Commissioner gets it right

[Booch]

Finally...an end to the madness and the fishing for stuff that has no bearing on the play

[Saidin]

Wow wow wow.  Didn't think they'd have the balls to do it... I'm super happy.  

[Jpan85]

Right call. 

[Noeller]

https://www.cfl.ca/2017/08/02/cfl-announces-rule-change-limit-video-review/

 

TORONTO — Coaches will be able to challenge only one play per game under changes to the video review system approved Tuesday night by the Canadian Football League, the CFL announced Wednesday.

“We have a super game. Our elite athletes are treating us this year to incredible plays, close contests and even miracle comebacks. Scoring is up, penalties are down, and games are shorter. The last thing we want to have in place is an artificial impediment to our fans’ enjoyment of it all,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie.

”Video review, unfortunately, has become just that. It was put in place to fix egregious and indisputable mistakes that could affect the outcome of a game. It’s not being used that way now. Too many challenges and reviews are interrupting the game. Coaches, understandably since they are under pressure to win, have been using it to try to gain an advantage. Fans have been very clear with me that they want a change. We are delivering that change.”

The change is effective immediately.

Prior to this change, each team had two challenges per game, and a third challenge was earned if a coach was successful with their first two challenges. Now they will only get one challenge for the entire game. They will still need to have a timeout to initiate a challenge. And if their challenge is not successful, they will still lose a timeout.

Ambrosie ordered an evaluation of the process after his latest visits to CFL stadiums this past weekend. The resulting proposal, to restrict coaches’ challenges to one a game, was approved last evening in a series of calls with the league’s Competition Committee, team presidents and lead Governors.

“We at the CFL want our players to know we want the focus on the field and on their amazing talents,” Ambrosie said. “We want fans to know we are in the business of doing all we can to provide the very best experience for them.”

A national conference call with CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie and Senior Vice President of Football Glen Johnson will be held at 2:00pm ET on Wednesday.

[Taynted_Fayth]

I like the change, but I hope there is still a loss of time out if it's an unsuccessful challenge. I think the current format (or previous if this change is immediately in effect) was your first challenge was a freebie the 2nd cost you if wrong

[Mr Dee]

NEWS HEADLINE:  Randy Gets It Right!

The pendulum is swinging back to saner proceedings. Put away your ipads everyone and focus on the game at hand. That's the message I get from this.

Well done!

Edited August 2, 2017 by Mr Dee

[JuranBoldenRules]

Disagree.  The problem wasn't the number of challenges coaches could initiate, the process was the problem.  I would have limited PI reviews to video at regular speed, set a hard cap at decision within 90 seconds or inconclusive and eliminated the illegal contact review.  Just wait until someone loses a game on a botched PI call that they could have reviewed previously, the pendulum will swing right back around.

[Saidin]

1 minute ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Disagree.  The problem wasn't the number of challenges coaches could initiate, the process was the problem.  I would have limited PI reviews to video at regular speed, set a hard cap at decision within 90 seconds or inconclusive and eliminated the illegal contact review.  Just wait until someone loses a game on a botched PI call that they could have reviewed previously, the pendulum will swing right back around.

You still have your challenge to do that.  Just don't waste it earlier.  

[Goalie]

2 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Disagree.  The problem wasn't the number of challenges coaches could initiate, the process was the problem.  I would have limited PI reviews to video at regular speed, set a hard cap at decision within 90 seconds or inconclusive and eliminated the illegal contact review.  Just wait until someone loses a game on a botched PI call that they could have reviewed previously, the pendulum will swing right back around.

This x 1000

[17to85]

Just now, Saidin said:

You still have your challenge to do that.  Just don't waste it earlier.  

Unless the refs are that bad at their jobs, which we all know they are. They're going to miss more than 1 call per side per game. 

[Goalie]

The problem here is coaches wouldnt have to challenge if the refs made the right call on the field. This just puts the game back in to the hands of incompetent refs. Not a solution.. This is going to lead to huge problems. 

Fix the reffing first. 

Edited August 2, 2017 by Goalie

[Saidin]

Just now, 17to85 said:

Unless the refs are that bad at their jobs, which we all know they are. They're going to miss more than 1 call per side per game. 

Fixing ref's blatant mistakes, that's another thing.  Good point.    I don't know why the eye in the sky can't do a better job at fixing stuff like that and not resorting to challenges...

[Goalie]

Just now, Saidin said:

Fixing ref's blatant mistakes, that's another thing.  Good point.    I don't know why the eye in the sky can't do a better job at fixing stuff like that and not resorting to challenges...

