Sometimes, the Call of the Week is an exceptionally tight call in a big moment. But, many times good officiating can be seen on the margins. Umpire Terry Killens -- a linebacker in the NFL for 7 years -- relied on his player's instincts in his officiating the dead-ball period, ultimately
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)
Racial milestone no longer a trivia item
Officiating assistants to monitor levels of piped-in crowd noise
It was a full week of NFL games through mostly empty stadiums with seat covered in tarps or filled with cardboard cutouts. In 14 of the 16 stadiums, a modern NFL record was set for the lowest paid attendance -- 0. https://twitter.com/QuirkyResearch/status/1306654276530450432 Despite the empty cavernous stadiums, we still had piped-in crowd
Santi and Eaton team up for the Call of the Week
In the first quarter of the Monday night game between the Steelers and Giants, field judge Aaron Santi and line judge Tom Eaton come together to quickly and decisively rule a catch at the sideline. Congratulations, Aaron and Tom. You have the first ever Football Zebras Call of the Week. https://streamable.com/2yh7md
70 years ago, the NFL opened the season with a prayer for peace
Clear recovery rule in replay adjusted to allow more reversals, but still leaves certain plays out
Fumbles present great challenges in replay because a swarm of bodies attempting to make a recovery immediately block out the best camera angles. Possession must also be clearly established, so it is important not to incorrectly award a player for momentary control of the loose ball. This has lead to
Hair extension of rule clarifies existing rule
NFL mandates centerfield logos between the 40-yard lines
Substitutions also affected by position of numerals Sometimes rules changes show up in a place that is least expected. In addition to the standard rules changes voted by owners each year, a few editorial changes are made to the rulebook, some of which are for clarity, while others are actual low-level
