A bright yellow piece of fabric that can ruin an NFL game, season or championship. It can destroy the hearts of players, coaches and fans. Referees are on the field to call penalties, prevent injuries and enforce the rule book. However, for the 2023 NFL season, referees missed clear penalty calls or, in other cases, simply ignored them.
On Dec. 30, with a number one playoff seed on the line, the Detroit Lions decided to run a trick two-point conversion play to beat the playoff contender, Dallas Cowboys. Offensive lineman Taylor Decker completed the conversion to win Detroit the game. However, the referees had different plans. An offensive lineman can catch a ball if they report eligibility to the refs. They claimed that offensive lineman Daniel Skipper was reported eligible, but not Taylor, who completed the catch. After replays of the game were released, it was clear that the referees ignored Decker’s report of eligibility.
This incident was just one out of many missed calls made by the referees in important situations. The NFL has received criticism on officiating in years past, but the problem has escalated. Recently there has been too many missed pass interference calls and calls made that are hurting teams. As the NFL continues to become more and more popular, the officiating stakes are now higher. Fans have brought their opinions on official callings on social media by calling them “trash, unfair and garbage” because of how they affected the outcomes of their favorite teams.
A major discussion point among the officiating problem is that some feel that the NFL has “gone soft,” particularly with the league’s roughing the passer calls, which have garnered plenty of controversy. Roughing the passer calls serve to make sure defenders aren’t overaggressive when trying to sack a quarterback, but some defenders were flagged for seemingly normal tackles. This issue became extremely relevant, especially during the 2022 season.
Many fans also talked about the NFL’s “script” this season. Some conspiracy theorists believed that the NFL was scripted and planned the season, which is why Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, won the Super Bowl. While the NFL is likely not scripted, many questionable officiating calls have added fuel to the conspiracy.
“I do not think the NFL follows a script, but the officiating this season was trash,” freshman Rocco Pontrella said.
When it came time for the Super Bowl, all eyes were on the officials to not “ruin” the end of the game. During Super Bowl LVIII, the NFL referees were on point. In overtime, San Francisco had an incomplete pass, forcing them to punt. However, a holding call on Kansas City allowed the 49ers a second chance. The referees made the correct call, causing fans to have no referee slander following the game.
“The officiating in the Super Bowl was acceptable, even though there were questionable calls during the regular season,” sophomore Chase Kohlberg said.
Photo Credit: “NFL Ref Hochuli” by Karen is licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED)
