NFL officiating department is implementing the covid contingency plan due to flight cancelations

Football Zebras exclusive

In an exasperating travel situation caused by the aviation ground stop on Friday, the NFL officiating department is scrambling to ensure each game is staffed. The contingency plan was already drafted in 2020 to handle travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the 2020 protocols, officials were assigned if they were within a day’s drive of the game site and air travel was only used as a last resort. As planes get back up in the air, some officials will be able to get to their games, so there is going to be some fluidity to the situation up to a predetermined point.

The NFL also has emergency officials to get a field promotion to the referee position. In the preseason, they were able to get in some practice games to be prepared.

The covid protocols also provided for revised mechanics in case the crew could get only 5 officials to the game site. It is not expected that the league would resort to that, but it is in the plans if needed. Crews of 6 officials are still a possibility.

Essentially, all the announced crews are scrapped for this week, with substitutions to be announced.