Tom Higgins
CFL.ca
Thanksgiving Weekend was a feast for CFL fans. There were a lot of compelling matchups, big plays, large crowds and, in much of the country, awesome weather for football. So there is a lot to talk about this week in Ask the Ref, and I’ll start with throwing a flag – at myself.
Flagged For Objectionable Language
Some fans wrote to me in protest of some comments I made in the media following the Winnipeg vs. Montreal game of Sept. 30. I appreciate your comments and having the opportunity to respond.
I’ve called some of you personally, but I’d like you all to know three things:
1. The language I used in some interviews was inappropriate. It was unnecessarily colourful and clearly left the wrong impression with some fans. I apologize for that.
2. The point I was trying to make remains a valid one. We take our role as officials very seriously, and while we know some mistakes are inevitable, we never want an error of ours in any game to decide the outcome of a game.
3. A controversial pass interference play on the third-to-last play of that game had nothing to do whatsoever with how the last two plays of the game were officiated. The Bombers did not score on either of those plays – both short yardage attempts near the goal line. The clock was operated properly on each, and the whistle was blown at the appropriate time on each. Those plays were very well officiated.
As our on-field officials will tell you, excellent officiating is not just correct, fair and impartial – it’s also dispassionate. But when speaking to reporters, I let my passion for our game and how we officiate it get the best of my emotions. As a result I made a reference to the “football gods” that I shouldn’t have made.
It’s called a uniform for a reason
Q from Samuel: I have a question regarding uniform violations. Do players get fined for having their shirts not tucked in on TV? Or will the referees provide them with a warning, then give them a penalty if they don’t fix it? Where is the line?
Tom Higgins: Well, page 21 of the rule book does list rules on uniforms. For instance, it says a player shall not be permitted to wear unauthorized equipment, such as baseball cleats or track spikes, or equipment that has been deliberately altered so that, in the sole judgment of the Referee, it has the potential to cause injury to an opponent.
We have instructed our on-field officials to look out for such unsafe equipment – and to penalize it.
But we also have a uniform policy, developed with our players. It says, among other things, that socks must be white to the mid-calf, and feature team colours from the mid calf to the knee. It stipulated that coloured shoes must be made by Reebok and, yes that jerseys need to be tucked in.
But we deal with violations of that policy through supplementary discipline, usually fines, instead of on field penalties .That way, we can review these things on tape, and allow the on-field officials to concentrate on football.
In most cases, players are warned before they are fined over things like socks, or shirt tails. And on-field officials may warn players during the pre-game warm-up or during the game that they are risking a fine. It’s repeat offenders who end up getting fined over uniform infractions..
We take this seriously: the uniform is an important part of our brand, and when it has integrity, it adds to our brand’s integrity.
Kudos for the Schedule Maker
Putting the CFL schedule together is a tough task that some compare to solving a Rubik’s Cube. Our schedule maker has to take into account fan preferences, team requests, tradition, time zones, stadium availability and TSN. We kid that he’s an honorary official, because sometimes as unpopular as he is, he is essential. But once in a while, it all comes together for him, and everyone sings his praises.
This year’s run to the playoffs is one of those times: with six of our teams bunched together in the standings, and all of them with a shot at first place in their respective divisions, every game is going to have huge implications, and it’s going to be a very exciting ride.
