Safety Allowed...

[LTL]

I've been watching a lot of old 14.1 matches where there's a referee calling the shots, safeties, and fouls.

I understand why they announced the called shots in advanced, and the fouls when they were committed, but I never understood why they announced "Safety Allowed".

When a called ball is made the referee doesn't call out "shot allowed"...

Just wondering if someone has some knowledge on the origins or reasons why successful safeties were announced by the ref by saying "Safety Allowed". If it wasn't a good/legal safety he could just call the foul... no? I'm having a Jerry Seinfeld moment with this question!

 

[West Point 1987]

I think it's more style and keeping the audience informed...if the player attempts a legal shot but misses, and something gets a rail, it's not really a safety, it's a missed shot attempt. If a safety is attempted and legally achieved (a ball (CB/OB) gets a rail then that's a successful safety. A missed shot that gets safe isn't a called safety, it's a missed shot.

I always got a kick out of watching the ref call out the shots for the player even before he approached it, when there were a couple of options available...then when the player goes another route, the ref quickly corrects the call. In some cases, it almost looks like the player gets an assist from the ref when he might be torn between two choices...:wink:

 

[Bob Jewett]

I've been watching a lot of old 14.1 matches where there's a referee calling the shots, safeties, and fouls.

I understand why they announced the called shots in advanced, and the fouls when they were committed, but I never understood why they announced "Safety Allowed".

When a called ball is made the referee doesn't call out "shot allowed"...

Just wondering if someone has some knowledge on the origins or reasons why successful safeties were announced by the ref by saying "Safety Allowed". If it wasn't a good/legal safety he could just call the foul... no? I'm having a Jerry Seinfeld moment with this question!

One way to look at it is that the referee always says something after eact shot. Usually it is the running score.