The scene repeats every Saturday across college football.
A player uses his helmet as a weapon, or drills a defenseless player above the shoulders, and a flag comes out for targeting. While the replay official reviews the call, the TV announcers debate the intricacies of the play and whether a penalty should have been called. The debate often comes down to a split second of timing, or a helmet making contact an inch this way or that.
It’s all very technical.
Greg Burks, the Mountain West coordinator of football officials, prefers a simpler explanation.
“The simplest thing for me is, ‘Is that a hit that we want in the game?