Football Zebras

2 unusual penalties on the same play: illegal hideout and sideline interference

by Ben Austro - October 19, 2021October 19, 2021 14091

The Rams attempted to catch everyone off guard with a quick substitution/fake punt in the first quarter of the game against the Giants. The play eventually wound up confusing everyone watching the game as well. The Fox Sports broadcast crew had to dump out of the replay of the third down

New book shows officiating is ‘A Tough Job Made Harder’

Outside the Stripes

by Mark Schultz - September 6, 2021September 6, 2021 01819

Review by Mark Schultz If you've followed Football Zebras for any length of time, you know that we break down football officiating and (hopefully) show you how difficult calling a football game is. Between interpreting complicated rules, avoiding getting run over by people twice their size, tuning out 50,000 people chanting

Throwback to 2007 – Warren Sapp melts down and is ejected by Jerome Boger’s crew

History

by Mark Schultz - May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 03861

On December 23, 2007, Jerome Boger's crew allowed Warren Sapp to beat the traffic to the mall and get his Christmas shopping done early. In a bizarre sequence of events, Sapp totally lost his composure, the Oakland Raiders were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct four times, with three of the fouls assigned

5 observations from Super Bowl LIII

by Mark Schultz - February 4, 2019February 4, 2019 14416

The Super Bowl is over, and thankfully we aren't breaking down any officiating controversies today. But there are some interesting officiating nuggets to note. 1. No replays Replay official Jim Lapetina was busy yesterday, but he never had to buzz in with a booth challenge. There were a few plays where I was

Photo Gallery: Let’s meet the Super Bowl LIII crew

by Mark Schultz - February 1, 2019January 31, 2019 04047

Let's meet the Super Bowl LIII crew in photos, courtesy of team photographers and Getty Images. Click on a photo to begin the gallery. http://gty.im/1074739122 http://gty.im/154744813 http://gty.im/596902146 http://gty.im/579780846 http://gty.im/92807442 http://gty.im/456811498 http://gty.im/184407308

5 Super Bowl LIII officiating crew odds and ends

by Mark Schultz - January 29, 2019January 30, 2019 44388

As John Parry and the Super Bowl LIII crew prepare for the big game on Sunday, here are a few notes I found as I analyzed the crew. 1. Bergman sets a gap record Jeff Bergman's Super Bowl appearance this Sunday will set a record for the number of years between Super

Father’s Day crews

by Mark Schultz - June 17, 2018June 18, 2018 17692

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,

Former NFL official Jerry Bergman passes away

by Mark Schultz - July 3, 2017July 4, 2017 010419

Embed from Getty Images Â Gerard Bergman 1929-2017 Gerard R. "Jerry" Bergman, officiating patriarch who had two sons follow his footsteps to the NFL, passed away in May. He was 87, and had suffered from dementia for the last few years. Bergman wore number 17 on his jersey his entire career. The elder Bergman had

Making the impossible call

by Mark Schultz - February 9, 2017April 12, 2017 26795

Embed from Getty Images Â Nothing compares to the speed of a NFL game. While I've never been on the field for one, I worked on the chain gang at a Division I NCAA game one level down from the pros. The speed at that level was dizzying. I can only imagine

Preventative officiating happens every play

Mechanics

by Mark Schultz - October 22, 2014June 26, 2015 322951

There were several tongues wagging in Week 7 when an official advised a player he was in illegal formation.Â Many football fans learned the term "preventative officiating," and the debate began whether or not preventative officiating was actually coaching.Â Well, preventative officiating happens every game and at every level