Horrible CAA Officials

[Milktruck74]

The Crew that worked the Chattanooga/ISUb Game today was awful. They missed 3 or 4 plays (pretty critical ones, like 3rd down conversions) that were overturned (thank you for replay) but wouldn't have been on a normal week. The Backjudge threw a flag on every third play. He even threw a holding flag on the guard from 30 yards out. It was just bad! I feel sorry for you CAA guys, if that is what you have to put up with every week. And aren't they suppose to send THE BEST crew to the playoffs?

[OL FU]

Only thing worse would have been Socon refs

[FargoBison]

I hope I never see CAA refs again, give me the MEAC I don't care. Nobody can be is lousy as the CAA refs that called our game. They had a hard time just keeping track of the time in the game.

[chattownmocs]

Are you sure it was CAA? I think it was Patriot league. I didn't think they were that awful. They guessed a lot when they didn't see. The holding calls on interior lineman on inside runs were bad and the punt catch interference.

[gumby013]

Clearly a tipped pass, at least to CAA officials...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/gumby013/tippednot.jpg

[centennial]

^ Best part he wasn't even looking that way.

[FargoBison]

Clearly a tipped pass, at least to CAA officials...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/gumby013/tippednot.jpg

Yep, not even Wilt Chamberlin was tipping that pass.

[LehighU11]

Nobody is worse than the Patriot League officials, not even the MEAC.

[bluehenbillk]

The tipped pass call in the NDSU ended up called correctly with replay.

[Houndawg]

Nobody is worse than the Patriot League officials, not even the MEAC.

Obviously you have not seen an MVFC crew work their blindfolded magic.

[gumby013]

The tipped pass call in the NDSU ended up called correctly with replay.

It shouldn't have to go that far.

[GABison]

Is there a fanbase in FCS that doesn't think their conference officials are the worst?

[centennial]

Is there a fanbase in FCS that doesn't think their conference officials are the worst?
I watch quite a bit of FCS football. SoCon and MEAC are by far worst than MVFC. Today I can add CAA to that list. Worst officiated game I have seen EVER.

[downbythebeach]

When I was watching they missed a big pass interference call that should have give indy state a big gain...the corner was beat and I think he was even surprised at the no call.

[FargoBison]

Is there a fanbase in FCS that doesn't think their conference officials are the worst?

I actually think the MVFC refs aren't so bad, a few crews that aren't so great but a few that are solid. That said having replay available has helped.

[TheRevSFA]

You're bitching after you won? Come on man

[Mattymc727]

Sounds like bad officiating everywhere....We may just need to deal with it at the FCS level.

[Milktruck74]

Actually, I think our SoCon guys do a pretty good job...I look at things a bit differently though, having been an official for 12 seasons. I look for fairness, consistency, being in position to actually make calls (I try not to judge their judgement). And one of the things I really look for is, Did the call have to be made? If its not a safety or sportsmanship issue, and nobody gains and advantage or disadvantage....there shouldn't be a call. Basically its not a hold if the guy had no chance of actually making a play.

[Milktruck74]

You're bitching after you won? Come on man

Not saying it changed the outcome...or that it was any worse for us then it was for ISUb....it wa just BAD in general. Not one sided, not unfair....JUST POOR....

[Southern Bison]

I've read on here about the atrocities of SoCon refs and witnessed it in person watching SoCon games at Wofford/Furman/App over the past 2 seasons.

Today's CAA crew in Fargo made any SoCon crew look like professionals. I agree with Milktruck on this one...I feel sorry for CAA teams.

[pokefan02]

The Southland Conference Officials, if I am correct, get rotated between B12, Southland, and C-USA. So the same crew might work Oklahoma/Texas one week and HBU/Lamar the next. Regardless they still suck.

[Mr. C]

From what I saw today (and no more so than at the game I covered, Villanova-Liberty), I thought it was a rough day for FCS officials in a number of games, particularly the replay officials.

[Professor Chaos]

The tipped pass call in the NDSU ended up called correctly with replay.
Oh there was many more than that. Off the top of my head:
1) Umpire getting in the way and knocking down an SDSU pass and slowing an NDSU RB because he again didn't get out of the way in about a 5 play sequence.
2) Missed delay of game on SDSU in the mid-2nd quarter and on the same play they call defensive holding when the flag landed at the same time as the pass did out of bounds (you can't call defensive holding when the ball is in the air, it's either pass interference or a no call and that ball was in no way catchable).
3) Late hit out of bounds call on SDSU a little bit after that where it was nothing more than a pile up of players trying to stop themselves on sidelines.
4) 2 awful PI calls on #6 for NDSU (CJ Smith) on the same drive when he barely touched the SDSU wideout.
5) Right before the TD that put SDSU up late in the 4th quarter an SDSU player flops after the play is over after getting a shove from an NDSU player and the Field Judge throws a flag from 30 yards away when the Umpire standing right in front of the play and correctly pockets his flag (if anything they should've called a penalty on the SDSU guy for pulling such a chicken **** flop at that point in the game, even a soccer player would've cringed watching that). In fairness, the flag was picked up when the rest of the refs informed the trigger happy Field Judge that it was a blatant flop.
6) Trying to reset the game clock from 0:48 to 0:54 late in the 4th quarter after an SDSU false start when it was obvious to anyone watching that the game clock was at 0:48 to start the play (which was the first play of the drive).

That's just off the top of my head. I've seen bad calls before but never so many awful calls in one game that weren't just poor judgment but unequivocally wrong (resetting the game block, calling a tipped pass when it was nowhere near it). I hope those jokers don't get a chance to set foot on the field for another playoff matchup, they were an embarrassment to the profession today.

[Hammerhead]

As for the clock reset, one official must have forgot their was a kick return that took the clock from 0:54 to 0:48.

[Professor Chaos]

You're bitching after you won? Come on man
What difference does it make? Bad officiating is bad officiating. Watching the CAA referees bumble their way through the NDSU/SDSU game reminded me of watching the Minnesota Vikings/New York Giants Monday Night football game last year when the ESPN commentators damn near had to apologize for how awful the level of football was. That's not acceptable in a playoff matchup when some guys have the end of their careers riding on the outcome.

[Tribe4SF]

CAA officials used to be pretty good, but this year in particular was bad. Not surprised by their performance in Fargo.

[danefan]

I've said it on here a number of times this year. CAA Officials were horrendous this year.

I saw some of the craziest calls I've ever seen. Not even biased. Just bad all around.

Did they throw anyone out yesterday? They love to throw people out for targeting.

[Cocky]

Is there a fanbase in FCS that doesn't think their conference officials are the worst?
Our's are better than Saturday's.

[ejjones]

I watch quite a bit of FCS football. SoCon and MEAC are by far worst than MVFC. Today I can add CAA to that list. Worst officiated game I have seen EVER.
The MEAC got rid of a lot of officials. We were much better this year; at least the games I attended / watched. The NDSU game was officiated terribly.

[MR. CHICKEN]

20266..........CAA ZEEBS...COST US 4 W'S.....DIS YEAR.........xrolleyesx......BROCK!

WM & MARY...xrolleyesx...TOWSON...xrolleyesx...NEW HAMPSHIRE...xrolleyesx...VILLANOVA...:p...OCK!


SENT FROM HAH COMPUTER.....HAL

[danefan]

20266..........CAA ZEEBS...COST US 4 W'S.....DIS YEAR.........xrolleyesx......BROCK!

WM & MARY...xrolleyesx...TOWSON...xrolleyesx...NEW HAMPSHIRE...xrolleyesx...VILLANOVA...:p...OCK!


SENT FROM HAH COMPUTER.....HAL

And gave you one back......Albany. xeyebrowx

[Milktruck74]

Did they throw anyone out yesterday? They love to throw people out for targeting.


