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- Mar 19, 2019
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Former NFL cornerback Ty Law enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. During a Tuesday conference call, he shared his thoughts on a new replay procedure that will be implemented for the first time on Thursday night, at the Hall of Fame game.
And Law isn’t thrilled with the decision to make pass interference subject to replay review.
“I am disappointed in that because it’s going to take away from the game,” Law said, via comments distributed by the Patriots. “You know, referees are out there for a reason. Yes, they don’t make every call right, but something like that — a pass interference — once you start opening that can of worms, it’s going to get ugly, and the game’s going to get a lot longer.”
Law also believes that plenty of gray will end up being turned black or white, once the red flags fly.
“I think the defensive players get the bulk of the pushing and the blame for this or that, but there’s a lot going on between a defensive back and a wide receiver, especially when you’re running downfield,” Law said. “You’ve got two of the fastest guys on the field, and things happen in a split second, so if they start all of a sudden throwing the red flag out to stop the game — this may or may not have been a pass interference — I think it’s just going to disrupt the game. It’s a little bit disappointing because it’s still about the offense, it’s about scoring points. I understand the business aspect of it, but you have to let the game be played. And the offense, they’re just as guilty of pushing and grabbing and being physical, as well. I just don’t know what this is going to do to the game. It’s going to be interesting to see, but it’s definitely not good in my opinion.”
It’s believed that the NFL will monitor closely the performance of the new protocols during the preseason, with tweaks made as needed. Still, it all comes down to whether senior V.P. of officiating Al Riveron will be able to resist the temptation to supply his own judgment for the judgment of the officials who make the calls in real time, or whether he’ll defer to the requirement that intervention happen only when the error is truly clear and obvious.