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. That question has been decided by the coin toss for the past 100 years. The coin toss determines who gets the first choice of
Tag: Bill Vinovich
5 observations from championship weekend
http://gty.im/1097101968 For the first time ever, both the NFC and AFC Championship games went to overtime in the same season. There is plenty to write about from the officiating perspective this weekend. Here are just a few of the things that stuck out to me. Crucial missed calls In the NFC Championship Game,
NFL takes a hit after four referee retirements
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
Officials not afraid to use ejection in Week 9
NFL officials ejected five players in Week 9 for fighting. It should have been six. And the one who avoided the ejection ended up suspended. Ejection after several warnings It all started in the Bengals-Jaguars game. A.J. Green (pictured with umpire Fred Bryan above) and Jalen Ramsey had been going at it all
Buccaneers’ Evans suspended one game, others could be fined after violent weekend
Hochuli and Vinovich are Conference Championship referees
Football Zebras has confirmed the assignment of referees Ed Hochuli and Bill Vinovich to the Conference Championship games on Sunday, as previously reported. Hochuli will have the AFC game between the Patriots and Broncos; Vinovich will be heading the crew for the NFC title match between the Cardinals and Panthers. //
Six Super Bowl XLIX officiating observations
Super Bowl assignment a triumph for Vinovich on many levels
View image | gettyimages.com Referee overcomes life threatening illness and long layoff You might excuse Bill Vinovich if he feels a little extra emotional on Sunday. Eight years ago, the thought of working a Super Bowl was the last thing on the referee's mind. In April 2007, Vinovich's goal was to survive
Flopping for flag can flip flag in face of flopper
U Garth DeFelice leaves field for regional supervisor post
Veteran's move leaves 11 vacancies for 2014 Football Zebras exclusive Football Zebras can report that umpire Garth DeFelice will leave the field and become one of the regional supervisors for the officiating office. The supervisors have traditionally been the graders that evaluate the game tapes for accuracy in the officials' calls. This