LITTLE LEAGUE TRIES REPLAY Little League Baseball will use instant replay at this year's World Series to review questionable home runs and other close plays at the outfield fence, beating the major leagues in instituting a system to review some disputed calls.
More recently, the league introduced replay options for home runs, admitting the plainly obvious fact that umpires sometimes need help.
But because the play was so late in the fourth quarter, the league's replay assistant ordered a review.
But after a long review, the league's replay officials in Toronto ruled that a referee's whistle had blown a moment before the puck crossed the line.
In fact, some players said, if the league allows replay to judge out-of-bounds balls in the final two minutes, it should allow it in the other 46 minutes as well.
The league's instant replay system is getting more of a workout every year.
And under the league's strict replay guidelines, referees were not permitted to call it after the fact.
But does the drop in overturns indicate that the league, through the replay officials, made a concerted effort not to overturn the replacement officials?
EXTRA POINTS Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE said he believed that Baltimore Ravens Coach BRIAN BILLICK should be fined for lashing out against how the league uses instant replay after the Ravens' 26-6 victoverover the Denver Broncos last Sunday.
