Referees suck.
 
There’s no point in buttering up that statement. It’s a fact.
Officials have caused mass frustration and anger among players, coaches and fans alike.
 
They’ve also single-handedly affected history, drastically altered game outcomes and even almost ruined LSU’s chances of winning this past Saturday — oh wait, the Tigers’ abysmal second-half performance did that.
 
I’m not sure why anyone would want to sign up to wear a horrid striped shirt and eventually be the most hated man in a sporting arena. Well, there are those who get paid under the table for tipping a game in a certain direction, but I digress.
 
To balance the possibility of human error, many sports have recently implemented the use of instant replay or “challenges” to go back and review past plays.
 
While instant replay use is still relatively new to college football (the rule wasn’t fully implemented until 2006), the NFL has been using instant replay in its games since 1986, with the ability to challenge plays starting in 1999.
 
Yet, there still comes a time when a replay official blows a call.
For a play to be overturned, there must be “indisputable video evidence” seen by the replay official. Sometimes there aren’t enough vantage points for replay officials to fully observe the play.
 
Sometimes the play cannot be seen from the appropriate angle to justify the overturning.
 
I never understood how NFL games never had a good view of a specific play. Sure, for college games I could understand if Weber State was playing Idaho they wouldn’t bring every camera to the game.
 
But in a professional football contest, it would seem every major vantage point (end zone, boundaries, etc.) would have a camera dedicated to it, especially because instant replay has become such a major role in the game today.
 
It looks now as if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has seen one too many botched calls by referees and has begun talks with German manufacturer Cairos Technologies.
 
Cairos recently developed a new soccer ball used in the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup infused with many small microchips alerting the referee when the ball crossed the boundary or scored a goal.
 
The “smartball” had the same weight and feel of a normal fútbol, and players during the ’07 Cup seemed to approve. However, in
American football, some complications could arise.
 
While in soccer, the entire ball must cross the line to be considered a goal, in football, only the tip of the ball has to break the plane to be considered a touchdown.
 
In soccer, players can also step out of bounds to save the ball (as long as the ball stays in play).
 
That isn’t the case in football. Sure, an alert can go off if the ball goes out, but what about the players?
 
It’s also easier to equally place sensors in a soccer ball because of its spherical nature. It would seem a football and its oblong design might not get every spot covered.
 
If the NFL were to implement these sensors, it would be major ammunition to those wanting to keep the game “pure.”
 
While I’m a big fan of using technology as an aid to human error, technology can easily fail or become manipulated.
 
I’m sure if the NFL were to adopt the smartball, it wouldn’t be officials’ sole decision maker — more of a backup if human eyes and instant replay were to fail. Yet, that doesn’t mean over time, this feature won’t make its way to priority decision making.
 
This piece of technology is impressive, but it’s not ready for American football just yet.
 
Right now, the NFL should just worry about having enough cameras on the field to see every angle of every play, get its overtime rules under control and make sure there is actually going to be an NFL in 2011.
 
Or, how about just training the referees to not suck?
 
Adam Arinder is a 20-year-old communication studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.
 
 
 
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Contact Adam Arinder at [email protected]