Worst Refs You Have Ever Seen

[BulldawgDynasty]

There is a story on another thread where a ref in the Westview-Humbolt game didn't blow the whistle when a player was basically laying on the ground when he pitched the ball to the tailback who took it for a touchdown. I once saw my season ended on a play where the opposing team had 12 players playing the play, not one running off, but all 12 playing. What are some of your "bad beat by the refs" stories? This is a thread just for this so nobody will call them excuses. No names please, just stories.

Edited October 22, 2006 by BulldawgDynasty

[lazarus]

thats easy.

the worst refs are in the stands or along the fence...

they dont know the rules,

they're hopelessly biased for one team,

they make calls on plays they cant see, on the far side of the field,

and they cant focus on the current play because they are worried about one that happened while ago.

 

good thing they have no authority.

[BulldawgDynasty]

thats easy.

the worst refs are in the stands or along the fence...

they dont know the rules,

they're hopelessly biased for one team,

they make calls on plays they cant see, on the far side of the field,

and they cant focus on the current play because they are worried about one that happened while ago.

 

good thing they have no authority.

While i agree with what your saying, there is no question that at times the on feild refs are not as good as they should be. I was kind of hoping for some of those. Of course they will have to be taken with a grain of salt because they will be somewhat biased, but they should still be fun to hear.

[kidzdad]

When I played HS ball there was an official that was blatantly biased against our team. He made such an impression on me that when I saw him again 25 years later I recognized him imediately.

[fblover]

this season in the Ridgeway vs. Memphis Central, Central through a middle screen to the fullback, it was overthrown and bounced off of the centers back to the fullback after which he gained 9 yards. The umpire threw the flag for illegal touching, the referee not only waived off the flag telling the coach the qb didn't mean to hit the lineman, but allowed central to keep the yardage.

[rlh]

The crew that reffed the 1986 Class A state championship game. The refs let the offense line up a receiver outside of the ref and didn't notify the defense plus the receiver at like he had ran of the filed while the offense was still in the huddle. The receiver was half a yard from his team on the side line and blended in like a by stander. He was 25 yards deep before the denfense figured out what happened and the guy scored.

 

That wasn't the worsed though. In OT, there was no ref in position to call the 2 point conversion good. He was clearly into the endzone in the film but the dog pile pushed him back and the refs marked it on the 1 inch line. The irony is the tb had converted about 15 2-pt conversions that year. The final score was 22-21 in OT.

 

The TSSAA wrote the team saying they were sorry for the officiating mistakes that cost them the State title.

Edited October 22, 2006 by rlh

[BulldawgDynasty]

The crew that reffed the 1986 Class A state championship game. The refs let the offense line up a receiver outside of the ref and didn't notify the defense plus the receiver at like he had ran of the filed while the offense was still in the huddle. The receiver was half a yard from his team on the side line and blended in like a by stander. He was 25 yards deep before the denfense figured out what happened and the guy scored.

 

That wasn't the worsed though. In OT, there was no ref in position to call the 2 point conversion good. He was clearly into the endzone in the film but the dog pile pushed him back and the refs marked it on the 1 inch line. The irony is the tb had converted about 15 2-pt conversions that year. The final score was 22-21 in OT.

 

The TSSAA wrote the team saying they were sorry for the officiating mistakes that cost them the State title.

You'd think they would get the best refs they have for the state championships, but i guess they just draw straws or somthing.

[www.schoolsportsradio.com]

One of the worst calls I ever heard about was told to me by a very good friend of mine who past away last year (Judge Jimmy Matthews).

 

Jimmy was calling a game with a well known lawyer (will remain nameless) who may be the worst official that ever had a chance to carry a flag (I've watched him call, it's bad when Pee-wee football doesn't think your qualified).

 

It was Huntland Tennessee in the early 1950s, late in the fourth quarter Jimmy sees laundry on the field. The first thing that goes through his mind was "O lordy, please let it be a good call".

 

It wasn't.

 

Star player and future collage coach Johnny Majors has been flagged for unsportsman-like conduct (this official made calls, just never called it on the right player, and Judge Jimmy said Johnny didn't do it). One thing leads to another and before the Judge could get to the other official to straighten things out, Johnny Majors is thrown-out of the game.

 

While local fans were hanging ropes over the goalpost in the endzones for "POSTGAME ACTIVITIES" that involved the two guys in striped shirts (just kidding, they were looking for a strong tree branch nearby), Jimmy summonded a local deputy (this did happen), gave him his car keys and ask him to get his car as close to the field as possible.

 

Luckly the deputy pulls up to the field gate with about a minute left on the clock. Seeing this Judge Matthews gets the other officials attention and lets him know he was "Going to the car and if he wanted a ride home he had better come on".

 

Last seconds of this game were played with no refs, with Judge Matthews driving and the other official hiding in the back seat.

[12yr.oldchamps]

I"ll give refs a lot of slack most of the time because it is a tough job.

 

However, if you can't count to 12, you're fired.

[cavcav]

One of the worst calls I ever heard about was told to me by a very good friend of mine who past away last year (Judge Jimmy Matthews).

 

Jimmy was calling a game with a well known lawyer (will remain nameless) who may be the worst official that ever had a chance to carry a flag (I've watched him call, it's bad when Pee-wee football doesn't think your qualified).

 

It was Huntland Tennessee in the early 1950s, late in the fourth quarter Jimmy sees laundry on the field. The first thing that goes through his mind was "O lordy, please let it be a good call".

 

It wasn't.

 

Star player and future collage coach Johnny Majors has been flagged for unsportsman-like conduct (this official made calls, just never called it on the right player, and Judge Jimmy said Johnny didn't do it). One thing leads to another and before the Judge could get to the other official to straighten things out, Johnny Majors is thrown-out of the game.

 

While local fans were hanging ropes over the goalpost in the endzones for "POSTGAME ACTIVITIES" that involved the two guys in striped shirts (just kidding, they were looking for a strong tree branch nearby), Jimmy summonded a local deputy (this did happen), gave him his car keys and ask him to get his car as close to the field as possible.

 

Luckly the deputy pulls up to the field gate with about a minute left on the clock. Seeing this Judge Matthews gets the other officials attention and lets him know he was "Going to the car and if he wanted a ride home he had better come on".

 

Last seconds of this game were played with no refs, with Judge Matthews driving and the other official hiding in the back seat.

 

Great post! That is a great story!

[RHSKEEPER22]

I have been a Richland High school watergirl for 3 years. This past friday was the worst call ever in football history!!! i know a little about our plays, but on friday i was fooled as much as the refs. idk if it was supposed to be an option and it didnt work, but one of our running back was on the ground and curled up as if he had the ball. the refs blew the whistle to get all the houston co. guy off of him and our qb is running into the endzone with the ball. the refs blew the whistle as if the play was over and the ball was dead, but it wasnt. the refs called the td back. man have you ever seen an unset crowd? if not shouldve been at that game. the fans were still talking about it after the game.

 

idk how that situation shouldve been handled but that is the first time i have ever been fooled along with the refs.

[bigwes68]

this season in the Ridgeway vs. Memphis Central, Central through a middle screen to the fullback, it was overthrown and bounced off of the centers back to the fullback after which he gained 9 yards. The umpire threw the flag for illegal touching, the referee not only waived off the flag telling the coach the qb didn't mean to hit the lineman, but allowed central to keep the yardage.

 

If this play happened exactly as you described it, the referee made the correct decision in waving off the flag. It is not illegal touching unless the act of touching is intentional -- i.e., a muff, bat or catch. And the ball is live until it hits the ground, so the fullback catching it off the center's back is perfectly legal.