SEC’s head of officiating discusses appeal process for targeting calls made in 2nd half
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Targeting has long been one of the most controversial topics in college football. It seems as if every other week, a debate erupts whether or not a targeting call by an official was the correct decision.
Beginning in 2022, the SEC will introduce a process where teams can appeal a targeting call, but there’s a catch. It will only apply to calls made in the 2nd half; players penalized for targeting in either the 3rd or 4th quarter are currently forced to sit out the 1st 2 quarters of their next game if the call is upheld.
Per John McDaid, the SEC’s coordinator of football officials, the decision to uphold or reverse a player’s disqualification will rest with Steve Shaw, national director of officiating, with any appeal filed by the conference. If Shaw finds that it was “clearly obvious” that targeting did not occur, the decision to disqualify would be reversed.
“I want to emphasize — no change to the definition of what is or is not targeting,” McDaid said, according to On3. “No change to the judgment we’re using on the field or in the replay booth for what is or is not targeting. The only change is the penalty.”
There’s no doubt that if this move proves successful, it will be rolled out on a national level in the coming years.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
