Awsi Dooger
Junior
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2012
- Messages
- 2,662
It's actually the opposite tendency. Referees annually award offenses thousands of yards beyond what they actually gained. Inches here and inches there. They allow too much benefit of a doubt, particularly with runners in traffic and also receivers who catch the ball and are immediately pushed backward. That forward progress allocation is absurdly generous.
This was a frequent topic in the sportsbooks when we were watching 10 or more monitors simultaneously. It was absurd how the referees in game after game favored the offense.
I've seen this broken down on several sites, using random plays and foot too far forward. But the most common finding on those studies is that the referees favor solid numbers and especially the 5 yard increments. In other words, the ball is spotted far too frequently exactly on a yard line as opposed to in between, and most blatantly on the 15, 20, 25, 30, etc as opposed to 28, 29, etc.
In watching football since childhood the reason could not be more obvious. Measuring for the first down has all but disappeared. When I was a kid it happened all the time, frequently on 2 or 3 plays in a row. Eventually as the games got longer due to more passing the powers above scrambled for methods to cut time here and there. Eliminating the first down measurement was front and center. I have seen referees on various sites concede as much. They hate to measure. So they'll start a 1st and 10 series precisely on a yard marker and preferably on a 5 yard increment, solely because they'll have an easy visual reference point and not have to bring out the sticks.
At Canes games myself and the fan who sits immediately to my left are always amazed at how generous the referees are, when a play finishes anywhere near the yard to gain. Invariably they will give the extra foot and wave first down and for the markers to advance. This is especially true on first down. Just give it to him, as opposed to second and inches or a measurement. Keep the game moving. The referees become more stingy the closer it gets to 4th down.
