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NFL and CFL restart officiating exchange program
The two pro leagues renew their partnership that was suspended during covid-19.
The Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League have renewed their officiating partnership.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis past week, CFL officials worked joint practices at NFL training camps. Due to time constraints, NFL officials will not be able to go work CFL events this season, but might in the future, as the CFL season begins in the early summer.
The NFL and CFL had a similar partnership from 2016 – 2019, but it went away during the covid-19 pandemic.
In a news release, NFL vice president of officiating Ramon George commented, “Football is a global sport and officiating is an integral component. The NFL and the CFL are two leagues with one standard. This partnership unites us with a shared officiating mission of accuracy, integrity and excellence.”
In the same news release, Darren Hackwood, CFL vice president of officiating said, “We’re excited for this collaborative opportunity with the NFL. The quality of officiating reflects the strength of the game. Having more repetitions at the professional level is a key driver of performance as we grow the officiating community throughout North America.”
There is one CFL official who has been hired by the NFL. Field judge Dave Hawkshaw (number 107) begins his seventh NFL season on Clay Martin’s crew.
More development opportunities and “grass time” can only help officials professionally. We will see how this renewed partnership grows in the coming seasons.
(Cover photo: A Mackie Development Official works a CFL game during the first NFL-CFL partnership of 2016-2019.)
