If this succeeds, what next?

[Phil E]

Begrudged New Orleans Saints season ticket holders filed lawsuits yesterday (Tuesday) after NFL officials failed to call a perceived foul that has prevented the team’s progression to the Super Bowl.

The first suit, filed on behalf of two Saints season ticket holders and the entire Saints’ fan group, has requested a hearing over the ‘no call’ in the last minutes of the game.

The Saints lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in the NFC championship game, sending the Rams to the Super Bowl.

The first suit claims they suffered damages, including past, present and future mental anguish and emotional trauma, “loss of enjoyment of life” and “distrust of the game which has become the national pastime,” when referees failed to call a clear pass-interference penalty that made the difference to the end result at Sunday’s game. They have named NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the American football league as the defendants.

No cash sum is listed in the suit, but it instead demands a hearing take place prior to the Super Bowl championship game on February 3.

The second suit, filed by another ticket holder, claims the NFL “cannot be trusted to police itself” following Sunday’s drama in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

It names the NFL, the state as the body overseeing the Superdome, the NFL Referees Association and four NFL officials: Bill Vinovich, Phillip McKinnely, Gary Cavaletto and Todd Prukop as defendants.

“The impact of the non-call is egregious and demands recourse,” states the lawsuit, filed by attorney Frank D’Amico Jr.

“As a direct result of the said incident, plaintiffs herein have been left bereft and with no faith in the National Football League for fairness despite the league’s own rules to correct such errors, along with emotional anguish (and) monetary loss for ticket holders, who purchase tickets with the presumption of integrity and fairness.”

The suit points to an NFL rule that would allow Goodell to call for a replay, either in its entirety or beginning after the point the no-call issue occurred.

 

[Shelflife]

Well the next logical thing would be where a player is sued for making a big error or missing an easy kick or a manager for making/not making a substitution.

 

[Marc Wakeham]

Thin end of the wedge.

 

[Not Kurt Weaver]

There is probably some latin phrase that covers this foolishness. Caveat emptor maybe.

The real problem is the money lost by betting not hurt feelings. I don't know if youz guys are familiar with the citizens that provide that endeavor, but they are also provide sanitation and concrete.

 

[Taff]

.... The first suit claims they suffered damages, including past, present and future mental anguish and emotional trauma, “loss of enjoyment of life” and “distrust of the game which has become the national pastime,” when referees failed to call a clear pass-interference penalty that made the difference to the end result at Sunday’s game.

WTF? You could claim that about everything you don't like.

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

It was a shocking non-call.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIrGoy4CC5Q

 

[Rich_NL]

I'm no expert on the US legal system, but they probably have to prove gross negligence/dereliction of duty above and beyond normal refereeing. Sports are inherently risky and contain an element of performance variability, so maybe intoxication or a failed eye test might be good enough.

They have a lever to pressure the NFL to change rules and procedures, but compensation? Doubt it.

 

[SimonSmith]

I don't hear them moaning about the non facemask call that should have gone against them a bit earlier that could have sealed the game.

Effing Saints. Ever since BountyGate I've hated them.

 

[Taff]

What is the law in American Football then?

With my rugby head on it looks like a "playing the man without the ball" incident to me; but bluntly from what I can see, that seems to be the whole point of the game. :chin:

 

[Marc Wakeham]

From conversations There seems little doubt that the offence was missed. But that is not the point here. Allowing the courts to overturn onfield calls is a very slippery slope.

As I say to players: "there are 31 of us on the pitch and we all make mistakes. Yours get pingged. Mine? well that's tough. That's the game".

 

[beckett50]

Perhaps the call was missed, but there are enough On-Field Referees in NFL to have seen this, one would have thought? Perhaps there is a case for an equivalent of a TMO - especially with all the cameras that cover the matches.

Another argument against the "No Win, No Fee" type legal system that has grown up in the US. My concern is that, if this goes to court, then the Jury will find the NFL guilty purely because the NFL are seen as the 'rich kid in the block who can spare the $'; as is often the case in many US court rulings.

 

[OB..]

