Can the "catch rule" be fixed?

[Pokerbrat2000]

The obvious ones are obvious, call them on the field and move on

I don't know about obvious. In many cases a refs angle doesn't fully allow for being 100% sure. Sounds like they will treat this like they do in college, with each one being reviewed to determine if it was targeting.

 

[Mondio]

I know what they'll be doing. Refs miss stuff all the time. Replay doesn't get them all right. At the end of the day some guy has to see something and make an interpretation. Make the call, move on. No game will be perfect even if every play is reviewable and if every play is reviewable, I'm done watching. Nobody is going to watch 14 hour games. and even with replay, i've seen more than a couple guys in college get ejected for jack squat, even with the guy watching a monitor and replay. In the end, someone makes an interpretation and we play the game. be wary of interruptions, they do affect the game

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

No doubt interpretations affect the game. But which one do you trust more, the one made in a split second or the one made after a replay? I totally agree with you, I don't want to see the game dragged out excessively to try and accomplish this, but with technology and clear definitions for interpretation, the NFL needs to make it clear that these calls need to happen fast. But we are back to your "interpretation" thing and that is what I believe slows the process down. Leave too much grey area for interpreting a fuzzy rule (like the catch rule) and you have wasted time and still have controversy. Make the rules clear, limit the amount of time that a play can be excessively poured over by every camera angle and go with the call. I also don't believe any review should be done by a ref on the field. Put a fresh set of eyes on it and someone who is actually viewing it on a screen that is large enough to see it clearly.

 

[Mondio]

I"m at the point, i don't care which one I trust more. I've seen enough replays that went the other way over what I thought they should have to know they don't get them all right according to me anyway I really am at a point where we just have to live with calls one way or the other, this game is on the verge of taking too long for me right now. Especially when I go to the game. It seems like we're always in a break. and taking an official off the field has consequences too. Fresh eyes will call it differently than the eyes on the field with a feel for the flow of the game. Rules are rules, but lets face it, certain groups of officials call different styles of games in what is acceptable and what is not. what has been allowed to happen and what has not, I prefer to keep it that way. But i've been thru all this before.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Honestly, I think the league is in "cover thy as*" mode with the whole head injury thing. I understand and support trying to eliminate players using their helmets as weapons, but the players should understand that this is what they sign up for. It's a dangerous sport and today's NFL player is taking a chance by playing it, but also getting paid way more than the average Joe in the process. Should they eliminate punt returns? No more crossing routes?

Once again, I'm not in favor of the league eliminating kickoffs but just gave an explanation of why they think about doing it.