We hope you were able to survive the first weekend without football. While there won’t be any games until August, there will be a lot of activity to prepare for 2017.
News
Active offseason for NFL officiating
by Mark Schultz • • 2 Comments
Tag: mechanics
Calls, Follow-up, Mechanics, Super Bowl LI
Making the impossible call
by Mark Schultz • • 2 Comments
Embed from Getty Images 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 how fast it…
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2016, Controversy, Follow-up, Mechanics
Concentration is key to avoiding wrong-way flags and other errors
by Mark Schultz •
Detroit Lions fans were aghast and pundits hooted at Jeff Triplette’s crew during Week 14 as umpire Shawn Smith called an illegal hands to the face foul. The foul was there, but Smith called it on the wrong team. The Bears were guilty of the infraction, but Smith called it on the Lions. How could…
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Mechanics
Calm signals: the sign of under-control officiating
by Mark Schultz •
The use of calm, deliberate signals conveys an image of complete physical, mental and emotional control.
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Mechanics
Back to basics: The foundation of good officiating
by Mark Schultz •
View image | gettyimages.com The individual and collective psyche of NFL officials may be shaken after several rough games in the 2015 season. There are a few techniques that officials can use to help break out of real or perceived slump. One of the best techniques is getting back to the basics. The basics. Basic…
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Calls, Follow-up
Surprise: The enemy of officiating
by Mark Schultz •
Officials try to prepare for everything Former baseball umpire Jim Evans used to run an umpire’s school. One of his biggest lessons to his students was “an umpire’s biggest enemy is surprise.” That mantra can be adopted for all officials in all sports. As tongues were wagging at the end of the Seattle-Detroit game on…
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Mechanics
When officials’ jobs are on the (goal) line
by Mark Schultz •
Officials, especially the line judge and head linesman, always work to get the forward progress spot. In order to do so, they are taught to trail the play by a few yards and then square up once the ball is dead. But, when a big progress spot is important, the NFL prefers officials to get…
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History
Fun with flags, NFL style
by Mark Schultz •
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…
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Calls, Controversy, Week 16
Packers say refs confused them in final seconds in loss to Steelers
by Mark Schultz •
Packers say officials told them to not snap ball before winding the clock (video) The Steelers-Packers Week 16 game had its fill of controversial plays, but the last play didn’t seem controversial — until today. To set things up, the Packers were knocking on the door of a tying touchdown when the officials called a Packers’ lineman for…
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Mechanics
Float like a butterfly…dodge like a ref
by Mark Schultz •
How NFL officials stay out of the way to preserve life and limb We’ve all seen it. For the fans it is a funny sight but for anyone who has been knocked down by a football player always cringes when a football official gets knocked down. The officials do not wear any padding and when…