Perhaps the call was missed, but there are enough On-Field Referees in NFL to have seen this, one would have thought? Perhaps there is a case for an equivalent of a TMO - especially with all the cameras that cover the matches.

They do have a review system. Rules govern when coaches and officials can use it The reviewer is the Referee, who uses a tv monitor on the sidelines. AIUI this case did not meet any of the provisions for review.

 

[crossref]

A team of officials make decisions that have a multi million dollar impact.

It's not a completely outrageous idea that there could be a legal claim if the decisions are plainly egregious/negligent

(in general I mean, I have no opinion about that particular decision)

 

[Zebra1922]

No chance of this succeeding. A game with a human element and there will always be mistakes. Only time a court should be brought into this is if incompetence of officials led directly to injury.

Every game there will be multiple errors. No one would referee, no games would go ahead.

 

[crossref]

In other professions people can very much be held liable for honest mistakes .. but I agree that in sport a court is extremely unlikely to correct an 'ordinary' referee error.

But one day I foresee that a court will decide that a decision is corrupt, or grossly negligent. No one is immune from that, when lots of money is at stake .

(again, speaking generally I don't understand the ins and outs of this particular call)

 

[L'irlandais]

Perhaps as Simon mentioned Bountygate, it is simply Karma catching up with Saints. I see I am not the only one bewildered by this alien code of the game of football. From a rugby point of view, forward passes and playing the man without the ball scream out at us. How this can be viewed as a legal contact under NFL rules?

Football for dummies explains THE PROBLEM OF PASS INTERFERENCE AND ILLEGAL CONTACT

The critical point is that the defensive player touched the ball a split second before colliding with the receiver. On these plays, the defensive back appears to be coming over the receiver’s shoulder to knock down the pass. Often, you can’t tell whether the official made the right call on these types of plays until you see them in a slow-motion replay on television. These plays (called bang-bang plays) occur very quickly on the field.

In this instance, that doesn’t appear to be the case. The defender doesn’t get a hand to the ball. So what’s the penalty?

Wiki tells us:
American gridiron football, pass interference is a foul that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass.

NFL rule on pass interference is as follows:
[LAWS]It is pass interference by either team when any act by a player more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders an eligible player’s opportunity to catch the ball. Pass interference can only occur when a forward pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage, regardless of whether the pass is legal or illegal, or whether it crosses the line.[/LAWS]
The NFL has a long list of prohibited acts here, but again, they include just what you’d expect: any “contact by a player who is not playing the ball that restricts the opponent’s opportunity to make the catch,” playing through a guy’s back, hooking his arm, cutting off his running path without playing the ball, pushing off him, etc.

...rules in the NFL are a lot tougher on defenders. In the pros, defenders can “chuck” or jam or joust with receivers for the first five yards. After that, they’re not allowed to initiate contact. The penalty for illegal contact is five yards and an automatic first down.

Source for second part College football comparison

 

[Marc Wakeham]

In other professions people can very much be held liable for honest mistakes .. but I agree that in sport a court is extremely unlikely to correct an 'ordinary' referee error.

But one day I foresee that a court will decide that a decision is corrupt, or grossly negligent. No one is immune from that, when lots of money is at stake .

(again, speaking generally I don't understand the ins and outs of this particular call)

If an official is accused of corruption or that sort of bias. Then YES they should be held to account. But a mistake, however, "bad" is a mistake. Sport accepts mistakes happen.

What next? Football supporters suing a player for missing a penalty during a penalty shoot out? If that is the case there are going to be some very poor former English internationals!

I've just heard the THe Germans are taking FIFA and the Russian linesman to court over the 1966 final.

What nonense!

 

[L'irlandais]

Update

 

[Zebra1922]

It’s the usual case of focusing on one particular error. Analyze decisions in the whole game and you will find multiple instances of error, they all have an impact on the game it’s just that impact is not as visible as this particular call.

i heard from a ref coach that when you are properly performance reviewed in rugby, including non calls there are usually at least 20 errors made by the average referee per game (rugby). American football is probably as complex so I’ve no doubt there would be a similar number in that world.

 

[Taff]

Sorry. Wrong thread. :redface: