Should HS Football Have Instant Replay?

[Guest Indian Chief]

Should HS Football Have Instant Replay?

[Guest Indian Chief]

I think it would work!

[raideroldtimer]

First of all, that would mean ALL the schools would have to invest in the same kind of equipment a Jumbotron uses and I'd be willing to bet that stuff is half the cost. Secondly, the best part of this level of game are the mistakes.

[RonBurgundy68]

It could work, but does high school football need it? NO... Absolutely not...

[PURPLE 4EVER]

This would be tax payers money spent on an excessive and unnecessary expenditure.

Spend the money on educating the kids and accept that a bad call might happen, but over time it all evens out.

[Hawkeye]

Absolutely not! Never! I don't even like it in the pros. Can't we keep at least one thing pure?

[Roughrider]

Absolutely NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Brubaker]

This is borderline ridiculous, would never feasibly work.

[BigWolf10]

I've gotten mixed feelings about this. I always hear the term ''home cooking''. Well you're still putting it in the hands of an official. I can't see it working to everyones satisfaction. It will still be doubt. If a game's close things like the Friendswood, Central situation will occur.

[bullets13]

no, of course not.  do we expect smaller schools, or impoverished districts to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to put it in.  Then we have to pay another official to operate it.  absolutely not!

[videoguy]

First of all, that would mean ALL the schools would have to invest in the same kind of equipment a Jumbotron uses and I'd be willing to bet that stuff is half the cost. Secondly, the best part of this level of game are the mistakes.

Speaking for the Sheffield Productions crew that has been doing this for years every friday night . . . the Jumbotron is the easy part.  Every game we roll 4 cameras with experienced operators hoping to get the best shot for the viewer.  But to get THE shot, EVERY play that would show a replay referee the angle that might support or overturn a field call is mind boggling. 

The cost for the high school ( or stadium) would be experienced crew, multi-cameras, and replay equipment for the field.

All of us have been spoiled and accustomed to the NFL and college games we view every week and the replays that go with them.  I won't even touch on Monday or Sunday Night Football as the number of cameras used exceed the number of neighbors I have.  Even the "low end" college games on ESPN or Fox,  the number of cameras on sidelines alone will be anywhere from 4 to 5 cameras - at a minimum.  That doesn't even count the "sky" cam( the one on wires) that all the big boys use,  plus the additional elevated cameras.  Ever wonder how some of those camera always seem to be in the right place all the time?  Can you say expensive wireless?  All these crew have several wireless cameras prowling and combing the sidelines.  Are they that expensive?  Let me put it this way.  Occasionally I would like to rent one locally for a big game.  None of the three local stations ; KBMT, KFDM and

KBTV have one; as the rigs cost too much. 

I spoke of the cameras, but the crew needs to be a top consideration also.  How many local stadiums have you been to that are using high school volunteers to mann the cameras?  For the most part are these shooters delivering the shot needed for replay consideration.  Nothing against HS students.  Half our crew started with us as HS or even middle school students, but they were brought along and coached by older experienced camera operators.

I know, I know.  I went from a HS replay setup to explaining how the replay is taped at all the other levels.  All I can say is cameras, cameras, cameras and the crew and equipment to go with them.  What school district is going to make this expensive decision?

The replays we deliver for our high school broadcasts are for the viewer, the athletes involved and are fun to see again in slow motion.  That concept is great,  but the idea of the responsibility of catching every play from all conceivable angles is scary and very expensive.

See ya on the field.

[bmtdc1996]

There is a little thing called "human error".  All of our teams have been burned by it at least once in every sport.  We hate when it happens, we complain, we scream or cry, but in the end life goes on.  The NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, MLB, and who ever else with a three letter acronym (except the UIL) is doing their best to take the human error out of the game (even then they don't always get it right).  There is just no feasible way for high school football to have something like that.  Well, why not just for playoffs?  IMO not fair to the team that got bumped out of the playoffs because an official missed a call back on the last day of the regular season with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter. 

Just my humble opinion here!  ;D

[RustedCutlass]

I asked a ref about that one time and he said that the schools could never afford it.

What I think is needed is one extra referee on the squad that can sit in the press box and see things the others can't, radioing the call down to the referee. All you would need is an in-ear monitor device like musicians use.

[BLUEDOVE3]

HS ball does not need replay.

[videoguy]

I asked a ref about that one time and he said that the schools could never afford it.

What I think is needed is one extra referee on the squad that can sit in the press box and see things the others can't, radioing the call down to the referee. All you would need is an in-ear monitor device like musicians use.

I agree about the schools could never afford "to do it right".

As for asking an extra referee to sit in the press box and be expected to see things that officials on the field can't . . . man I'm not real sure what kind of eagle-eyed official would qualify for that.  Some of the AA and AAA stadiums with pressboxes only twenty rows up aren't too far away.  What about the larger 4A and 5A schools with pressboxes where falcons nest?  Even an extra official on sidelines would probably be too far away see something that is happening right in front of a field ref. 

Everyone seen the Central "fumble" photos yet?  Those two or three photo frames are probably being shot from a pro camera shooting 4-6 frames a second.  Way less than a 1/4 of a second between being down and a loose football.  That is too much to close for any official on the spot to call, much less someone 100, 200 or 300 feet away.  That's taking into consideration the ref even had the right angle to see the play.  Just because a photog with a 200mm lens and a 12 meg camera had the angle doesn't mean anyone else was able to view it the same.

My humble opinion. . . no high school replay for several reasons ( $, $, $, and more $ ) and the refs are doing the best they can and a fine job at that.

See ya on the field

[Hotrodg]

Instant replay in HS sports is a terrible, horrible, fiscally irresponsible idea.

[OldNedDog]

no way

[liltex]

I say NO even though I was in attendance in a bi-dist game in the mid 60's at Bronco stadium watching Dayton/Hampshire Fannet.Broncos led 7-0 real late in the 4th qtr.w/like a min.left the Longhorns scored 6 pts.and set up for the two pt.conversion.The Qb dropped back to pass under big pressure and as he was going down he threw the pass to the center(ineligible reciever)and he took it in for a 8-7 win that was on film and taken to the UIL folks who could not overturn the officials ruling.A unfair and bad referee call and very demorilizing to see as fans were screaming and running onto the field to loudly voice their opinions.That being said it is hard not to vote for instant replay-better to protest the game and hope that justice prevails.

[triskiadeka]

The expense would be too much...although if I was voted the booth ref, I might say yes.

maybe not...everyone would know, and if my call was contrary...no thanks.

[raideroldtimer]

I asked a ref about that one time and he said that the schools could never afford it.

What I think is needed is one extra referee on the squad that can sit in the press box and see things the others can't, radioing the call down to the referee. All you would need is an in-ear monitor device like musicians use.

The only flaw with this is that you would need at least one referee for each side of the field so that would mean 2 extra referees, or to really get it right, 4 with one being on each side and one being at each end zone.

[lobo9599]

Yes, then we wouldn't have this Waco Midway/Longview fiasco.

[Edgar13]

What does Obama think? ;D

[bmtdc1996]

I just saw photos of the Waco Midway/Longview game.  Human error.  Not much you can do about it now.

[dav-joel]

No

[txcanes]

No instant replay is not justified for high school sports. Besides 9/10 refs blow the whistle and call the play dead for the play all are debating in the FW vs BC game, hence no review.  In the Waco Midway Longview game - note the classy way the Midway coach handled questions about the call - well done coach - teach the kids accountability!

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