Because Glenn Johnson is an incompetent fool

[WBBFanWest]

With the rules as they now stand regarding PI, I don't think the league has any choice.  We know that coaches are setting up receivers to force contact with a DB so that they have a ready made challenge to use anytime they want.  I don't think it would be wise to make a major change to the way the PI is called mid season, so this way, those coaches who want to do this will have one and only one opportunity to use it.  It will force them to really think over whether or not to throw the challenge flag.  Hopefully, they can review the PI stuff at the end of the year and fix it.  But until then...

[JuranBoldenRules]

4 minutes ago, Saidin said:

You still have your challenge to do that.  Just don't waste it earlier.  

Well look at our games this season.  We had to challenge a catch for a first down that clearly and blatantly incomplete against BC.  So now O'Shea would have to gift that first down to BC to preserve his challenge for later? Bullshit.  They got it wrong again, the old cut off the nose to spite the face change.

[pigseye]

I like it. Scoring plays etc. are still automatically reviewed so this just ends the nonsense challenges.

[JuranBoldenRules]

1 minute ago, WBBFanWest said:

With the rules as they now stand regarding PI, I don't think the league has any choice.  We know that coaches are setting up receivers to force contact with a DB so that they have a ready made challenge to use anytime they want.  I don't think it would be wise to make a major change to the way the PI is called mid season, so this way, those coaches who want to do this will have one and only one opportunity to use it.  It will force them to really think over whether or not to throw the challenge flag.  Hopefully, they can review the PI stuff at the end of the year and fix it.  But until then...

PI isn't as bad as the illegal contact ones, just eliminate those and it wouldn't be so bad.

[17to85]

I like that it's a step in trying to correct the stupidity of the situation, but I think it's just another knee jerk reaction from the CFL which is what got us into this mess in the first place. 

The entire point of video review is to get things right... yet with 1 review a side it still leaves a lot of leeway for the refs to get things wrong. 

I've said since they implemented it that if video review can not be 100% at getting calls right then it shouldn't be part of the game. I would still advocate for the entire review process to be scrapped and just let the referees do their jobs and we can live with real time on the field mistakes from them rather than having to live with mistakes even after the review. 

At very least they should do away with the ability to challenge PI. It has always been discretionary so reviewing it is just stupid. 

[Goalie]

The only thing this eliminates is coaches like JM DD and CJ fishing for calls... Thats a positive.. I get they all do it but these are the ones who do it most.. Thats good but... Leaving it in the hands of incompetent refs isnt good. 

[JCon]

The reffing is still horrible in the CFL.

The Command Centre is still horrible.

This fixes the long delays but does nothing to address the real problem.

[pigseye]

Blown calls are part of every sport, there's no 'safe place' in sports. Get over it.

[yogi]

Terrible, terrible decision. The amount of horrific incorrect calls from the ref isn't going to change, but now you've stripped down the small amount of power coaches had to correct this? Fishing for PI needs to end, but this is just plain stupid. Terrible start for the new commissioner. 

[Taynted_Fayth]

IMHO they need to eliminate challenges altogether and just put a direct comm link between the ref and command center and each play they are talking over potential missed calls or wrong calls. for example play happens,  refs miss an illegal contact or something,  CC radios in saying they noticed an infraction between #XX and #XX,  flag gets tossed.  Or ref makes a call,  CC looks it over quickly, and if they see if was wrong radio that in and the ref tosses his flag saying there is no infraction..etc

[WBBFanWest]

2 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

PI isn't as bad as the illegal contact ones, just eliminate those and it wouldn't be so bad.

Ya, sorry, illegal contact is what I was referring to.

2 minutes ago, Goalie said:

The only thing this eliminates is coaches like JM DD and CJ fishing for calls... Thats a positive.. I get they all do it but these are the ones who do it most.. Thats good but... Leaving it in the hands of incompetent refs isnt good. 

The thing is, every team gets the same refs.  Ya, they blow calls all the time but I'm pretty sure that it all balances out over the season.  For me, the real head scratcher is the C'mon Centre.  If you're going to have a review, then get the bloody review right.  Hopefully, Ambroise fixes that next.  The other time to remember is that while coaches will be limited to one review, there are still automatic reviews.  In a perfect world, this should be enough, but we all know that the world ain't perfect...

[Super Duper Negatron]

I would have just eliminated the PI and Illegal Contact challenges entirely. The Command Center screws them up anyways. The fact that a decision on a subjective call doesn't involve the input of the official that originally made it is ludicrous to me.