Single Point Links posted in August 2014

2014 Facts, Figures and Records Available

Published on August 30, 2014 5:27 PM

The 2014 CFL Facts, Figures and Records guide is now available on CFLshop.ca. The 2014 CFL Rulebook is still nowhere to be seen.

Five Fined, One for Dangerous Hit

Published on August 27, 2014 9:39 PM

Bighill’s is the only fine for a dangerous and illegal hit. Fines for the officiating criticism and making avoidable contact with an official will do well to nip those practices.

Halifax Needs New CFL Strategy?

Published on August 23, 2014 12:46 PM

Not sure if a CFL commissioner change triggers a strategy change. Cohon will transition to the new person in the role and the focus of the CFL will continue to be expansion to a 10th team, a new commissioner will not change the league’s strategy.

If a strategy change is needed to move faster behind the scenes in Halifax, that is required whether Cohon stays or not.

Jones Fined for Pre-Game Interruptions

Published on August 23, 2014 12:37 PM

The Eskimo apology doesn’t seem sincere with its timing (not released the day after the game, but instead after they are finally fined), apologizing for not following policy rather than being disrespectful and making excuses. And Jones certainly isn’t apologizing.

The realization is the never-an-Eskimo Jones isn’t interested in Eskimo traditions, but the fans don’t care as long as the team is winning. When they hit a rough patch there will be no Eskimo way to hold the team together, though.

No Third Term for Cohon

Published on August 20, 2014 7:01 PM

Very classy announcement, thank you and early farewell. Thanks Mark.

Surprise Onside Punt Done Right

Published on August 6, 2014 10:10 AM

Getting caught up after returning from brief vacation. I want to comment on the “officiating is terrible” statements referencing the onside kick in Saturday’s game, with the belief the call should have been made correctly on the field immediately.

The Referee behind the line of scrimmage is responsible for making the determination whether a player is onside or not. The Field Judge is responsible for calling No Yards. The Field Judge whistles the play dead, calls a touchdown and throws the flag as he should. The play is dead when the offensive team takes possession in the end zone. It is a touchdown with a penalty for No Yards on the play from the Field Judge’s perspective. He has no notion as to whether this player is onside, the kicker or another player.

The Referee, who is standing in the backfield not looking across the field at the kicker/receiver can’t make an easy determination as to whether onside was achieved at the moment of the kick, especially if he is not looking at the onside player but is focussed on the quarterback as he should be. With video review, he doesn’t make that guess and without seeing the player onside, he is assumed offside. While Rick Campbell threw his challenge flag, my understanding was this was not a coaches challenge, but the automatic review of a scoring play by the command centre. Upon reviewing the video, it was easy to determine that Collins was onside and was eligible to recover the ball without giving 5-yards to the returner.

Why should Ottawa have to tell the Referee what they are planning so he is looking for the right thing? The element of surprise is key to the play. The system worked as it should. This is the reason why video review was adopted, after Matt Dunigan’s Stampeders lost a game in 2004 on a missed onside call (the position of the Referee makes the call difficult). You wanted video review to solve these issues, it is naive to make statements about poor officiating when everyone did their job exactly as required and the end result was correct.