No but there was a really poor Sportsmanship call on ISUb in the 4th qtr that really had no bearing on the outcome, but.... The kid gets a coverage sack on Huesman, they were down 3 TDs with little time left and he gets up and flexes his arms (maybe give him 15 yards for being bush league, but...) for about 2 seconds. He wasn't standing over Huesman, he wasn't running all around acting like a punk, he was just excited to make a play (after being frustrated all day). The Coach for ISUb went ballistic, as he should have.... I'm not positive, but I think the call converted a long 3rd down. Obviously on this one, I'm not a homer!!!! It was just poor officiating. And the Backjudge was the worst!!! HE was about 5'3" and wanted to ASSERT HIS A-THUR-EYE-TEE!!!!

[Gil Dobie]

The refs were not ready for this game. Bad showing. That being said, refs are part of the game and the teams need to be disciplined and take the refs out of the game.

The tipped pass was ridiculous though.

[AmsterBison]

The tipped pass call in the NDSU ended up called correctly with replay.

There is no excuse for making calls on the field for stuff they didn't (and couldn't) have seen. That's an entirely different universe of bad call.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

The refs were not ready for this game. Bad showing. That being said, refs are part of the game and the teams need to be disciplined and take the refs out of the game.

The tipped pass was ridiculous though.


Ridiculous is an understatement. The ref was like 6-6. How he saw that as a tipped pass was unreal. It was 5-6 feet above the defenders hand. Thank goodness for replay yesterday.

[PAllen]

Ivy, Patriot, and CAA are all the same group of officials. The Ivy and Patriot tend to get the more junior officials from the group. And yes, they can be pretty bad, but the MEAC is worse.

[MR. CHICKEN]

And gave you one back......Albany. xeyebrowx



20271............xlolxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlo lxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlolxxlolx.......xhighf ivex......DOODLES!

[CID1990]

Only thing worse would have been Socon refs

This.

[Milktruck74]

CID1990 and OL FU, I use to think our SoCon guys were poor too, but over the last few years when I compare them to the other conferences have to deal with...I wouldn't trade them. I look at it like party politics, They all suck, but our guys suck less!!!

[Vitojr130]

I've seen some horrendous MVFC refs over the years, but nothing compares to the level of mediocrity that the CAA officials brought to the NDSU/SDSU game yesterday. That tipped pass call was a whole different level of stupidity I've never seen before in a college football game, let alone D1 college football game. There was just a stupid amount of bad calls yesterday on both sides of the ball.

[IBleedYellow]

Ever since the MVFC has started using B1G/MAC officials I've noticed it's not been nearly as horrible.

[CID1990]

CID1990 and OL FU, I use to think our SoCon guys were poor too, but over the last few years when I compare them to the other conferences have to deal with...I wouldn't trade them. I look at it like party politics, They all suck, but our guys suck less!!!

I have a menagerie of photos of atrocious socon officiating from this season alone.

[Sycamore62]

I thought the deep wing guys at the ISUb game were worse than the back judge. The FJ (guy who blew the PI in the 2nd qtr) was also in on at least one of the overturned incomplete passes didn't have a very good day. I don't understand how they needed to talk about it and then say it was incomplete. If you have incomplete it's incomplete. If nobody does its complete. They missed a holding call on a DB in the 3rd that they called in the 4th. I'm not saying the outcome would have been different and I'm not even complaining about the overturned plays because they had to be right to be overturned but when the bad calls I remember happened, it would have been in HUGE situations. My problem with how it affected the game was that the bad calls against Chatty were overturned. The bad calls against us were just bad judgement

edit: and this is only going to get worse. I've worked games from JFL to D3 JV games in the last 13 years. The guys that are getting the good games are stingy, moving up is real political, it's impossible to get new guys and many of them are ran off by JFL fans before they get enough confidence to enjoy doing it. Oh and the pay SUCKS until you get past D3. I'm not sure I'd bother working for what the OVC gets paid for a game the last I heard (2-3 years ago) since it takes up your whole weekend. Actually I probably would but I'd bitch about how much it was.

