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In the first few weeks of the regular season, there has an abnormally high amount of penalties called through the early goings of the campaign. This has caught media attention because of the large volume of calls being made on the field that have had a notable impact on the game. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated that he believes that this could impact the flow of the game while making it a less fun product for fans to watch, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
“The penalties were a significant element of the game,” Tomlin said. “Penalties were called in a similar fashion on both sides and from that perspective it was fair. I don’t worry a lot about how the game is being officiated provided it’s being officiated in a similar way, and I thought it was from that perspective. But as somebody who appreciates the game and understands we’re in the sports entertainment business, it is worrisome from the fan perspective. I do worry about what it’s like to watch that game at home with penalties being administered at the rate that they were.”
There is much truth to this as each penalty requires the referees to convene and discuss the calls made while it also impacts the level of flow that the game is currently being played at. It can all but eliminate the tempo that the offense has over the defense preventing them from taking advantage of the situation.
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Meanwhile, this can create disgruntle from fans due to the number of penalties being assessed on the field toward one team. At the same time, it can lead to the game been made longer in the process to what is already a two-plus hour event for fans to be sitting through. There are clearly many different consequences that can be the outcome that force.
Ultimately, the league will likely take a closer look at the penalties being called to get a better definition on the type of actions that should be deemed as infractions for the better of the game and the fans watching it.
