Nov 15, 2018
CFL to add 8th official to watch for dangerous hits on QBs
The CFL will add an eighth official to the field for both the Eastern and Western Finals Sunday to watch for blows to the head or neck of a quarterback.
TSN.ca Staff
The CFL will add an eighth official to the field for both the Eastern and Western Finals Sunday to watch for blows to the head or neck of a quarterback.
The move comes after a high hit to Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Brandon Bridge, which should have been assessed a penalty for roughing the passer, was not flagged during last weekend’s Western Semi-Final game, the league said in a statement.
“It is very important that this sort of potentially dangerous play is penalized on the field in addition to being subject to supplementary discipline. Not only is it important to the integrity of the game, it can act as a deterrent,” commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in the statement.
“That is why we are adding an additional set of eyes, with a strictly limited but well-defined mandate, to our officiating crew. No system is fail-safe and no human is incapable of error. And nothing we do on player safety should be held up as the ultimate solution. Our approach must constantly evolve. But we believe this is a step forward. We will continue to look for ways to not only penalize dangerous play but, more importantly, prevent it.”
TSN Football Insider Dave Naylor said adding the eighth official, whose only responsibility is to watch for dangerous hits on quarterbacks, came after several days of discussions with all nine clubs. He added the initiative is being considered an interim measure and the issue of QB safety will be reviewed again in the off-season.
The move comes after player safety concerns were raised after recent helmet-to-helmet hits on Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterbacks Zach Collaros and Brandon Bridge. There was no flag thrown on either hit and Collaros wasn’t taken out of the game by the concussion spotter after he was hit.
Ambrosie said both incidents were not handled correctly by the league.