would have been a re-try from the 12-yard line.

Final. Not a busy night at all for replay official Earnie Frantz. No challenges, no replays for the entire game, and nothing that he missed in the last two minutes that was worthy of a review. Easy money.

Jets at Colts

Gene Steratore is the referee.

1st Quarter, 13:29. No challenges in Game 1 of the doubleheader; first challenge in the first two minutes of the second one. Colts coach Jim Caldwell challenged whether Jets punt returner Santonio Holmes was the first player to touch a punted ball. Holmes was oddly hovering over the rolling ball, because if he touched it, even accidentally, it would have made a live ball, which the Colts would have recovered. Steratore upheld the play on the field that the ball was first touched by the Colts.

2nd Quarter, 8:21 remaining. A punt to the goal line appeared to be saved from a sure touchback by the Jets, but field judge Terry Brown, side judge Michael Banks, and back judge Greg Steed conferenced at length at the goal line before ruling touchback. Replay showed that the Jets coverage player put his right hand on the goal line, making the ball “in” the end zone by extension.

End of first half. Other than the replay called in the opening minutes of the first quarter, no other replays were called for. Jets have been penalized 3 times for 15 yards; the Colts have not been penalized.

4th Quarter, :40 remaining. A catch by Jets receiver Braylon Edwards with a fumble and self-recovery was reviewed. Steratore said that Edwards completed the catch with the third foot down, followed then by the fumble.

The officiating crews for the Wild Card games on Jan. 8 and 9 have been announced by the NFL. Kickoff times are Eastern. (See our previous post on the process of qualification.)

Saints at Seahawks (Saturday, 4:30 p.m.)

• R — #65 Walt Coleman (22nd year, 16th year as referee)
• U — #121 Paul King (2nd year)
• HL — #98 Greg Bradley (2nd year)
• LJ — #84 Mark Steinkerchner (17th year)
• FJ — #43 Terry Brown (5th year)
• SJ — #72 Michael Banks (9th year)
• BJ — #12 Greg Steed (8th year)
• Alternates — #56 Allen Baynes (SJ), #2 Billy Smith (BJ)

Coleman will head Terry McAulay’s crew, likely because McAulay is scheduled to officiate a conference championship game. (This will not be confirmed by the league for another two weeks.)

McAulay’s crew officated the NFL Kickoff game when the Saints played the Vikings. Coleman was the referee for a Saints game in Week 7 and was in Seattle for a Seahawks game three weeks ago.

Steed officiated in last year’s Super Bowl. King and Bradley are officiating in their first year of postseason eligibility.

Zebra Blog coverage: $55K fines, but 0 yards, assessed for Ravens’ face-altering, concussing hits | Head ref tells ‘SNF’ crew it was helmet hit, but, please, there is no Steeler conspiracy

Jets at Colts (Saturday, 8 p.m.)

• R — #114 Gene Steratore (8th year, 5th year as referee)
• U — #40 Butch Hannah (12th year)
• HL — #91 Jerry Bergman (9th year)
• LJ — #107 Ron Marinucci (14th year)
• FJ — #88 Scott Steenson (20th year)
• SJ — #116 Mike Weatherford (9th year)
• BJ — #133 Steve Freeman (10th year)
• Alternates — #102 Bruice Stritesky (U), #109 Dyrol Prioleau (FJ)

Steratore’s crew officiated a Colts game in Week 11. Steratore was also referee for a wild card game in 2009.

Steenson and Freeman were on Jeff Triplette’s crew during the regular season and replace  Bob Waggoner at field judge and Dino Paganelli at back judge.

Zebra Blog coverage: Steelers get second chance after replay erases TD, but turnover never happened | Ravens coach fined $15K for ref bump | Lions victimized by ‘process of catch’ rule, but they wasn’t robbed

Ravens at Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m.)

• R — #94 Mike Carey (21st year, 16th year as referee)
• U — #49 Rich Hall (7th year)
• HL — #8 Dana McKenzie (3rd year)
• LJ — #47 Tim Podraza (3rd year)
• FJ — #82 Buddy Horton (12th year)
• SJ — #15 Rick Patterson (15th year)
• BJ — #6 Dirk Dornan (17th year)
• Alternates — #115 Tony Michalek (U), #30 Todd Prukop (BJ)

Carey’s crew officiated a Week 10 game with the Chiefs.

Patterson officiated on Walt Coleman’s crew during the regular season, replacing side judge Laird Hayes.

Packers at Eagles (Sunday, 4:30 p.m.)

• R — #135 Pete Morelli (14th year, 8th year as referee)
• U — #71  Ruben Fowler (5th year)
• HL — #36 Tony Veteri (19th year)
• LJ — #35 John Hussey (9th year)
• FJ — #89 Jon Lucivansky (2nd year)
• SJ — #39 Don Carlsen (22nd year)
• BJ — #75 Rob Vernatchi (7th year)
• Alternates —#45 Jeff Seeman (LJ), #119 Greg Wilson (BJ)

Morelli’s crew officiated a Week 12 game with the Packers. In 2009, Morelli was the referee for the NFC Conference Championship game and Vernatchi — who switched to back judge this year — officiated Super Bowl XLIV as a field judge. (Seeman, an alternate, also served as line judge in Super Bowl XLIV.)

Veteri was on Clete Blakeman’s crew during the regular season, replacing head linesman George Hayward.

Lucivansky is officiating in his first year of postseason eligibility.

Zebra Blog coverage: Morelli crew gives Steelers 9-yd 1st down | Hochuli, Triplette, Corrente flag most; Green, Morelli, Riverón under 11 per game

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.

