Editor’s Note: It is likely that many do not know that, in addition to his outstanding career, John was a Pac-12 Conference football referee. When it came time to stop running up and down the field, he took his referee skills into the Replay Booth. The following is his account of that move.
Here we are, Harold Denton to my right and myself at The Citadel 2 years ago. The student to my left is the Replay Technician and runs our computer system. The layout is typical of a replay booth on the press box level of the stadium. The camera to my left points at the clock on the scoreboard and superimposes the game time on all of our monitors. Sorry for my shirt being pulled out. I had to dig around for the wire to my earpiece when it slipped out during the game.
There is a monitor behind me. It has the “Line Feed:” or the picture you see at home on TV. Harold’s monitor is the program feed. We can change it ourselves by using a jog shuttle and have six cameras or more from which to choose, depending on the view we want. We review every play in the game, obviously some far easier and immediate than others.
The replay process is very structured. First, the play must be reviewable. That list in the Replay Manual is 8 pages long. Second, it must matter, which means when the forward progress spot in the first quarter of a scoreless game with the ball at midfield and not involving a first down, if we know the spot is wrong by a yard, we don’t move the ball. Third, there must be “smoke” or an initial reaction from us that something looks wrong and worth another look.
Thus, starts the process. We select a camera angle that might best relate to a good view. It is backed up 15 seconds with a button press, and we start looking at what just happened. This is done using normal play speed, as most corrections are made by looking at game speed and not slow motion. The shot can be zoomed to expand the view. I talk to the officials on the field and tell them we are reviewing and to go slowly in spotting the ball for the next play. We must know what they called and why as a first step. If that information and camera view produces no useful information, we select the next most likely camera angle. If the snap is imminent, I push a button that sets off a buzzer on the belt of every on-field official, who then stop the game. I’m sure you have heard the on-field referee announcement, “The previous play is under further review.” That is us.
I have a direct telephone line to the TV producer and call him to ask if in providing coverage they have the best view that will resolve our being able to confirm, stand, or overturn the call on the field. Remember the criteria for decision-making, the evidence must be IVE, incontrovertible video evidence. It cannot be what we think or feel.
There are 13 different types of plays in football. There is a process to use to review each play type, and typically there are three to five steps in the process. One follows the process to an answer. Sound like engineering work? Of course, it does. A review generally takes less than 2 minutes. If we correct the call on the field, I dictate the referee’s speech to him. The paperwork supplied to the league office after the game is detailed and lengthy.
Being a replay official takes months of preparation. Our only downtime is December to March. Meetings in the off season are conducted weekly. I have probably taken 40 exams in the off season or on Fridays at the game site. Film study happens during the off season. Some sessions are conducted on Zoom, where if called upon, you must analyze the play shown in front of perhaps as many as 50 of your fellow officials across the country.
The pre-game session on Friday at game site entails film review of the game worked the previous week with notes from our evaluators of plays requiring review. The Saturday pre-game session lasts 2 or more hours discussing every aspect of what we expect that day. The post-game critique back at the hotel after the game usually lasts for an hour. I lead that discussion.
Although stressful, I thoroughly enjoy the challenge. Most folks would be surprised to find that we “broadcast” the entire game. My partner and I never stop talking, announcing the number of players, the formation, the down and distance and time on the clock, the line to gain, the proximity to the sideline, line to gain or goal line, the likelihood of the upcoming play being a pass or a run, where the ball went, watching all action on the quarterback after he releases the ball, and a lot more. Our most frequent call is complete/incomplete pass; and the most important one is targeting.
Our league, SOCON (Southern Conference), is under the direction and affiliated with The SEC (Southeastern Conference). Please understand they do everything absolutely by the book and expect the same from their officiating staff. I really enjoy doing this, and guess what? They even pay me.
Enjoy, and I would be happy to field any questions.
John Echternach
PS: From my days on the field in the Pac-10/12 Conference, a couple of data points:
A) Years ago, the most coveted assignment every year was Washington-Oregon. They really disliked each other, and one knew it would be a barn burner.
B) Yes, I was able to work three Apple Cups and two were in blizzard conditions in Pullman.
C) I will never forget OSU (Oregon State University) losing badly to Oregon. And in the fourth quarter, OSU broke an 80-yard run for their only TD; and I called holding on the OSU tight end and brought the score back. What a low feeling!
D) Jean Ann ran into a UCLA alum in the lobby of a hotel in Miami as we awaited boarding a cruise ship. She somehow mentioned a game I worked years previously between UCLA and USC, and how I wound up signaling the winning touchdown, and the picture being in the newspaper in LA. He told her his brother-in-law was in that picture, as the UCLA starting quarterback. Small world.