2009-11-23T08:22:45Z Further review after further review by Gene Wang tag:views.washingtonpost.com,2009:/theleague/ratetherefs//56 Copyright (c) 2009, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive 2009-11-23T08:22:45Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-23:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/11/delay_of_game_on_officials.html

In a court of law, where the accused has the right to a fair and speedy trail, the actions of officials during Sunday's Washington-Dallas game wouldn't be tolerated. The call in question came at the end of the first half, when Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell was flushed out of the pocket on second down and one, ran for the sideline and released the ball before stepping out of bounds at the Dallas 25-yard line. Officials,...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-11-16T12:17:55Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-16:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/11/jeff_triplette_wade_phillips_cowboys_packers.html

Rarely do officials make public statements about missed calls, but in Sunday's Dallas at Green Bay game, they did just that. What's more, referee Jeff Triplette conceded he had made a mistake. The call in question came with 12 minutes to play and the Cowboys trailing, 10-0. Quarterback Tony Romo fumbled on a blitz by cornerback Charles Woodson, and running back Felix Jones appeared to roll onto the ball for the recovery before defensive tackle...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-11-09T06:21:24Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-09:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/11/quarterback_preservation_goes_too_far_again.html

Officials in Sunday's Washington-Atlanta game called the Redskins twice for personal fouls after hits on quarterback Matt Ryan. While both infractions cost Washington 15 yards, only one appeared warranted. That was the call 50 seconds before halftime, when defensive tackle Lorenzo Alexander got to Ryan -- who had gotten rid of the ball -- on third down and three. Alexander wrapped his arms around Ryan, and both players went to the ground. Officials called roughing...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-11-02T05:22:54Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-11-02:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/11/a_giant_miss.html

Officials made one of the most puzzling calls of the season during Philadelphia's 40-17 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. Although the ruling did not directly affect the outcome, it provided yet another opportunity for football fans to debate questionable officiating and to wonder if replay really does make a difference. In case you missed it, quarterback Donovan McNabb fumbled as he was being sacked in the third quarter, and defensive tackle Fred...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-10-26T04:39:54Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-10-26:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/10/officials_fumble_this_call.html

Most of the time an apparent missed call doesn't affect the outcome of a game directly. That wasn't the case in Sunday's Saints-Dolphins thriller at Land Shark Stadium. The Dolphins had built what seemed a comfortable 24-10 lead -- although virtually no lead is completely safe against the high-powered Saints -- when in the third quarter, New Orleans safety Darren Sharper intercepted Chad Henne and scored on a 42-yard return. As Sharper got inside the...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-10-20T07:35:21Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-10-19:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/10/dante_wesley_clifton_smith_ejection_wang.html

Update: Dante Wesley suspended for one game by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Carolina Panthers special teams player Dante Wesley was at the center of controversy on Sunday after launching himself into Tampa Bay's Clifton Smith, leaving the Pro Bowl punt returner with a concussion. An official threw a penalty flag immediately after Wesley made contact with Smith, who walked off the field under his own power. Wesley was ejected for the hit, and the incident...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-10-12T13:44:41Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-10-11:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/10/bad_bounce_right_call.html

If you don't believe bad teams tend to suffer the most from bad breaks, just look at what happened to the Washington Redskins against Carolina on Sunday. Nursing a five-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Redskins' Antwaan Randle El called for a fair catch on a punt. As he was getting set to catch the ball, Carolina's Quinton Teal blocked Washington's Byron Westbrook into Randle El, the ball bounced off Westbrook's foot, and Carolina...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-10-05T14:28:22Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-10-05:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/10/tom_brady_ray_lewis_roughing_quarterback.html

Roughing the passer is among the most hotly debated calls in the NFL. Defensive players will tell you the quarterback gets too much protection, and quarterbacks say they don't get enough. Sunday's Ravens-Patriots game illustrated that divide. Officials twice flagged the Ravens for roughing the passer, and both calls extended drives that led to New England touchdowns in the Patriots' 27-21 victory. After the game, Ravens players were predictably upset at the officiating. Linebacker Ray...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-09-28T13:13:17Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-09-28:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/09/facemask_lions_redskins_colts_cardinals.html

We all understand officials missing a call here and there during the fast pace of a pro football game. It happens all the time, and usually we don't give it a second thought. But when we're talking about a facemask infraction, it's different because that penalty could lead to serious injury. How many times have you seen a player's helmet get tugged and turned, only to cringe when you watch the replay in slow motion....Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-09-21T04:31:05Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-09-21:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/09/redskins_rams_pass_interference_randle_el.html

Pass interference may be the most dissected rule in the NFL. It's the only penalty that theoretically can cover 99 yards, and it can alter the complexion of a game in an instant. In the St. Louis at Washington game, officials were faced with a decision regarding contact in the end zone midway through the second quarter. To the dismay of Redskins fans, there was no flag, but by all accounts there should have been,...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-09-14T16:44:04Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-09-14:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/09/santana_moss_corey_webster_redskins_giants_refs.html

Officials have one of the most thankless jobs in sports. They don't exactly find bundles of fan mail on their doorstep for making the right call, but when they get one wrong, boy do they ever hear about it. Just ask Ed Hochuli. Seattle Seahawks fans, for instance, are still steaming over the role they say officiating played in their loss to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL. More often than not, officials have nothing to...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-02-02T13:56:32Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-02-02:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/02/super_bowl_blunders.html

Super Bowl XLIII was memorable not only for its riveting fourth quarter but also for a handful of critical officiating errors. One of the most egregious came immediately following Santonio Holmes's acrobatic, six-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds left that gave Pittsburgh a 27-23 victory. We might as well start there since that play decided the outcome. Holmes did a nice LeBron James imitation during his celebration, using the football as a mock shaker and...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-01-21T18:58:41Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-01-19:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/01/officiating_is_supposed_to_get.html

Officiating is supposed to get better as the games become more meaningful. The NFL does its best to try to ensure that by assigning the top crews in the league to the playoffs, so you'd think the conference championship games would be officiated cleanly and without controversy. That was hardly the case yesterday. Let's start with the AFC title game, where officials made some of the most egregious errors all season. With seven minutes to...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-01-12T16:01:31Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-01-12:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/01/getting_it_wrong_playoff_edition.html

The NFL playoffs are supposed to showcase the best in professional football, and that includes not only the games, players and coaches but also officiating. That certainly wasn't the case this past weekend, when two clearly blown calls unfolded before tens of thousands of spectators at LP Field and Giants Stadium as well as millions more watching on television. The first gaffe came late in Baltimore's 13-10 victory over Tennessee in Nashville on Saturday. After...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang 2009-01-05T05:10:46Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-01-04:/theleague/ratetherefs/2009/01/redemption_for_hochuli.html

No, you weren't imagining it. That was indeed Ed Hochuli officiating an AFC first-round playoff game between Baltimore and Miami. You'll recall Hochuli was the referee who all but cost San Diego the game in a 39-38 loss to Denver in late September by admittedly blowing a call. So what was Hochuli doing anywhere near Dolphins Stadium on Sunday? Turns out Hochuli and his crew, despite that memorable gaffe, were rated the league's best during...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Gene Wang