- November 27, 2024
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It is often said, concerning a football game, that there is a penalty during every play of the game. After witnessing the weirdest football possession I’ve ever seen on any level, I never want to see a penalty called every snap anymore, but I would like to see officiating crews challenged, following their games.
A few years ago, an old friend, who voluntarily coached little league football, confessed to me that he once threw a flag on a team, after a kid scored a long touchdown, because that team was already winning by a hefty margin. That story always stuck with me because I often thought how many other coaches, of all levels, may share like sentiments and throw flags for any reasons other than penalties.
I’m pretty sure Heritage fans, although they may never admit it, felt the same as the rest of the onlookers, as Mainland was pushed from the Panthers’ seven-yard line to eventually punting from the other side of the field on a fourth-and-forever, minus two touchdowns that had been called back.
I spoke with Mainland coach Scott Wilson, who actually agreed with all of the penalties, saying they were in the wrong, and, while I can agree with that, I had to ask if Heritage was playing perfect ball in the process. In the five straight penalty plays, did none of the 11 players commit any wrong for the penalties to, at least, offset?
But, even after Mainland’s infamous first drive, there were a couple of penalties to assist Heritage on getting down to the Bucs six-yard line to nearly tie the game. A holding penalty on fourth down kept the game going, although the ball wasn’t catchable, and a pass interference call on a third down that was seen by no one kept Heritage alive.
Are officials allowed to call what they “think” they see or what they actually see? I believe refs would call games a lot differently, if they knew they’d be judged for their performances. This isn’t little league, where stats and wins don’t matter. Coaches and kids’ futures are tied to these games, so they should be officiated in light of that. That game felt like the Buffalo Wild Wings commercial, where the people in the restaurant wanted an overtime game, so the workers pulled out sprinklers to trip up a potential touchdown. That commercial was fairy tale, but I wonder how many officials call games in like manner…
