Should refs help prevent penalties?

[Jeremy Igo]

I've never liked it.

 

Officials should observe and officiate.

 

They should not intervene in any way up to and during the play unless player safety is involved.

[rayzor]

refs are not coaches. watch what happens and make the call. that's their job.

i remember when the refs went on strike (which it's hard to tell if they ever came back) that goodell mentioned at somenpoint using computers to handle some of the officiating. you wouldn't get an argument from me. i think refs will oftem show bias and preference on the field towards one team on the field. rarely is it balanced.

[KSpan]

I've never liked it.

Officials should observe and officiate.

They should not intervene in any way up to and during the play unless player safety is involved.

The rule in question was put in place specificially for safety of the long-snapper. I personally don't have an issue and see it done regularly in this context during games, way more often than not.

It may seem like a rare occurrence, but I think that's because players usually line up legally.

[Cj72]

I didn't see what happened last night but I have seen them tell lineman to back up on more than 1 occasion

[SZ James (banned)]

More penalties and official reviews and stoppages of play, please. I need more cancer in my football.

[csx]

I'm still wondering how penalties get called on the Pats at all. pretty sure the NFL shield is really nothing but Pats spl00ge.

They have the second most penalties per game in the league this year.

http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/penalties-per-game

[Ruff]

On field goal attempts, it happens all of the time. Creating a mountain out of a mole hill.

[Kuhndog94]

When wide receivers line up, you'll notice them look at that ref. They are checking with the ref to confirm they are lined up correctly.

I have never seen a ref, in pro football, let a defensive player know he is lined up too far across the line.

[tiger7_88]

I would rather see a ref do that then take the risk of seeing a long snapper with a broken neck.

[Ruff]

I have never seen a ref, in pro football, let a defensive player know he is lined up too far across the line.

That isn't what's happening here. They're making sure the player isn't lined up over the center. It's more of a precaution from the center getting his back broken in half from a dude jumping on it.

[Happy Panther]

On field goal attempts, it happens all of the time. Creating a mountain out of a mole hill.

This.

 

And what other types of penalties would a ref step in to help?

 

They would never disclose 12 men on the field for example.

[CarolinaVeins]

I do think coaches need to have the ability to challenge penalties in the game though

[ThPantherFan]

I do think coaches need to have the ability to challenge penalties in the game though

 

I do understand what you are saying and wish there was a way without delaying the game forever.  Can you imagine if the coaches could challenge penalties how long the game would take?

 

[Mr. Scot]

Turns out the Texans were flagged for this exact penalty just last Thursday (per Florio).