Instant Replay

Heading: Instant Replay

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Instant Replay

Outline Introduction Thesis Statement: Instant replay technology has both positive and negative effects on professional football Definition of instant replay How instant replay has changed professional sports Ways in which the use of instant replay has affected football Ways in which the use of instant replay has impacted basket ball How the use of the employment of instant replay has affected base ball The impact of using instant replay technology in tennis How sports use challenges What is the impact of using these challenges in sports?

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Introduction Technology has played a great role in shaping sports in the modern world. There has been a significant change in the world sports over years, and the employment of technology is part of the contributors of this transformation. Some of the technological applications in sports today are instant replay, soccer goal line, hawk-eye, computer software technologies. These technologies have been influential in enabling referees and umpires make appropriate calls, improve accuracy, enhanced human judgment, and regulated pace of the game. Nevertheless, some people argue that these technologies have negative effects on sports in that they slow down the game, can break or make the game, can go wrong, ruins the games momentum, and costly. This essay attempts to examine the impact of introducing instant replay in football, and other games like baseball, basketball, and tennis. Additionally, it sheds light on how challenges are used in sports, and the effects of using these challenges in sports. Thesis statement-Instant replay technology has both positive and negative effects on professional football.

Definitions According to Raney and Bryant (2006, pp. 34-36), instant replay refers to an act of replaying video footage of an incident or event immediately after it has happened. In television sports events broadcasts, instant replay is usually used during a live broadcast. This helps to demonstrate a passage that was significant or remarkable, or that was inexplicit at first sight. Various sports firms allow referees and other officials to check with replay footage prior to making or changing a decision about dubious or unclear play. This can be referred to as video

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umpire, video referee, third umpire, television match official, or instant replay official. Other organizations only allow video evidence after the end of the competition, for instance, in penalizing a player for misbehavior that was not seen by officials in the course of the play (Austin, 2008, pp. 124-127). How instant replay has changed professional sports Instant replay has brought a variety of changes in sports in the contemporary world. Instant replays initial implementation took place in the National Football League (NFT) in 1986. The main purpose of this technology then was to help in the review of controversial calls, a blend of griping coaches and effective cameras resulted in its early collapse in 1992. The rise of modern technology and changed rules paved way for newly modified system in 1999. The system has been instrumental in the promotion of fairness in the league by allowing top coaches to confront two plays in every game (Austin, 2008, pp. 124-127). Through the employment of the new system, coaches can challenge catches, fumbles, touchdowns and the balls spot. Nonetheless, a coach cannot challenge penalties, fore-outs, the clocks status, and inadvertent whistles. Besides, referees may now review plays via a monitor in a field that uses six distinct camera angles. They are also allowed 90 seconds to stick to their first ruling, or reverse it. The major aim of using instant replay technology by referees is ensure that right calls are made in the games main junctions. It is highly imperative since one teams playoff hopes or championship can depend largely on a single play (Raney & Bryant, 2006, pp. 34-36). Even though instant replay has changed the professional football positively, the objective f making an appropriate call has not been achieved. As a result, there has been flurry of controversy that surrounds non-reviewable and reviewable plays. Over the last decade, the

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results of the five playoff games have been fully altered by the rules, alongside bad ruling by referees. Consequently, NFL commissioner has executed the tuck rule and considered field goals together with unlawful forward handoffs as analyzable plays so as to facilitate the alleviation of controversy (Austin, 2008, pp. 124-127). Positive effects of instant replay in football Instant replay has a number of benefits in football. To begin with, it facilitates the reduction of human error in the game. Human beings are prone to making mistakes most often, but this nature is inadequate excuse for the adverse effects of their mistakes. Austin (2008, pp. 124-127) says that when referees make inappropriate calls, there is a likelihood of negatively affecting the whole game. Instant replay technology gives referees, umpires and other officials an opportunity to have a close review of dubious or unclear plays prior to making their final calls. Gamache (2010, pp. 120-125) asserts that the ability of zooming in and running the play in slow motion helps them to determine with greater accuracy if plays were done appropriately. For instance, in a football competition, instant replay enables sports officials to determine whether a football pass was completed. This technology is enhanced by the fact that coverage is done from all angles of the field; thus officials can make accurate and appropriate rulings unlike if they were depending on their own vantage perspective (Raney & Bryant, 2006, pp. 34-36). In addition, Grant (2008, pp. 357-360) says that the use of instant play technology in professional football has enabled the game to keep up with technology. The fact that technology has transformed almost all parts of society, sports incidences or events must be exempted from these developments. Originally, sports largely relied on referees and umpires in the judgment of plays and making of calls since this kind of technology was inexistent. Grant (2008, pp. 357360) notes that with the increase in the ability to watch every play closely, instant play has

