In the aftermath of blunders by replay officials in the recent Oregon-Arizona State and Miami-Duke games, the NCAA should make changes to college replay by using a group of replay officials, not only one set of eyes in a booth with a communicator.
The NCAA rule book states about replay personnel: “There shall be a minimum of three persons to ensure that all plays are reviewed in an efficient and timely manner. Such persons are normally referred to as replay official, communicator and technician. Additional personnel may be used as needed.”
What exactly is a communicator? The vague term applies to an individual who communicates to the field to inform the referees to stop the game if a play is in question. Communicators also chart every play to ensure a reference point in case of a challenge or reviewable play. They are not responsible for reversing calls.
The Big 12 suspended a review official and communicator last year for not alerting the on-field crew during the Iowa State-Kansas State to stop action to review a controversial play.
If the purpose of video replay is to get calls right, additional personnel is needed such as a small committee, in a centralized location away from the stadium free from distraction. This should be administered conference by conference, not a national location because the abundance of games on Saturdays.
The ball is in motion for additional personnel at a command center, according to Rogers Redding, the NCAA’s national coordinator of officiating. Redding told Fox Sports on Sunday that he and various conference coordinators have discussed whether to adopt a centralized replay model like those used by the NFL and Major League Baseball. The NFL last year began operating a central command center in New York where multiple officials oversee reviews.
Now more than ever, the NCAA must adopt the same system or else face more scrutiny with its lone replay official in the booth. A group of individuals numbering three to five likely would have conferred about what happened in Oregon-ASU and Miami-Duke games and reversed each controversial call.
In triple overtime, Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams connected with wide receiver Bralon Addison in the back of the end zone. After a conversation between the two officials closest to the play, they ruled the catch a touchdown, believing Addison had at least one foot in bounds. The replay official did not change the controversial call on the field although it appeared Addison’s left foot was out of bounds by the tip of his toes. Some argue that Addison’s right foot grazed the turf before his left foot was planted out of bounds. Numerous replays do not show Addison’s right toes bumping the turf. (Video at 3:40)
If a group of three to five people took five minutes or less to discuss what they saw, that call is potentially overturned. At the very least, the call does not fall on one individual who is essentially on an island with the clock ticking.
The end of the Miami-Duke game with the Hurricanes’ use of eight laterals to score the “winning” touchdown needed a committee to reverse the call because one man was certainly not enough. The ACC suspended the on-field officiating crew, replay official Andrew Panucci and communicator for two games following the numerous mistakes on the play. The most significant blunder that involved Panucci was not ruling that Miami’s Mark Walton was down with a knee on the ground before releasing the ball on one of the laterals.
The blown calls by the on-field crew were not reviewable — an obvious block in the back and overlooking the penalty of at least one Miami player running on to the field from the sideline before the play came to an end. Although Miami scored on a play that was not legitimate, the Hurricanes went home winners. The NCAA does not allow the outcome of a game to be reversed. That must also change. The replay official failed Duke, not the Blue Devils. The coverage unit did enough to get Walton on the ground.
The NCAA’s video review protocol of only one replay official must change or else the process will continue to lack integrity. Instead of confirming what most of us see, it’s making us not believe the replay official’s eyes.
Feature image via G. Shorin
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