[Milktruck74]

I thought the deep wing guys at the ISUb game were worse than the back judge. The FJ (guy who blew the PI in the 2nd qtr) was also in on at least one of the overturned incomplete passes didn't have a very good day. I don't understand how they needed to talk about it and then say it was incomplete. If you have incomplete it's incomplete. If nobody does its complete. They missed a holding call on a DB in the 3rd that they called in the 4th. I'm not saying the outcome would have been different and I'm not even complaining about the overturned plays because they had to be right to be overturned but when the bad calls I remember happened, it would have been in HUGE situations. My problem with how it affected the game was that the bad calls against Chatty were overturned. The bad calls against us were just bad judgement

edit: and this is only going to get worse. I've worked games from JFL to D3 JV games in the last 13 years. The guys that are getting the good games are stingy, moving up is real political, it's impossible to get new guys and many of them are ran off by JFL fans before they get enough confidence to enjoy doing it. Oh and the pay SUCKS until you get past D3. I'm not sure I'd bother working for what the OVC gets paid for a game the last I heard (2-3 years ago) since it takes up your whole weekend. Actually I probably would but I'd bitch about how much it was.


So you (like I) judge officials from a very different perspective. I saw many that were out of position and making calls that were not on their keys. I totally agree that the quality of officials is drastically dropping. Time on the field is important, but why do associations continue to promote incompetence just because they've been around a while? I've got too many kids (4) to officiate anymore, I hung up my stripes a few years back with the Idea that I would return one day...but so far it hasn't happened. I missed it the first season, but It doesn't even cross my mind right now. I found a new hobby that is so much less a bunch of old men bitching, Triathlon, and never looked back.

[Sycamore62]

So you (like I) judge officials from a very different perspective. I saw many that were out of position and making calls that were not on their keys. I totally agree that the quality of officials is drastically dropping. Time on the field is important, but why do associations continue to promote incompetence just because they've been around a while? I've got too many kids (4) to officiate anymore, I hung up my stripes a few years back with the Idea that I would return one day...but so far it hasn't happened. I missed it the first season, but It doesn't even cross my mind right now. I found a new hobby that is so much less a bunch of old men bitching, Triathlon, and never looked back.

I will say that when it comes to ISUb I have serious troubles being impartial about calls and I also figure that they can take my yelling (which I do sometimes for the comedy enjoyment for the people sitting near me) for the $1000+ they make.

Something else causing problem is just is the time it takes. On top of the potential 13 weekends of regular season you have clinics (which you pay to attend) weekly study groups (which for me would have been 1:45-2hrs away). One of my close friends has worked basketball for years and worked some college and we've noticed that the most important thing over being good or connected is just being available all the time.

[bluehenbillk]

Oh there was many more than that. Off the top of my head:
1) Umpire getting in the way and knocking down an SDSU pass and slowing an NDSU RB because he again didn't get out of the way in about a 5 play sequence.
2) Missed delay of game on SDSU in the mid-2nd quarter and on the same play they call defensive holding when the flag landed at the same time as the pass did out of bounds (you can't call defensive holding when the ball is in the air, it's either pass interference or a no call and that ball was in no way catchable).
3) Late hit out of bounds call on SDSU a little bit after that where it was nothing more than a pile up of players trying to stop themselves on sidelines.
4) 2 awful PI calls on #6 for NDSU (CJ Smith) on the same drive when he barely touched the SDSU wideout.
5) Right before the TD that put SDSU up late in the 4th quarter an SDSU player flops after the play is over after getting a shove from an NDSU player and the Field Judge throws a flag from 30 yards away when the Umpire standing right in front of the play and correctly pockets his flag (if anything they should've called a penalty on the SDSU guy for pulling such a chicken **** flop at that point in the game, even a soccer player would've cringed watching that). In fairness, the flag was picked up when the rest of the refs informed the trigger happy Field Judge that it was a blatant flop.
6) Trying to reset the game clock from 0:48 to 0:54 late in the 4th quarter after an SDSU false start when it was obvious to anyone watching that the game clock was at 0:48 to start the play (which was the first play of the drive).

That's just off the top of my head. I've seen bad calls before but never so many awful calls in one game that weren't just poor judgment but unequivocally wrong (resetting the game block, calling a tipped pass when it was nowhere near it). I hope those jokers don't get a chance to set foot on the field for another playoff matchup, they were an embarrassment to the profession today.

