Dump Instant Replay in the FCS playoffs

[Hansel]

it isn't utilized correctly and messes with the game flow

[BlueHenSinfonian]

it isn't utilized correctly and messes with the game flow

I'm not against instant replay in general, but that whole spot of the ball fiasco was a clusterfrak from beginning to end.

[boonegoon]

I agree. Unless the NCAA spends the money for cameras, its a waste.

[FargoBison]

Nope bring in an all FBS crew who is familiar with replay.

[Hansel]

I am for it in general, and think the FBS NCAA system should be used in the NFL. However, it seems the replay officials (who are from FBS conferences) use a standard beyond "indisputable" in the FCS playoffs, and renders replay meaningless.

[eaglewraith]

Spot of the ball is the least overturned call there is. It's just impossible to get enough evidence to change it. Especially in a 4th and short situation where there's a lot of guys at the spot the ball goes down. They shouldn't have even attempted to respot and measure again after everything had been moved. That was the big mistake. They should have just let it go in the first place.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Spot of the ball is the least overturned call there is. It's just impossible to get enough evidence to change it. Especially in a 4th and short situation where there's a lot of guys at the spot the ball goes down. They shouldn't have even attempted to respot and measure again after everything had been moved. That was the big mistake. They should have just let it go in the first place.

Unfortunately I think you are right. I would have loved if they had kept the chains in place during the review, because it wouldn't have been a first down from the original chain positions, but then all of the EWU fans would have felt as screwed as we do. No matter what the refs did as soon as they started to review the spot they were going to bone somebody.

[DJKyR0]

Welcome to the club, Delaware. What just happened to you was done to us thrice in the quarterfinals.

[Professor Chaos]

The rules need to be redefined on what the replay booth can and cannot do. If you're going to go to the replay to review a first down, you can't move the chains back to where they were to re-measure. The best replay view of the 4th down showed the official 1st down marker (clearly right behind the EWU RB in the replay) on the far sideline that was beyond the 22 yard line yet after they moved the chains back to where they allegedly were all of a sudden it's right on the 22 yard line.

EWU doesn't have to apologize for anything though. They made plays when Delaware didn't at the end of the game but they've had an undeniably historic run of good fortune in their last 3 games when it's come down to crucial judgement calls by the referees to put them in position to win these games.

[Milktruck74]

Repay is waaaaaaaaaay over used. it should correct the obvious errors. However, it did manage to extend the FCS season (albeit by a few minutes), and as we head into the sports abyss that is between Football season and Spring Football....I appreciate all I can get.;)

[Milktruck74]

The rules need to be redefined on what the replay booth can and cannot do. If you're going to go to the replay to review a first down, you can't move the chains back to where they were to re-measure. The best replay view of the 4th down showed the official 1st down marker (clearly right behind the EWU RB in the replay) on the far sideline that was beyond the 22 yard line yet after they moved the chains back to where they allegedly were all of a sudden it's right on the 22 yard line.

EWU doesn't have to apologize for anything though. They made plays when Delaware didn't at the end of the game but they've had an undeniably historic run of good fortune in their last 3 games when it's come down to crucial judgement calls by the referees to put them in position to win these games.

Sometimes you have to be better than the officials. UD wasn't tonight. Congrats EWU.

[fcsfootball71]

It was an FBS replay crew that fubared this one. Overall the SoCon officials did a good job. They were put in a very bad spot.

[GSUAlumniEagle]

The rules need to be redefined on what the replay booth can and cannot do. If you're going to go to the replay to review a first down, you can't move the chains back to where they were to re-measure.

This. Well, sorta.

A lot of chain crews will use two clips. For those not in the know, a clip is placed on a major yard line every time a new series is awarded so that if the chain crew has to drop the chains to get out of the way of players or the chains are moved in for a measurement, the chains are set properly. The reason two clips would be used is for this exact situation. After the 1st down was originally awarded the "old" clip would have remained on the chains where it was lined up on the 30yd line. The "new" placement of the clip would have been put where the chain lined up on the 20yd line. It appeared to me from the way the chain crew was talking that they only had one clip on the chain, and that it had already been placed in it's new placement -- where the chain intersected the 20yd line. So there's really no way we can exactly replicate.

What I will say is that most crews at this level will always try to mark a new series so that the nose of the ball touches a yard line. In this case, it looks like they marked the 1st & 10 at the Delaware 32yd line. So we know all they needed to do was touch the Delaware 22yd line. This is commonly used in officiating to limit the number of measurements and not interrupt game flow. I think just saying "The ball reached the 22yd line, that's a first down." Would have been a proper result. But then Keeler would have complained, and I could definitely see his side of that argument.

The best way to resolve this type of situation is change the review procedures. If the review official wants to change the spot, he can only move the ball if it is clear that the ball was short or over the line to gain. If he can only move the ball so that a new measurement would be needed, the call on the field needs to stand.

It was a hairy situation. One I'm sure Delaware fans are not happy with. But I really find no fault in the way the crew on the field handled it.

[JohnStOnge]

I don't think he made the first down. I said that to my wife as I was watching the play. But they should not have attempted to review the call once they moved the chains.

[Jackman]

The greatest fault lays with the linesman who made the original spot. And with the linesman on the near sideline who had the spot correct, but didn't have the guts to overrule the other guy. But that's football. Spotting the football isn't always easy.

[FargoBison]

I think it would have been a crime to let that original spot stand, you need replay for these games. It was the right call to at least attempt to reset the chains and try to get it right.

[Nebuta]

I think the linesman on EWU side had it right the first time but unforunately for the hens, the ball was on the right hash mark and the linesman on the UD side wet the bed on the spot. By the time they realized the mistake, the chains were already moved. Should have been UD ball for Brown was clearly short (hence the re-spot) but thats the breaks. EWU is a team of destiny. Great teams make the plays regards of the officals. Hats off to the champs.

[JohnStOnge]

I think the linesman on EWU side had it right the first time but unforunately for the hens, the ball was on the right hash mark and the linesman on the UD side wet the bed on the spot. By the time they realized the mistake, the chains were already moved. Should have been UD ball for Brown was clearly short (hence the re-spot) but thats the breaks. EWU is a team of destiny. Great teams make the plays regards of the officals. Hats off to the champs.

I have always said that luck plays a role in football and champions usually have some luck along the way. Sometimes the luck is in the form of calls officials make or don't make. But if you're not good enough luck won't make the difference for you. I think EWU had a bit of luck tonight. No matter how you look at it once they decided to review anything could have happened. As it turned out what happened is that they barely got the first down based on where they decided to put the ball and where they decided to put the chains.

It's really too bad that it came down to that because it was a great game.