CFL changes rule based on fan feedback

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/03/2018 (2736 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Canadian Football League’s rules committee has released a number of proposed rule changes for the 2018 season, one of which was driven strictly by fans’ frustration for long delays during games.

Accounting for most of those lengthy breaks — or at least what seemed to drive fans the craziest — was the fact that far too many times last season, the league was unable to determine coaches’ challenges for illegal contact in a timely fashion. The backlash by fans was so fierce that the CFL has decided to eliminate it altogether from their list of challengeable offences.

Illegal contact is when a receiver is obstructed after five yards on a route where he is not the intended target.

“The decision to pull illegal contact out of the list of challengeable penalties strictly came from the fans,” Darren Hackwood said, the CFL’s senior director of officiating, in a press conference Thursday, as part of CFL Week. “We heard the fans and that’s why we made that decision to go that way.”

The ability to challenge illegal contact was initially passed ahead of the 2016 season, along with offensive pass interference and illegal interference, all of which could only be reviewed on passing plays. The theory then was that it shouldn’t disrupt the length of games, something the league has ultimately deemed two years later to be untrue.

“Expanding what can be reviewed will not result in a slower game because coaches are not being provided with additional reviews per game,” Glenn Johnson, the former director of officiating, said at the time.

“In fact, we are looking to reduce the number of delays, and the number of penalties, while improving the quality of our game and protecting the health of our players.”

The CFL rules committee is made up of a group of head coaches — including Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea — league officials and representatives of the CFLPA. All proposed changes are pending approval of the league’s board of governors, which is expected to vote sometime next month.

Hackwood acknowledged that by eliminating illegal contact from being a challengeable offence, officials will hopefully have to bear a greater responsibility to make the correct call on the field the first time and not have to rely on a coach’s challenge to get it right.

“We talked long and hard about that and basically we are going to be very tough on the officials as far as making sure they continue to call that on the field whenever it occurs,” he said, noting the committee meetings consisted of three days of consultation. “Every week we’re going to have to be on top of them to make sure they understand the standard and that they’re calling it.”

“It’s not that we want them to call it more. We don’t want them to lay up on it. We think they were calling it consistently. The fear of the group was if we take it away from being challengeable, suddenly they’ll stop calling it. That’s on us to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Officiating as a whole has become a hot-button issue among fans in recent years. With the advancement of social media, many have been able to direct their frustration directly to the CFL. While those voices have been heard and changes have been made as a result, Hackwood said finding more ways to improve remains the ultimate goal.

“I wouldn’t say I’m happy with where it’s at,” he said. “We’re always trying to improve. Our officials do a very difficult job very well. If we’re not getting better, then I don’t know what we’re doing. Every year we have to get better.”

Hackwood added it’s not only what officials are doing on the field that has shaped the public’s negative perception, but what they aren’t doing off of it as well.

“We’ve done a poor job of educating our fans on the rules and our standards,” he said. “That’s a huge opportunity for us this year.”

For instance, Hackwood led fans through a workshop Thursday night, taking them through a series of on-field scenarios. After each play, he would ask the group whether they would have thrown a penalty flag before revealing — and explaining — the correct call.

The CFL will also return to a “crew” format instead of pulling from a pool of officials to create teams each week. The hope is it will result in familiarity between officiating teams and lead to more consistent calls.

“We’ll have six officiating crews that will stay in groups and work games together,” Hackwood said. “Just to build the team atmosphere amongst the crew and that will allow them to spend more time preparing and get better week to week.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton