2005 CFL PREVIEWAll eyes are on the refs this year
CFL has invested heavily to improve the quality of on-field officiating.
CFL officials came under fire during the 2004 campaign
for missing several key calls, including two late in the season that
directly altered the outcome of games.
Six officials were disciplined for missing an unnecessary roughness call in an Oct. 8 encounter between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Winnipeg's Keith Stokes fumbled the ball after being roughed up by a Hamilton player. The Tiger-Cats recovered the ball and scored a touchdown, providing the seven-point margin of victory.
Officials missed another call two weeks later when Calgary receiver Sulecio Sanford recovered a punt and scored a touchdown with no time remaining against the B.C. Lions.
Sanford was called for no yards, the touchdown didn't count, and B.C. won the game by two points.
George Black, the head of officiating for the CFL, recently told the CFL on CBC that of the over 15,000 calls made last year, there are only 12 he would want back.
"I don't think we've got a sick officiating situation. I think we've got a really good bunch of individuals that work well together, know the rules and are doing a good job, but I'm seeking subtle ways of trying to make some improvements in that area and eliminate the big mistakes," said Black.
To try and eliminate those mistakes, CFL commissioner Tom Wright declared that the league would make improving the quality of on-field officiating its top priority for 2005, investing six times more money on the recruitment, training and development of those making the calls.
Under Wright's new five-point plan, the number of CFL officials will increase to 46 at the start of the season, all due to the addition of 11 officials from the ranks of Canadian university football. The Canadian Interuniversity Sport personnel will work alongside CFL veterans and the league will chart their progress as it attempts to groom future candidates.
After holding discussions with CFL coaches, the league also drafted a document that better defines five specific penalties that have proven troublesome in the past: holding, illegal blocks on kick returns, roughing the passer, illegal contact on receivers and pass interference. The goal is to aid officials in their jobs.
In a bold step, the CFL has also committed to providing financial and instructional support for amateur officials, increase training and pay for their CFL counterparts, and experiment with using set officiating crews -- a practice that was discarded in the 1980s as a cost-cutting move -- for the first 36 games this season.
Another key part of Wright's plan is the CFL's investment in digital technology to evaluate officials, allowing the league to offer feedback in a matter of hours.
Previously, the CFL used videotape to grade its officials, but that proved a tedious and costly procedure, taking several days to analyze and cut film before providing a hard copy for its referees.
CFL official Andre Proulx welcomes the initiative.
"We'll know what every individual on our crew will be doing on every play, because after a few weeks we'll know on certain plays that the official will be there. It's going to be easier for all of us," said Proulx.
