<Wayne Smith writes>
>  Phil Ritzenthaler <[log in to unmask]> said ...
> >Agreed that ref's are human . . . isn't that why maybe 2 pairs of eyes
> >are better than 1 pair?  How about football when 6 (or is that 7) can
> >call penalties??  There is 1 in charge.
> >
 
WHO is the ONE in charge when both people on the ice or soccer field are
equal grade and equal in power?  If one defers to the other, than maybe
when he/she sees a potential foul, but the other didn't call it and it
was closer to the other, does he assume his eyesight was bad, or was
it the other guy?  What about when they make contradictory calls?  Or
indicate contradictory things until they straighten it out?  That only
serves to incite both benches and help them lose control of the game.
 
> >So do it the same in hockey . . . 1 head ref, another ref, and 1
> >linesman.  The head ref had the final call . . . but both can call
> >penatlies.
>
This would be a very strange way to divide the ice.  Does the linesman
lead the play on one side?  Or attempt to lead the play on both sides??? ugh.
If you go with two refs, they become responsible for the lines, and you
get rid of the linesmen entirely.
 
> Until hockey can partition the responsibility of multiple referees so
> that the individual (referee) notions of "accepted play" can coexist,
> multiple referees are doomed to performing worse than the current
> system.
>
Exactly, it's all judgement, intent type calls...
 
> As to linesmen calling penalties ...  except for the "too many players
> on the ice", I doubt that we see at Alfond Arena more than one penalty
> per year brought to the attention of the referee and subsequently
> called.  It would seem that the trailing lineman could watch players
> trailing the play, but what would you have them call (everything,
> intent-to-injure, cheap-shots)?
>
As we do it in soccer (and this is the last time I want to beat this particular
horse...(:->), the linesmen are generally fully qualified referees in their
own right, (at least for div I play).  When I ref, I expect to receive a
referee's opinion of the play from the linesmen.  There are clear division
of powers, but when one of them tells me there was a vicious takedown behind
me, I believe him/her and there's a penalty.  The linesmen in hockey need to
have that power.
 
 
 
 
/matt
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Lt Matthew W Jonson 	 [log in to unmask]	snail-mail:
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