History

Eagles and Bears meet in the playoffs 30 years after the Fog Bowl

by Mark Schultz - 0

This weekend the Philadelphia Eagles travel to Chicago to play the Bears in the NFC playoffs. Thirty years and a week ago, the Eagles and Bears played in the very same stadium in the most bizarre weather-related game in NFL history. The Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles didn't like each

Officials used to use a gunshot to signal the end to a quarter or half

by Mark Schultz - 0

It seems strange today, but NFL officials used to fire a starter's pistol to end each quarter. It's a mechanic that dated back to the start of pro football up until the NFL discontinued the practice starting in 1994. When the NFL was in its infancy and up through the 1960s,

The day the NFL had 8 officials on the field

by Ben Austro - 1

Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'yQwLvUekStBt_3dUtaYYdg',sig:'yxZrsOZcsCfo-JT8lLijpQmpJ9JciPHKskK-M0MkcDM=',w:'594px',h:'375px',items:'80188612,52132225',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); 1948 NFL Championship: Chicago Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles From all appearances in the city of Brotherly Love on Dec. 19, 1948, there was not to be a football game that day. With a thick fresh blanket of snow on the ground, Eagles halfback Steve

NFL takes a hit after four referee retirements

by Mark Schultz - 2

Embed from Getty Images Every generation of NFL officiating gives way to the next. This past offseason, we saw, very quickly and dramatically, one generation give way to the next. Referees Ed Hochuli, Gene Steratore, Terry McAulay and Jeff Triplette represent 88-years of experience at the referee position. That is 88-years

Father’s Day crews

by Mark Schultz - 1

  One of the fun parts of being a dad is when a child wants to join the dad in an activity or hobby, or just wants to spend time together. I'm sure NFL officials are happy when their kids want to take up officiating. That happiness and pride, I'm sure,

Chronology of kickoff rules changes

by Ben Austro - 0

The kickoff has gone through many changes over the years. Below is a chronology of revisions to the kickoff rules, which were handled by the college rules committee until the NFL adopted its own rulebook in 1932. The 2018 rules were initially passed for one season only, but made permanent in

Zebras out of uniform

by Mark Schultz - 0

This past weekend, NCAA referee Mike Defee and his crew worked in miserable conditions as The Air Force Academy hosted San Diego State (photo of crew in the downpour). Lightning halted the game for 88-minutes, then resumed with a near empty stadium. Defee's crew started in their regular uniform. But after