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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The Jets, in consultation with the NFL, assessed a watered-down punishment on Sal Alosi, a trainer who tripped Dolphins special-teams player Nolan Carroll. According to the team, he has been suspended for the remainder of the season, including the postseason, and fined $25,000. He was not fired. The lower amount of his fine, compared to Titans coordinator Chuck Cecil, is likely due to his lower comparative salary. (Alosi is a strength and conditioning coach, not one of the field tacticians.)

However, as pointed out at Pro Football Talk, there is something more sinister afoot. While the video shows Alosi tripping Carroll on a sideline punt-coverage route, Alosi is flanked by five other Jets staff members. Keeping in mind that punt coverage players tend to go out of bounds frequently (either on their own or aided by the opponent), this obstruction has all of the hallmarks of being deliberatly disruptive to the game.

Of course, the excuse of the coaching staff is that they are in the designated bench area of the sidelines, and that no one is standing on the off-limits, six-foot-wide white boundary line. However, a player who is headed out of bounds can step around a single person who is standing in the mandatory bench location. When five yards of sideline are being “covered,” there is little that a player can do to avoid a collision or entanglement.

On the field, it is illegal to create a wedge when blocking on a kick return. This is defined as at least three players forming a “wall” to block the full-speed defenders headed towards the ball carrier. The Competition Committee found this to be dangerous, and the NFL outlawed the formation (by making it a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty) in 2009. What happened on the Jets sideline, while not a true wedge, created up a situation where collision was inevitable.

So, yes, the team staff was where they were allowed to be, however their actions show that they had an alleged inclination for tampering with the integrity of the game.

Updated 12/14. A previous version of this post stated that the NFL suspended and fined Alosi, when it was the team’s action in consultation with the league office.

Week 14: Dolphins at Jets

It was a routine punt, but at the conclusion of the play, Dolphins cornerback and special-teamer Nolan Carroll was prone on the turf. Jets assistant coach Sal Alosi admitted to what everyone could see from the broadcast camera (video). While running down the sideline, Alosi slyly and cowardly extended his knee into Carroll’s path.

While the back judge Rich Reels marked the sideline with his hat (a signal that Carroll went out of bounds and cannot be the first to touch the ball), he did not throw a penalty for sideline interference. Because it is so rare for a member of the sideline to blatantly obstruct the play, it is not something an official is watching for, especially since it was done so surreptitiously.

Alosi released his confession through the team Sunday night:

I made a mistake that showed a total lapse in judgment. My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for.   I spoke to [Dolphins coach Tony] Sparano and Nolan Carroll to apologize before they took off. I have also apologized to [Jets owner Woody Johnson, general manager Mike Tannebaum, and coach Rex Ryan]. I accept responsibility for my actions as well as any punishment that follows.

That punishment is likely to be swift. In the last two instances of game-related non-player discipline, the league had a judgement before Monday Night Football, when fines are generally late-workweek business. In Week 4, Titans coordinator Chuck Cecil was fined $40,000 for giving, what the broadcast crew termed, a “Hawaiian peace sign.” Last season, Titans owner Bud Adams was fined a quarter-million for a similar gesture, which was also levied on Monday afternoon.

These past indescretions were for bad conduct, but otherwise had no impact on the game. What Alosi did was interfere with the game, which potentially could have affected the outcome. Had Carroll been badly injured, this could have had a significant impact on the game, the season, and even Carroll’s career. It is in light of this, that we are speculating that the NFL will take this action today:

• Fine Alosi $75,000, or some figure that is no more than 25% of his salary.
• Revoke his sideline privledges for the remainder of this season and the 2011 season, which essentially renders him unemployable on a pro sideline (and likely any sideline at any level). I suppose he could be suspended by the league, but at the very least he can be banned from the field.
• Fine the Jets organization $250,000 for employee conduct that tampered with the game.

Perhaps some dimly lit gym in Brooklyn will soon have a trainer who has the boring stories of his glory days, when he trained some of the best in the National Football League, and he threw it all away during a moment of carelessness and stupidity.

Week 4: Titans at Broncos

Titans defensive coordinator found "one" penalty he disagreed with. Credit: NFL/CBS Sports(

(Updated Monday at the end of the article)

Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil was adamant in his displeasure over a call announced by referee Clete Blakeman in the first quarter against the Broncos. Problem is, he flipped a middle-fingered salute which was caught live by CBS cameras. (The referees did not see the gesture, so there was no penalty. If they had, it only would have resulted in a 1½-yard half-distance penalty being marked off.)

Announcer Kevin Harlan amusingly brushed it off as Cecil’s “Hawaiian peace sign,” but it might now be more associated with Nashville, as Titans owner Bud Adams gave a two-barreled salute to the Bills sideline last season. Adams, who is held to a higher standard by the league as an owner, was fined a quarter-million dollars for his birdies.

Pro Football Talk pointed out that the fine for Cecil could run into the six figure level, judging from Adams’ fine and a fine against Jets coach Rex Ryan. The flippy digit from Ryan came during a non-football event, and it still cost him $50,000. Being that Cecil did his during a broadcast event, and because he allegedly has a league conduct violation from a DUI arrest, the fine will likely be at least doubled. (Update: Cecil was fined $20,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct against a game official in December 2009.) Adams’ fine came early Monday morning after his Sunday afternoon game, and so swift judgment is expected here, too.

All for a neutral zone infraction which really made no difference, as the Broncos easily scored on the next play on first and goal.

(Update 10/4: As we guessed, the NFL was quick to administer a fine in this situation. According to Jim Wyatt at the Tennesseean, Cecil was fined $40,000, less than Ryan was fined by the NFL for conduct at a non-NFL event.)