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become one of the most effective tools to use; thus it allows officials do their jobs effectively and precisely. Therefore, instant replay has been highly indispensable in sports, particularly in football for it moves with technological advancement. Grant (2008, pp. 357-360) also maintains that instant replays can provide a team that could not beat a blown call initially with another chance of winning. It does this because it enhances accuracy in reviewing of plays by officials. This is considered as the key benefit of the system in football since it allows officials make the right decisions (Austin, 2008, pp. 124-127). This mostly favors the team that gets a call made on them reversed after the review. Interestingly, this implies that a team cannot get away with an incident that it would have escaped in the past. The fact that this system is right most of the times has helped in making proper decisions as regards football plays. It also reduces the referees burden of having an extra skill of perfection in the game. This is because most of them largely depend on the system in making significant decisions in the games involved (Austin, 2008, pp. 124-127). Thus, instant replay has been instrumental in sports because it promotes fairness among teams of a particular game. Negative effects of using instant replays in football Like any other technological system, instant replay in football has its share of drawbacks. Firstly, use of instant replay technology in sports, especially in football does not completely alleviate human mistakes (Grant, 2008, pp. 357-360). Despite the fact that it was developed with a key objective of facilitating right calls from referees and other officials, the technology has failed to remove all the human errors in sports. This, therefore, requires that game officials review instant replay footage in an appropriate manner so as to avoid interference of the game. With the continuous advancement of modern technology, cable, network and fans recordings can capture the play from various perspectives than the officials have access to at the time the call is

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made (Hanson, 2008, pp. 51-60). If eventually video clarifies that the instant replay call was inappropriate, then the fans might wonder why the league wasted money and time on the employment of the technological system (Grant, 2008, pp. 357-360). Therefore, instant play has negatively affected football because it does not help reduce or remove wrong calls made by game officials. Secondly, Austin (2008, pp. 124-127) notes that the employment of instant replay technology in football games is inappropriate. This is because it causes a lot of disruptions in the game; hence discouraging the players and the fans. In a football game, every instant replay consumes a lot of time in the replay and review. Often, the game must be replayed a number of times before officials make their final decisions or judgments. Consequently, the process delays the game by slowing it down and detracting from the flow of spectators experience (Browne, 2001, pp. 774775). Although this can be very enjoyable for the viewers at home who watch broadcasts, this is unpleasant for the live viewers since they want to watch the game with little interference. Additionally, despite the fact that instant replay of games can enhance making right calls by officials, some games do not rely on a single call; hence it results in unessential interruption most of the times (Hanson, 2008, pp. 51-60). Thirdly, Harris (2009, pp. 155-158) says that some individuals argue that instant replay technology is not a perfect way of making judgments in football games. This is because the system eliminates human element in the game and relies on machines. Some of the opponents also assert that the system is interruptive in that coaches and referees spend a lot of time trying to make u their minds on what they view in the video footage (Raney & Bryant, 2006, pp. 34-36). To this group of people, mistakes are normal in life and so to sports, in fact, they assert that such mistakes as inappropriate calls made by game officials are part of the game. Besides, the system

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might soon render referees and umpires in sports useless since their judgments are always considered inappropriate without consultations with video footage (Browne, 2001, pp. 774-775). Even though instant replays provide accurate rulings, the game still needs an act of a sensory and mental interpretation form the replay official. Two people can view the same video footage and come up with varied conclusions in most instances, just as two individuals can watch the same play live and draw different conclusions. The process of slowing down a play by the instant replay technology truly brings out a distinct perspective, which is not essentially correct. Impliedly, it offers a different explanation; hence a varied interpretation of the incidences depicted (Hanson, 2008, pp. 51-60). Effects of instant replay in basketball In terms of basketball, application of instant replays technology has been so influential. This is because it allows referees to ensure that players are making shots within the allocated time as per the shot clock (Grant, 2008, pp. 357-360). The referees can also employ instant replay technology to determine who is in possession of the ball and the amount of time that still remains before a playoff. However, determination of the balls possession is not too obsessive to make the officials spend a long time in the video. Instead, the process of making reviews is obsessive, and it can ruin the flow of the game and discourage the fans (Hanson, 2008, pp. 51-60). Therefore, in spite of ensuring the making of correct calls and right rulings, the technology is distractive to the game. Besides, just like in football, the application of instant replay technology in basketball may not always lead to correct calls. Effects of instant replays in baseball Just like in other games, Hanson (2008, pp. 51-60) argues that the employment of instant replays in baseball is beneficial in improving accuracy of the judgments and calls made by