I only saw the 4th quarter of your game so I can't comment on everything you wrote. On point #3 - the two pass interference calls - the first one I agree wasn't pass interference. The second one the refs got right - it was PI.

[PMBison]

I only saw the 4th quarter of your game so I can't comment on everything you wrote. On point #3 - the two pass interference calls - the first one I agree wasn't pass interference. The second one the refs got right - it was PI.

Gonna have to disagree with you on that one. Neither of those were pass interference. Both great coverage by Smith. The second may have looked goofy because he jumped due to a read on the receiver instead of actually seeing the ball, but none the less he turned to the ball and basically never touched the receiver. Curious to know where you saw contact that justified PI.

[bluehenbillk]

Gonna have to disagree with you on that one. Neither of those were pass interference. Both great coverage by Smith. The second may have looked goofy because he jumped due to a read on the receiver instead of actually seeing the ball, but none the less he turned to the ball and basically never touched the receiver. Curious to know where you saw contact that justified PI.

A: he was faceguarding him & never looked for the ball & B: he had a hand on his shoulder - the announcers concurred the first one he was just running with him & was a bad call but the 2nd was PI.

[Sycamore62]

A: he was faceguarding him & never looked for the ball & B: he had a hand on his shoulder - the announcers concurred the first one he was just running with him & was a bad call but the 2nd was PI.

has to be contact

[Milktruck74]

Sycamore 62, beat me to it....face guarding is illegal in HS and the NFL, but the NCAA rulebook requires contact. That is a rule that even a lot of college coaches don't get.

[Sycamore62]

Sycamore 62, beat me to it....face guarding is illegal in HS and the NFL, but the NCAA rulebook requires contact. That is a rule that even a lot of college coaches don't get.

for example, the contact in the no-call in the 2nd qtr of the ISUb-Chatty game made it an incorrect call.:D

[bluehenbillk]

Did you miss the part where I said he had his hand on his shoulder...

[PMBison]

Did you miss the part where I said he had his hand on his shoulder...


I would have to go back and look at it again. I have watched it about 4 times and didn't seen any contact that hindered the receiver but then again I am looking at it with green and gold glasses on. Even if there was "some" contact, I think there are plays you let go when it doesn't seem to affect the outcome, and I think this is one of those plays. If he had his hand on his shoulder it would have been well prior to the ball getting there.

[Sycamore62]

Did you miss the part where I said he had his hand on his shoulder...

I actually caught that and was kind of trying to agree.

I was texting a buddy that works NCAA games and he told me what they are looking for but I deleted it. Im not sure contact only would work but I think a hand on the shoulder should.

[PMBison]

Just watched it again and I don't see anything, so I don't think we are gonna see eye to eye on this one. If thats pass interference then you could call pass interference on every single play.

[Sycamore62]

Ive seen calls where unbiased officials dont agree.

I tried to watch the replay of Chatty/ISUb but for some reason it is terrible lag. Its too hard for me to sit and wait to see the plays I want to see

[PMBison]

Don't know if you care enough to look, but the ndsu sdsu play is on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZNfS-Egxg at the 19:11 mark.

[bluehenbillk]

Don't know if you care enough to look, but the ndsu sdsu play is on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZNfS-Egxg at the 19:11 mark.

Thanks for the link - the play in question is at 19:38, the DB makes contact with the WR with his left hand and isn't looking for the ball until he jumps & turns around & puts his hand up. The ref called the PI for the contact before the DB ever left the ground IMO.

[JMU2004]

I'm just surprised they didn't eject players for targeting on BACK TO BACK plays.

Yea, that happened to JMU. I think we had something like 6 ejections this year from those clowns.

On a side note, in the 2 Liberty games I watched, #27 woulda been booted a few times in the CAA. On that Roberston fumble, Robertson was clearly defenseless on the way down, and #27 pops him high in the back/head and he fumbles. In the JMU game, our TE was engaged by 2 other tacklers, and #27 comes in late high and bends him back. Broke his leg.

Just saying....the rule can't be enforced fairly when there is so much left up to the ref.

[PMBison]

Yep, my bad 19:38. Still disagree with you on the call though, lol.