Zebra Watch #4
As we explained when we started this weekly look at NFL officiating, the league has done a good job over the last few years of making the guys in striped shirts a smaller factor in the outcome of games.
Hey, we always know there will be blown calls and the like; that’s part of any package where the decisions have to be made in an instant by humans.
The football folks in the league understand that. What drives them crazy is the inconsistency from crew to crew.
That was especially evident last weekend. Two crews walked off just four penalties in each of their games. Even adding in the declined and offsetting calls, the crews of Walt Coleman and John Parry only pulled their flags 14 times.
Now, at the other end of the spectrum were the crews of Ed Hochuli and Jeff Triplette. They combined to pull their hankies 40 times.
That’s an average of seven per game at the least active end and 20 per game at the most active end. That’s simply too wide a gulf in a game where the interpretations are supposed to be the same across the 17 crews.
Those four crews are generally following their season long tendencies. Anderson and Parry are among the six least active crews in the league. Triplette and Hochuli have been the two most active crews in the league.
Jeff Triplette’s crew walked off 22 penalties in the San Francisco at New Orleans game. After four weeks, they lead the league in penalties accepted with an average of 19 per game. The week before Triplette had their game the Saints were flagged for just four penalties on the road in Denver, while San Francisco was hit with three calls at home hosting Detroit.
Going into the game, New Orleans was averaging 5.3 penalties a game. Triplette’s crew threw 13 flags against them. San Francisco was averaging 5 penalties through the first three games, until this crew hit them with nine flags.
The high number of penalties in the SF-NO game seems to have had more to do with the officials than the teams. That’s the stuff that really bothers the coaches and players.
It’s too early in the season to say this is a major problem. If there’s still such a big difference in three or four more weeks, then there’s obviously something wrong.
Stay tuned.
WEEK #4
| Â Rank | Â Referee | Penalties- Yards |
Declined/ Offsetting |
 Home |  Visitors |
| 1. | Walt Coleman |
4-30 |
2 |
1-5 |
3-25 |
| Â | John Parry |
4-42 |
4 |
2-27 |
2-15 |
| 3. | Walt Anderson |
8-45 |
2 |
3-15 |
5-30 |
| Â | Mike Carey |
8-67 |
0 |
5-45 |
3-22 |
| 5. | Tony Corrente |
10-85 |
4 |
5-50 |
5-35 |
| 6. | Al Riveron |
11-79 |
1 |
8-64 |
3-15 |
| Â | Pete Morelli |
11-68 |
3 |
4-18 |
7-50 |
| 8. | Gene Steratore |
13-101 |
10 |
5-29 |
8-72 |
| 9. | Scott Green |
15-132 |
2 |
4-61 |
11-71 |
| Â | Terry McAulay |
15-144 |
1 |
8-70 |
7-74 |
| Â | Jerome Boger |
15-107 |
1 |
6-55 |
9-52 |
| 12. | Ed Hochuli |
16-135 |
1 |
11-90 |
5-45 |
| 13. | Jeff Triplette |
22-186 |
1 |
13-123 |
9-63 |
Home/Away numbers in red for winning team
2008 OVERALL
| Â Rank | Â Referee | Â Games | Avg. Flags |
Penalties- Yards |
 Home |  Visitors |
| 1. | Walt Coleman |
4 |
8.5 |
34-257 |
13 |
21 |
| 2. | Carl Cheffers |
3 |
8.7 |
26-182 |
15 |
11 |
| 3. | Gene Steratore |
4 |
9.75 |
39-317 |
15 |
24 |
| 4. | Pete Morelli |
4 |
10.7 |
32-219 |
14 |
18 |
| 5. | John Parry |
4 |
10.8 |
46-379 |
23 |
23 |
| 6. | Walt Anderson |
4 |
11 |
44-280 |
17 |
27 |
| 7. | Scott Green |
4 |
11.3 |
45-346 |
22 |
23 |
| Â | Mike Carey |
3 |
11.3 |
34-288 |
17 |
17 |
| 9. | Al Riveron |
4 |
12 |
48-465 |
27 |
21 |
| Â | Bill Carollo |
3 |
12 |
36-263 |
15 |
21 |
| 11. | Bill Leavy |
3 |
12.3 |
37-311 |
18 |
19 |
| 12. | Tony Corrente |
4 |
13 |
52-421 |
28 |
24 |
| Â | Terry McAulay |
3 |
13 |
39-380 |
22 |
17 |
| 14. | Ron Winter |
3 |
13.7 |
41-320 |
20 |
21 |
| 15. | Jerome Boger |
3 |
14.7 |
44-327 |
24 |
20 |
| 16. | Ed Hochuli |
4 |
17.5 |
70-546 |
40 |
30 |
| 17. | Jeff Triplette |
4 |
19 |
76-597 |
42 |
34 |
Your right Bob it does seem like there is a big discrepancies between crews.
But I’d much rather it be this way then the way the NBA teams ref games.
I’m not talking about the p.o.s. that bet on games and then called the game, I’m talking about always calling the foul on the less popular team or player or on the road team.
Just from a quick scan of your chart it looks like the road teams aren’t always getting the raw deal.
Yes there is room to improve, but at least it seems like the NFL is trying to call the games consistently. imo
Sorry my bad, for back to back post but, I got over anxious.
I remember (NO offense to any former Cowboy fans that may still have a little spark for them) but it used to really piss me off, Irvin could get away with murder on a DB , but dare not even breath on him (or that’s the way it seamed to me at the time)
I would much rather see a little inconsistency as opposed to consistently calling the young guy or the less famous guy.
That’s all! lol
Hey John I couldn’t agree more, I some times feel like it’s still going on. I watched the Pats game and I saw Moss push off a couple times, and again in the Broncos game where their receivers pushed off. Seems like our rookie DB’s are learning on the job that it’s legal for them to get pushed around. In their defense, they are battling back and looking real good overall. I just wonder why if the logic is the great ones get away with it, then why does Tong always get called for pass interference. Seems like he gets a lot of drive stalling calls against him every year. Go Chiefs!