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referees, umpires, and other officials. It helps the referees to determine whether the bases made are genuine or stolen. Additionally, it clarifies if the base-runner scores or fails to score throughout the game, or in the innings. This is also beneficial in that it keeps sports video in entirety. Moreover, it helps officials in the determination of whether a team scores runs or fails. It also helps examine the strike zone, and the beginning of seventh inning in home plate and all other bases (Trombulak, 2011). Despite these advantages, instant replay remains unsuitable for baseball. If instant replay system is being abused and executed for each close call, it can irritate the live viewers. Though the speed of the technology is being consistently improved, it needs further development so as to make things bearable (Hanson, 2008, pp. 51-60). In fact, there have been situations in which the process took seven minutes for an instant replay. Nevertheless, this period of time cannot be termed as instant under any circumstance. Therefore, there is fear that too much focus on instant replay in baseball can weaken the efficiency and role of umpires. What is more, Grant (2008, pp. 357-360) says that fans may no longer want to believe in their own judgment anymore. Although it is true that umpires can make mistakes, superseding their rulings when the call was very close to human eye may negatively influence their credibility. Effects of instant replay in tennis In tennis game, hawk-eye technology, which is an instant replay digitalized system, has brought a number of benefits to referees, teams and spectators. The technology was produced by corporation information 10 cameras with high speed, which individually capture the balls position at 50 frames per second. Further, the technology operates as every camera computer calculates the balls real center in each frame, and that 2-dimensional information is communicated into mainframe situated in a control room. Instantly, exact landing spot and

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trajectory of the ball are shown in 3-dimensions and high definition. Owing to the technologys immediacy and efficiency, the replay system is increasingly getting popular with tennis fans. Additionally, the instant replay system facility is so entertaining that the game officials have requested technicians in the control rooms to pause for some seconds, so as to allow the build-up of suspense, prior to showing the replay to audiences watching television and those in attendance (Hanson, 2008, pp. 51-60). Nevertheless, this technology has its critics too, just like in other games. These individuals are worried about go beyond the line of adjudicators authority in search for accuracy and correctness. They view this as unhealthy to tennis game in that it eliminates human element, which is crucial in the game. In fact, without this element, the game is rendered mechanical. Additionally, they assert that the cost of implementing the technology is very expensive; hence, the spectators are compelled to pay extra charges so as to watch sports. How to use challenges and their effects on sports In instant replay technology, a coach who opposes the referees call may request referees to review the call with instant replay. Coaches are allowed to challenge at most two calls in every game. Nevertheless, if they challenge a call and referees rule after the review that the call holds the team that gave a challenge loses a timeout (Browne, 2001, pp. 774-775). In order to successfully challenge a call, a coach should make the challenge before the snapping of the ball and the beginning of the next game. To signal a challenge, a coach raises a red flag or throws a red flag onto the playing field. However, the must wait for replays review by the referees or watch the replay in the big screens in the stadium prior to giving a challenge (Hanson, 2008, pp. 51-60).

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These challenges have both negative and positive sides in the games involved. To begin with, they are positive in that they facilitate fairness in the games. Because of the high speed of the modern games, referees often make inaccurate calls. Therefore, these instant replay challenges provide teams with a chance to reverse the rare wrong calls. On the other hand, these challenges can slow down the game; thus they are never instant. Similar to common interruptions, such as, clock stoppages, timeouts and penalties, instant replay challenges alleviate what fans like about football; its excitement and speed. Conclusion Technology has been influential in the development of modern sports in society. Explicitly, technology has caused a great impact on professional sports in the world. The use of instant replay technology is has been instrumental in enhancing accuracy, human judgment, pace, and making appropriate calls by umpires and referees. In spite of these benefits, instant replay technology eliminates excitement, speed and human element in a game; hence discouraging spectators, teams and officials. They have also weakened referees credibility and strained spectators belief in their own judgment. Owing to this technology, coaches have managed to issue challenges so as to reverse certain mistakes made by referees.

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References Austin, M.W. (2008.). Football and philosophy: going deep. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. Pp. 124-127. Browne, P. (2001). The guide to United States popular culture. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. Pp. 774-775. Harris, R. (2009). A cognitive psychology of mass communication. New York, NY: Routledge. Pp. 155-158. Gamache, R. (2010). A history of sports highlights: replayed plays from Edison to ESPN. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co. Pp. 120-125. Grant, R. (2008). The economics of intercollegiate sports. Singapore Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific. Pp. 357-360. Hanson, C. (2008).The Instant Replay Time and Time Again. Spectator 28(2), 51-60. http://cinema.usc.edu/assets/096/15633.pdf Raney, A.A. & Bryant, J. (2006). Handbook of sports and media. Mahwah, N.J: L. Erlbaum Associates. pp. 34-36. Trombulak, I. (2011).Batting Around: Baseball must embrace modern technology. Addison Independent County. http://www.addisonindependent.com/node/8374.

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