Penalty
Severity Index November 21, 2021 12:00 pm
For our consumption, we are offered the most basic statistics in regard to
penalties. For each team they will tell us the number of penalties applied
& the corresponding yards. They may even disclose how many penalties
were declined. They will also tell us the number of 1st
downs acquired by penalty. Of course, what is missing from all of this is a
measure of the "Penalty Severity Index". For example, after a goal line
stand, thereby stopping an offense, if
defensive holding or defensive pass interference just happens to be accessed on
that play (placing the ball
on the 1 yard line), thereby giving the offense a new set of downs, within the
"Red Zone" or within the "10 Yard Line", to be given another
opportunity to score a touchdown early in the 4th quarter, it presently only show ups as 1 penalty for 2 yards.
Do you think this 2 yard statistic is properly weighted? How does that
call compare with
defensive off sides accessing 5 yards on the 45 yard line in the 1st quarter?
Do you for one moment think that the 2 yard penalty had been properly weighted
into the overall context on the game ... especially if it was a blown call ...
and if it happens repeatedly ... being some sort of an anomaly. Do you
think owners ... and many others ... might like to know those statistics. In other
words, 10 penalties, accessing 118 yards tells us very little however contained
within those numbers & could be considered to be nothing less than a license to
steal.
Said another way, maybe there is a reason why A. A. Ron has a smirk on his face
... telling his fan base ... relax. It's not as if Tom Brady has an
official step in between a lineman & Brady after he threw an interception
... while the play was in still in process (The Kurt Warner unwritten
rule). It's not like there is some sort of anomaly ... on the continuation
of the play ... when a flag is dropped for what is clearly a defensive off
sides call. No, this is just all in your
imagination.
For example, it is too easy ... and without insight ... to look at this
franchises 3rd down conversions & just simply say that this teams offense is
absolutely terrible. You could also say that Kirk Cousins is absolutely
inept however the actual problem may lie within a failing scheme &/or
failing concepts. Too often, the old "Penalty-Severity-Index"
shines its glory upon the field, applying a 1st & 20 holding call on our
offense, or worse, the very moment that our offense takes possession of the
ball, helping to ensure a 3 & out possession, over & over again.
Or worse, when that flag is held for that holding call, or hands to the face, we
can be assured of a big 1st down loss, running our right side stretch play into
a slamming high-risk defense. It's not as if there is a direct correlation
between 3 & out possessions & losing a game ... sorry ... there most
certainly is direct correlation. Either way, way too often we are
running a 3rd & long play hoping for that first 3rd down conversion on each
possession, only to fail, due to a failing scheme. It's not that the
stretch play needs to be shelved but rather ... it's about when it is
applied ... as it is better suited to being applied in the continuation of a
drive after that first 1st down is achieved.
Is the NFL treating us like Washington DC's power elites where they are allowed
to police themselves into absolute corrupt behavior? In other words, do
they have an interest in increasing the value of the product on the field or is
it always going to be about "Checkered Entertainment" assuring results
that favor an elite few ... because they think that is the best approach ... at
least for them. Said another way, if you think that dynasties actually add
revenue to the league ... then you are retarded. You need to look no
further than the NBA & the New York Yankees to see absolute failure in this
concept as way to many are disconnected ... and at arms reach ... to become
apart of what is clearly an ill conceived notion.
With 32 teams we face the possibility of requiring 16 teams of officials on each
weekend. To begin to correct the league there needs to be:
1. 18 complete teams of
officials being paid a "Base Inactive Retainer" for each week.
Obviously, the amount paid for the retainer should be no more than 5% of that
paid to actually officiate a game. All fees double during the playoffs
& triple during championship & Super Bowl appearances. The intent is to
provide a significant incentive for being an active official, for any actual
weekend, based upon your overall performance ... using a dedicated scoring
system. With the possibility of having as many as four teams on their bye
in any particular week, the competition will be intense as from 18 teams, only
14 officiating teams may be active for a regular season game. Having an
ample reserve is paramount to ensure a performance based outcome. Each
year, the graded out bottom 10% will be replaced, just like in
sales.
2. All 18 teams will have
a head official, which on any particular week will either be active or
inactive. The top graded officials will be provided the top graded
official by position (like line judge) from that graded system, based upon
performance, where pre-assembled teams will no longer be allowed. This
process will then repeat for each respectively graded official team, until the
lowest graded games have the lowest graded officiating crews.
3. Each official will be allowed to move into or request any position, except
head official, which will be appointed, where the applied grade will follow the
position. An appointed head official will start his evaluation using a
combined overall grade. New position request shall be granted based upon
appointment & combined average grade so that deficiencies will be weeded
out. A head official may request any new positional candidate at any
time.
4. Each franchise will
provide an officials numerical grade for every angle of each play that they are
given to review, at full speed only ... just like an official would see it to
make the call on the field. For example, in any particular week, the NFC
North division may have to review as many as 40 official calls that were applied
to the AFC West the week prior. All 40 plays from that division will
be broken down & evenly distributed. For example, if 10 calls from the
Raiders where applied in the prior week, The Vikings would only review 2 or 3
plays, that were randomly selected. In one particular week, the Vikings
would have to grade 3 plays from the Raiders, 2 from KC, 2 from Denver & 3
from the chargers, taking on their share of the 40 overall calls or
non-calls. The intent is for each franchise to apply it's judgments based
upon how they would want their calls to be evaluated.
5. Each week the AFC
Division to be reviewed by the NFC North would change thereby achieving
impartiality.
6. Each weeks official grades, and any notations, will be assembled &
provided to both the players union & the league. Any notations
will be withheld as official learning aids for the officials as well as review
by the league & players union to root out any
inconsistencies.
7. Only the grades will
be openly published each week (and scrutinized by the public) providing complete
clarity of the process.
8. That there be some
sort of overall agreement to the application of some sort of
Penalty-Severity-Index that would weigh an observable grade & then applied
to the games true context.
The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: November 21, 2021
