Instant replay helps refs make calls accurately. While replay is used in pro games and across multiple levels in college sports, should it be adopted at the high school level?
I know some parents would object to it, along with some school officials, coaches, and game officials. For the most part, though, I believe using it would have an overall positive outcome. More and more high schools around the nation are looking into it, and a few schools are testing it out.
One example is using instant replay in the Texas High School Football State Championships. While there is no doubt (in my estimation) that it would help when used at the championship level, I also know there are drawbacks, including financial and technical challenges.
For guidance, it’s important to look at examples of instant replay’s use. A case analysis is available in the 2017 experiment when instant replay was used in over twenty games associated with the Minnesota State HS football championships. New Jersey and Alabama also have experience using instant replay at the high school level.
One way is to have experienced college officials in the booth render judgments. In Texas, there is some discussion about booth officials having access to various camera angles provided by Fox Sports Southwest.
So, what will the future bring? I think we’ll see instant replays increasingly adopted in high school sports, at the championship level, at the very least, in football and basketball.
I definitely think this should be used especially at the championship level. Over the years we have all seen blatant bad calls all the way up to the NFL. Mistakes are a human factor and if this can help…I’m all for it. Thanks for bringing this up, Mr. Paris. Great article!