NFL officiating boss instructs officials to slow down before throwing flags

The NFL officiating department has told its officials to go slower when throwing a penalty flag and calling a foul.

Officials were instructed by vice president of officiating Ramon George to slow down, process the play, and then decide whether or not to call the foul. The message was included in this week’s officiating training tape, which under George’s tenure is also shared with all 32 teams.

We have said over the years that a slow flag isn’t always a bad flag. Fans may squawk when their team breaks a big play, and the holding or illegal block flag comes fluttering in. But officials need to read the play, determine the point of attack, and decide if the foul caused the team to gain an unfair advantage.

Officials will not and should not call a foul on a play where the the infraction happened away from the point of attack. While technically a foul, it had no bearing on the play. Officials will talk to the player and warn them that if the play had come their way, they would have called a foul.

This philosophy does not apply to safety or sportsmanship fouls. Officials will always call a leg whip, face mask, punch, or other roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct.

But if officials call every holding, or illegal block foul away from the point of attack, it could double the amount of flags in a ballgame. That would chop up the flow and frustrate players, coaches, and fans.

So this week, the officials are expected to slow down, process what they see, and only after that judge whether or not a team gained an unfair advantage.