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We all know the Packers scout other teams. It's how you prepare for games. But a lot of people don't realize that the Packers invest an enormous amount of scouting energy into scouting officials as well.
The reason is obvious, but usually overlooked by fans. Knowing how each official calls a game, from his place of the field, will dictate a lot of how you line up for plays, and play.
One example is linesmen. Some are fairly generous in letting guys line up along the line on offense. It's so close to being too many guys on the line when it comes to some formations that, if you look along the line, you can't totally distinguish if a guy is, or isn't on the line of scrimmage. Some players ask officials, but officials don't volunteer information unless asked. But, some will warn players, between plays, that they are getting too close, and they'll make a call if it continues. Some officials just throw a flag, that's life. Get over it!
Then there's offensive holding. Crews seem to have their own nuances as to how they call it. What they consider holding, and just a good block. Going into a game, knowing how they'll call it, can make all the difference in the world on how many penalties are called against you.
Knowing what penalties peeve a crew most is very important as well. If you commit one of these gems, and argue with an official, expect the rest of the game to be called tighter than it has been against you, because showing them up on the field is not a good idea. It's like arguing balls and strikes with umpires. But, if the coach does the arguing, and uses his challenge, it's a different ball game. They figure that's part of the game, and know they are only overturned if there's something they usually couldn't detect so easily, when making a call.
I remember years ago, when the Packers were playing a team that rarely had penalties called on them. They had so few that it was like the flags were sewed into their pockets. One of their receivers started an argument with an official on pass interference, and it ended up with an unsportsmanlike penalty. It was early in the 3rd quarter. For the rest of the game, the officials threw flags against them on almost every decent play they made, because they detected holding, too few or many men on the line, and false starts.
It was funny watching it, because one guy blew his cool. But that's how it is. The Packers won the game, and it didn't hurt that three long 3rd down plays for first downs were called back on penalties. That kind of chokes off drives, and makes an offense look inept. It also doesn't hurt when they start calling interference on any touch they made on Packers downfield.
The officials may not be your friend, but it isn't wise to go out of your way to make them your enemy.
Scouting these crews is necessary, and since you don't know far in advance as to whom it will be, you need to have your team prepare for all of them.
The reason is obvious, but usually overlooked by fans. Knowing how each official calls a game, from his place of the field, will dictate a lot of how you line up for plays, and play.
One example is linesmen. Some are fairly generous in letting guys line up along the line on offense. It's so close to being too many guys on the line when it comes to some formations that, if you look along the line, you can't totally distinguish if a guy is, or isn't on the line of scrimmage. Some players ask officials, but officials don't volunteer information unless asked. But, some will warn players, between plays, that they are getting too close, and they'll make a call if it continues. Some officials just throw a flag, that's life. Get over it!
Then there's offensive holding. Crews seem to have their own nuances as to how they call it. What they consider holding, and just a good block. Going into a game, knowing how they'll call it, can make all the difference in the world on how many penalties are called against you.
Knowing what penalties peeve a crew most is very important as well. If you commit one of these gems, and argue with an official, expect the rest of the game to be called tighter than it has been against you, because showing them up on the field is not a good idea. It's like arguing balls and strikes with umpires. But, if the coach does the arguing, and uses his challenge, it's a different ball game. They figure that's part of the game, and know they are only overturned if there's something they usually couldn't detect so easily, when making a call.
I remember years ago, when the Packers were playing a team that rarely had penalties called on them. They had so few that it was like the flags were sewed into their pockets. One of their receivers started an argument with an official on pass interference, and it ended up with an unsportsmanlike penalty. It was early in the 3rd quarter. For the rest of the game, the officials threw flags against them on almost every decent play they made, because they detected holding, too few or many men on the line, and false starts.
It was funny watching it, because one guy blew his cool. But that's how it is. The Packers won the game, and it didn't hurt that three long 3rd down plays for first downs were called back on penalties. That kind of chokes off drives, and makes an offense look inept. It also doesn't hurt when they start calling interference on any touch they made on Packers downfield.
The officials may not be your friend, but it isn't wise to go out of your way to make them your enemy.
Scouting these crews is necessary, and since you don't know far in advance as to whom it will be, you need to have your team prepare for all of them.