re: #249 lawhawk

I get the complaints about the refs when they completely blow calls: like giving an extra time out when they have already used three, missing clear personal fouls, or giving replay challenges when the team was out of those opportunities, or spotting where to place the ball after a penalty, etc.

Even the regular refs blow calls - though not as frequently as the replacements. However, this weekend saw more mistakes than we normally do - including several that could have turned games in major ways.

I’m more lenient when they get a player number wrong (that happened with the regular refs too), or on bang-bang plays where instant replay shows calls go either way or that the refs on the field had reason to get it wrong (and instant replay it should be remembered was instituted because of blown calls on the field).

I don’t live or die based on football results like some of my friends and co-workers. So I’m pretty lenient about calls as well and whether they go for or against “my team”.

It’s a sort of “walk a mile in their shoes” thing. I was a basketball referee for a bit while in college (intramural games). There’s a lot to try to see and keep track of, and you make mistakes. Plus, as a given, you’re going to get razzed, abused, and have people in your face. Part of the competitive nature of humans.