Most sports fans have watched a play that was too close to call. Whether a slide into third base, a barely buzzer-beating shot or an almost first down, the human eye isn’t always fast enough to catch exactly what happened.
But that’s what instant replay is for.
With today’s technology you would think that we would never again see an incorrect call, but clearly, they still happen.
Many sports will use instant replay for any close call. In the NBA, it is even required that the officials watch any buzzer beaters to decide if the ball was released before time ran out.
One sport that is behind in this area is baseball. The NFL began using instant replay more than 25 years ago, but the MLB only began in 2008 and still has very strict regulations on what types of plays can and cannot be reviewed.
Currently, instant replay is used only to address “boundary calls” in baseball, which basically includes whether or not a hit should be a home run, fair versus foul balls and a few similar situations.
The problem with these rules is that umpires cannot review plays that involve a diving catch or a close call at a base. Many times, it is unclear in the outfield if a ball hit the grass before the outfielder grabbed it. And countless slides into home plate are covered in a cloud of brown dirt, sometimes making it difficult for even the umpire standing right there to make the right call.
I just can’t see the harm in being able to use instant replay in more situations in baseball. It has already taken over most major sports in the U.S., but baseball doesn’t want to accept the changes.
Some people argue that with instant replay, games will last much longer and the fans at the game will get bored waiting for calls. I think most fans will be much happier waiting for the correct call than not waiting and having the wrong call.
Since we clearly have the ability to make better calls, as shown in other sports, there is no reason why baseball shouldn’t pick up its game.
The MLB made progress when they decided to use it for boundary calls, but that clearly isn’t enough. Currently, there is some discussion going on to add two more elements to instant replay: fair and foul calls and balls that are caught or trapped by the player catching the ball. These new rules will not even be implemented until 2014 if they do go through.
At this point, I just don’t understand why the MLB doesn’t jump onto instant replay completely.
They’ve already started, so it’s time they use it whenever an umpire sees fit.