Quote:By DOUG CARLSON
Tampa Tribune
Published: Jul 27, 2005

HOT SPRINGS, Va. - Football fans hoping instant replay will eliminate the possibility of officiating blunders this season in the Atlantic Coast Conference may be in for a bit of a disappointment.

But the system will be an improvement, and will lead to better officiating in the league over time, league commissioner John Swofford said Tuesday.

"What we all want is to get the critical call right, and this will enhance our ability to do that," Swofford said, speaking at the conclusion of the ACC's annual preseason football media gathering.

ACC instant replay is modeled after the system used by the Big Ten the past two seasons, and is restricted on what plays are considered reviewable by guidelines formed by the NCAA rules committee.

The ACC's system will be in effect starting with important season-opening league games involving North Carolina State-Virginia Tech (Sept. 4) and Miami-Florida State (Sept. 5) and throughout the season. It may be used in nonconference games involving ACC schools only with permission from the opposing team.

Most glaring to fans expecting it to create perfection in officiating will be the inability of the new system to change certain calls that were obviously made in error.

For example, when a referee blows his whistle to signal a play dead, a subsequent fumble recovery by the opposing team can't be awarded no matter what instant replay illustrates of the action on the field.

"This is not a cure-all. We will still make mistakes," ACC officiating supervisor Tommy Hunt said.

Hunt said he expects flaws with the system to become apparent over the course of the season and for the system to be tweaked over time.

"It's like buying a new car," he said. "It might have that new-car smell, but until you drive it you don't know what kind of car it is."

One area where the system could have a dramatic impact is in helping officials determine whether or not a play resulted in a score.

One of the more memorable plays in ACC football history would have been subject to review and would have had a more dramatic ending had replay been in effect.

Florida State tailback Warrick Dunn was ruled down short of the goal-line on the last play of the game against Virginia in 1995, resulting in the Seminoles' first ACC loss in four seasons as a league member.

Fans in Charlottesville, Va., stormed the field and a wild celebration ensued, while some FSU players argued in vain that Dunn had gotten the ball over the goal line.

Hunt said a similar occurrence would result in game officials clearing the field and announcing that the play is being reviewed.

A replay official in the press box then would review available shots of the play and relay a verdict to the referees on the field.

So would Dunn's efforts have been rewarded with a touchdown? That much is debatable, because, as Hunt stressed, there must be "irrefutable" evidence that the call made on the field was in error before a call can be overturned.

Regardless, it would have added to the drama by forcing fans and players to wait as the game's outcome hinges on a call by the officials.

"That can be a pretty intense moment, I'm sure, as to whether it was good or not," Hunt said.

Calls, either made or missed by the officials, that cannot be reviewed include holding, illegal blocks and fighting. Instant replay will not be used to identify players involved in a fight, other than subsequent reviews by the commissioner's office long after the game has ended.

But coaches looking for a way to circumvent the system won't get away with it, Hunt said.

Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said Monday he will work on a play in which his team quickly snaps the ball following a potentially reviewable play, in order to avoid having a reversal go against the Tigers.

"We're not going to let 'em snap the ball under the pretense of getting a play off before we have a chance to review it," Hunt said. "That's an unfair tactic."

Hunt admitted there may still be plenty for fans to boo the officials about, but he said the "experimental" system is an improvement, and will lead to further improvement.

"Our system now will make it possible to review our officials' performance much more closely that we were able to previously," he said.