Officiating administration has been undergoing a shift in the offseason, and the NFL announced its changes for management of the officiating department. Former referee Walt Anderson and former assistant coach Perry Fewell were previously announced as senior vice presidents in the officiating channel, but now there is a little more
Author: Ben Austro
Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref's Guide to the Official Rules (on sale now)
Clock-draining fix to rules would not adequately address the glaring loophole
Scorecard of the 2020 owners videoconference meetings [live updates]
NFL owners are meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams to discuss many items for the 2020 season, including 9 rules proposals, 3 bylaws changes, and at least 4 policy resolutions. Football Zebras will be updating this post as information is reported on the status of individual agenda items. A brief summary of
NFL expands playoffs to 7 seeds, but not necessarily to more officials
On cancelling sports
Odds are that team rules proposals are paper shredder food
The NFL released the first tranche of modified rules proposals with 7 team-submitted recommendations from the Eagles, Dolphins, Ravens, and Chargers. Typically, the team-backed proposals are dead on arrival; only 4 of the 44 team proposals passed in the last 5 years, plus 2 others that were absorbed into a larger
Happy 95th birthday to the great Ben Dreith. Here’s a supercut of some memorable calls
Ben Dreith is one of the first referees to become a household name, known by the spectators as the referee with the colorful announcements and by players and coaches as one of the most-respected and shrewdest game managers. His unbusinessmanlike demeanor on the microphone was his trademark and an endearing
Officiating crews for the 2020 XFL season
Special rules in place for the 2020 Pro Bowl
The NFL has furnished Football Zebras with the rules modifications in place for the Pro Bowl. For player safety and exhibition purposes, there are restrictions on formations, pass coverage, and rushing the quarterback or kicker. In addition, there are some rules and procedures in place to test for a possible
