Penalties (by the numbers)
- Thread starter WMack4Bama
- Start date
No home crowds to influence the officials.
I appreciate the work here, but I'm trying to come up with a pattern or meaning here. You guys are good stat hunters, find the stats for penalties called against a team's opponents. Hopefully I worded the question correctly.
Only SEC officials, maybe lots of older players*
*PS...I think this is why the G5 teams are down this year. They have finally cycled out those super seniors from the COVID years.
This is incorrect.
Plays per game:
2022 69.5 plays per game
2021 74.6
2020 69.3
2019 64.7
2018 67.2
2017 67.4
2016 70.4
2015 72.5
2014 72.7
2013 63.5
2012 69.1
So last year was the highest, but this year is fairly average for what Bama has done over the past decade. The penalties are not because of an increased number of plays.
Running an RPO offense with a QB who is mobile in the pocket will clearly lead to more opportunities for holding calls. That is why is crucial to get technique perfected in practice. So, ultimately this falls on the coaches making sure the players are taught correct technique based on the skill players and plays we call. Then it falls on the players to not mess this up during a game. I can't imagine they are going up against better DL and LB talent than they see everyday at practice.
cfbstats.com - College Football Statistics
www.cfbstats.com
It's my go to source for stats. Breaks it all down in just about every way you'd want.
except when clemson was offsides all the time in 2019 championship game and never called
Some additional info:
Alabama is 128th with 9.4 Penalties per game. This is 4th worst in CFB.
Average of 6.0 in home games. This is middle of the pack.
Average of 14.0 in away games. This is BY FAR the most in CFB. Next closest is Miami with 12.0 in away games
Last year Bama averaged 7.0 penalties per game, about middle of pack.
Alabama's Opponents are averaging 6.4 penalties per game in games vs Bama. 5.7 at their home and 7.0 in Tuscaloosa. Tennessee's opponents average 12.0 penalties per game in Knoxville.
Alabama is 128th with 9.4 Penalties per game. This is 4th worst in CFB.
Average of 6.0 in home games. This is middle of the pack.
Average of 14.0 in away games. This is BY FAR the most in CFB. Next closest is Miami with 12.0 in away games
Last year Bama averaged 7.0 penalties per game, about middle of pack.
Alabama's Opponents are averaging 6.4 penalties per game in games vs Bama. 5.7 at their home and 7.0 in Tuscaloosa. Tennessee's opponents average 12.0 penalties per game in Knoxville.
And while I think ref malfeasance is a part of it, it's not the whole story. Our guys simply have to get better.
This was across sports during Covid. Lack of fans significantly decreased not only the number of penalties called during a game but also the number of calls favoring the “home” team. The number of calls seemed more evenly split.
The human factor in officiating. A home crowd does indeed influence what gets called and when it gets called.
Many of the pre-snap penalties were away games where the home crowd noise was a factor.
On the others, I would have to see a compilation of all of them in slow motion to be able to formulate an opinion on whether or not they were valid.
Florida was really bad for many years but apparently this new staff has turned things around - we're ranked #31 in the country right now, after always being up into the hundreds.
That said.....I do believe our officiating leaves something to be desired.....
On the others, I would have to see a compilation of all of them in slow motion to be able to formulate an opinion on whether or not they were valid.
Florida was really bad for many years but apparently this new staff has turned things around - we're ranked #31 in the country right now, after always being up into the hundreds.
That said.....I do believe our officiating leaves something to be desired.....
At a subconscious level, yes.
There is number of things to unpack. First there is both conscious and unconscious (judgmental) bias that takes place in all officiating. And you can have conscious bias without the intent to influence the outcome. “Rigging” is a conscious bias WITH the intent to influence the outcome.
A good example of “conscious bias” is the crew chief in a baseball game that had a number of “run ins” with a particular manager. The crew makes the decision he’s “putting the manager on a short leash today”. That is a form of conscious bias. The management of the circumstance was “pre-determined” by the crew chief instead of it being determined by the situation as it happened. A non biased position would prevent the inference of previous experiences on the determination of the current one. This conscious bias by the crew chief wasn’t done with the intent to influence the outcome (ie: “rigged”) but there have been times it has.
An unconscious bias can be influenced by a number of factors both internally and externally. There is sometimes “the David versus Goliath” situation where the official gives preferential treatment to the one (or team) they have unconsciously deemed “weaker or disadvantaged”. The better side of our human nature wants us to protect those we feel are weaker. The home field advantage is an unconscious bias that happens all the time. The official makes a call because of “cognitive dissonance”. In other words “I really don’t know if I saw it but others reacted as though it did so I better call it”. Why? Because it is emotionally uncomfortable to be on that island by yourself. The “seed of doubt” unconscious bias - “team X does this” or “this player is known to do y”. Those types things shouldn’t play into it, but they do. And there are many others
Do i think officiating is “rigged” against Alabama? No but I do believe there is at times a conscious bias by officials. And when it comes to both unconscious and conscious bias, as long as humans are making the calls, you will NEVER remove it. The best can do is hope to manage fundamental fairness across the board by getting rid of those that are incompetent.
And finally, if you are a victim of this type biases, the only way to manage it is to play a cleaner, more disciplined game than the other guy. The very thing CNS continually brings up. You can’t control another’s actions. You can control yours.
A good example of “conscious bias” is the crew chief in a baseball game that had a number of “run ins” with a particular manager. The crew makes the decision he’s “putting the manager on a short leash today”. That is a form of conscious bias. The management of the circumstance was “pre-determined” by the crew chief instead of it being determined by the situation as it happened. A non biased position would prevent the inference of previous experiences on the determination of the current one. This conscious bias by the crew chief wasn’t done with the intent to influence the outcome (ie: “rigged”) but there have been times it has.
An unconscious bias can be influenced by a number of factors both internally and externally. There is sometimes “the David versus Goliath” situation where the official gives preferential treatment to the one (or team) they have unconsciously deemed “weaker or disadvantaged”. The better side of our human nature wants us to protect those we feel are weaker. The home field advantage is an unconscious bias that happens all the time. The official makes a call because of “cognitive dissonance”. In other words “I really don’t know if I saw it but others reacted as though it did so I better call it”. Why? Because it is emotionally uncomfortable to be on that island by yourself. The “seed of doubt” unconscious bias - “team X does this” or “this player is known to do y”. Those types things shouldn’t play into it, but they do. And there are many others
Do i think officiating is “rigged” against Alabama? No but I do believe there is at times a conscious bias by officials. And when it comes to both unconscious and conscious bias, as long as humans are making the calls, you will NEVER remove it. The best can do is hope to manage fundamental fairness across the board by getting rid of those that are incompetent.
And finally, if you are a victim of this type biases, the only way to manage it is to play a cleaner, more disciplined game than the other guy. The very thing CNS continually brings up. You can’t control another’s actions. You can control yours.
