See the play, make the call. That should be the process for sports officiating.

Instead, the process officials go by is see the play, take a guess, and then rely on technology to correct a mistake. The problem is technology has replaced common sense.

Everyone saw Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson catch that touchdown pass against the Chicago Bears in Week 1. Just like everyone saw Tom Brady fumble that football in the 2002 AFC divisional playoffs. People who follow Oakland University basketball saw a player from Bradley use way more than the allotted 0.9 seconds of game clock to take four steps and a two-handed full-court shot to beat the Golden Grizzlies at the buzzer in a postseason game in 2009.

Instant replay was available in all of these cases. Yet, the wrong decision was made in all three calls — along with many others.

Officials ruled Johnson “did not complete the process” of his catch. Brady and the New England Patriots were saved by Rule 3, Section 21, Article 2, Note 2 of the NFL rule book. In the Oakland vs. Bradley game officials opted not to use instant replay to make the call because it would have been too difficult to find “indisputable evidence” to overturn it (even though that indisputable evidence can be seen on YouTube).

Technicalities should not decide sporting events. People should.

What instant replay has allowed officials to do is outthink their own common sense. It also has shown the ability to bring games to a screeching halt. We didn’t have five-hour football games or the final two minutes of a basketball game lasting 20 before this decade. But now, we have instant replay in the Little League World Series. Little league, as in children with size 4 shoes and bubble gum with jokes on the wrapper.

My idea to improve the quality of officiating: get better officials.

Get umpires who know that when a pitcher has a perfect game and two outs in the ninth inning, if a play at first base is even remotely close, it’s an out. Get referees who know it is physically impossible to take four steps (or travel as the rules call it) and shoot a basketball in 0.9 seconds. Get football officials who understand the difference between making a catch and setting the ball on the ground and dropping it.

Virtually every other profession in the world requires people to do their jobs without the benefit of hindsight. Sports officiating should be no different.