There are three to five alternate officials assigned and ready to go into a playoff game should an on-field official get hurt or sick.
In honor of the golden anniversary of the Super Bowl, here are photos from Super Bowls past – courtesy of Getty Images. Terry McAulay, Super Bowl XXXIX. Embed from Getty Images Jerry Seeman, Super Bowl XXIII. Embed from Getty Images Scott Green, Super Bowl XLIV. Embed from Getty Images Roy Ellison…
It is a simple procedure. The game can’t begin without it. Before any football game starts the referee has to decide who gets the ball first. For generations, that question has been decided by the coin toss. The procedure is the same from pee-wee games to the NFL. First of all, it is important for…
A photo this past week from the Dallas Morning News (cover photo) illustrates the dangers of being an official. In Washington, a fan threw a full drink can on the field and it barely missed field judge Eugene Hall. There have been many stories and accounts of fans throwing debris on the field at major…
View image | gettyimages.com Too many new(er) officials can make for a rocky season The 1990s were a time of upheaval for NFL officiating. Art McNally retired after a long career as the NFL officiating boss. Jerry Seeman succeeded McNally. Seeman was ready build on McNally’s work and that work included making an imprint…
The most controversial piece of cloth in all of sports wasn’t always yellow It won’t get a cake or open house. It won’t get cheered. In fact it’s mere presence will illicit foul language and boos. Be that as it may, the gold penalty flag celebrates a big milestone this season. Fifty years ago, the…
Believe it or not, there is a science to making, throwing penalty flags Last week, back judge Todd Prukop became a mini-celebrity by throwing his penalty flag a whopping 31-yards, impressing announcers and social media all across the country (video). Besides having a great arm, how can officials make their penalty flags fly such a…
Terry McAulay will lead a crew of excellent and distinguished officials in this year’s Super Bowl. This will be his third Super Bowl (XXXIX, XLIII), umpire Carl Paganelli’s fourth (XXXIX, XLI, XLVI), and field judge Scott Steenson’s second (XXXI). Even though it will be the first Super Bowl for the other four officials, their experience…
7 known suspensions of officials for on-field incidents The NFL rarely has suspended officials for their conduct on the field, although it is possible that some may have occurred without public knowledge. Also, there are two known cases of officials (not included here) who were originally assigned to the Super Bowl and had that assignment…
In 1975, the NFL decided to put a wireless microphone on the referee for penalty announcements. Officiating boss Art McNally, wanted the officials to use this new technology very sparingly. In those intervening 38 years, the microphone has evolved into a critical communication and teaching tool, as shown by Gene Steratore’s epic mini-rules clinic in…
