GHSA mulling instant replay after controversial finish of 3A final

The Georgia High School Association will consider using video replay to review officials’ calls in the wake of a controversial play in Saturday’s Class 3A football championship game, three members of GHSA’s board of trustees indicated Monday.

“Yes, I think we are going to have to look at this,” board chairman and GHSA president Jim Finch said. “Currently, it is against the GHSA bylaws to use video evidence to overturn judgment calls. It’s not something that we can just vote on today to pass and be effective immediately. It will require some thought and planning.”

Photo from broadcast by GPB Sports.

Board members Jasper Jewell and Steven Craft echoed Finch’s remarks.

“We almost have to now,” Jewell said. “We have no choice but to have it for championship events, at least.”

Said Craft, “It is not possible in the regular season, but we need to look at using replay for the championship games. We owe it to the players and coaches to do everything we can to make sure the correct result is reached.”

The play that reignited the debate occurred in the final minute of the Sandy Creek-Cedar Grove game at Center Parc Stadium.

Travis Franklin scored the winning touchdown in his team’s 21-17 victory on a 1-yard run with 50 seconds left, but video from the GPB Sports broadcast indicated that Franklin was tackled short of the goal line. The play took place on third down, so Sandy Creek would have had another shot at the touchdown or a tying field goal. Video replays met with harsh criticism and went viral.

Cedar Grove ran a controversial play of its own earlier in the game, when quarterback Elliott Colson was ruled short of the end zone on a third-down run from the 2. GPB replays appeared to show the ball crossing the line.

Cedar Grove coach John Adams was pleased to hear that the GHSA will consider replay in the future.

“Maybe something good to come out of this game will be replay so you don’t have that error in a big game,” Adams said. “I know those are judgment calls, and I’m not dogging any referees or anybody. Sandy Creek played a heck of a game. But there was a reason they implemented replay in college and the NFL. Even referees at that level sometimes make mistakes, so let’s find a system where we can make a correction on a mistake of that magnitude.”

GHSA bylaws don’t allow officials to use replay to overturn calls during games or for the GHSA to change the outcome of completed games based on video evidence. Schools also may not base appeals on video evidence.

The Sandy Creek-Cedar Grove call was the most controversial since 2017, when Peach County believed a bad call cost it a late touchdown in a 10-6 loss to Calhoun in another Class 3A championship game.

Photo by Jason Getz for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

On that play, Peach County’s Noah Whittington caught a pass at the Calhoun 5-yard line and stretched out for the goal. The ball popped loose in the end zone when it hit the ground. Instead of a touchdown or first-and-goal with 3:33 left, the play was ruled an incomplete pass, giving Calhoun possession on downs.

At the time, the GHSA noted that National Federation of State High School Association rules prevented the use of video replay. In 2019, the NFHS approved video replay for postseason contests, and a minority of states, including Alabama, now employ it.

The trustees have the power to implement instant replay in Georgia, but any change almost certainly would go through the GHSA’s executive committee, which has representatives from the GHSA’s 64 regions. It meets in April.

GHSA executive director Robin Hines and his office have no authority to change bylaws, only to enforce them. Hines had no comment Monday.

The board members acknowledged that any proposal would require planning and discussion to consider feasibility and protocols.

“For example, is instant replay used only in the finals?” Finch said. “Would this be used for all sports? Whose video evidence? GPB’s camera angles? Perhaps begin with football, since it has the most sophisticated camera coverage, and see how it works. Another issue would be training for officials. And I’m sure there are many other factors I have failed to mention. But if we have the technology, and we can get the correct call, then I say we can at least begin exploring the answers to the questions I posed.”

Other considerations would be determining which plays can be challenged, who can initiate a review and who makes the decision to overturn, how many cameras to employ and the costs of equipment and hiring more officials.

“The biggest challenge would be logistics, which is why I think only championship games, because those venues will have the bandwidth to take care of that,” Jewell said. “I don’t think cost will be as big of a factor as people think. I do know there has been talk this weekend, very unofficial through some of the board of trustees. We all agree that we have to seriously consider replay.”