The head coach of the Baltimore Ravens believes there is an easy way to make NFL refs better at their jobs.
“If they got more practice time in training camp, I think they’d do a little bit better,” he said. “We think that makes us better and certainly makes the officials better, too.”
That’s hard to argue with because its simple logic. The NFL, however, would probably frown upon that statement had it stood alone.
Harbaugh was smart enough to preface it with mentioning how they are already performing at the highest possible level, just prior to delivering the back hand. Via the Score,
“Gosh, you’re doing something at the highest level possible,” Harbaugh said after practice Saturday, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “You’re at the top of the field. You’d think you’d need more than three days of practice a year to really be good at it. So I don’t think it’s really an outrageous thing to ask for.”
“My proposal is that they get together and get on the same page,” Harbaugh said. “Maybe talk to one another and solve a problem once in a while instead of creating a problem.”
By now you may have heard that refs are stopping by each team’s training camp practices for a total of three days. That’s one step in the right direction, but clearly not enough.
The League’s play has become increasingly difficult to judge as the rules have changed seemingly every season, and the athleticism on the field is at an all time high in every position.
Harbaugh has a point. Either practice more, or throw another ref 50 yards back in center-field so we can at least rid the game of those long ball P.I. calls.