It seems strange today, but NFL officials used to fire a starter's pistol to end each quarter. It's a mechanic that dated back to the start of pro football up until the NFL discontinued the practice starting in 1994. When the NFL was in its infancy and up through the 1960s,
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4 officiating observations from Super Bowl LV
Gerald Austin is out as head of Conference USA officiating
Football Zebras has confirmed that former NFL referee Gerald Austin has left his post as coordinator of football officials for Conference USA. The conference posted the job opening to their website today. "Gerald's role is going to change, but he will continue to work with Conference USA," said Russ Anderson, assistant
Happy birthday, Ed Hochuli!
On this Christmas Day, 2020, we wish former NFL referee Ed Hochuli a happy 70th birthday. Hochuli was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Christmas Day, 1950. His family moved to Arizona when he was eight, and he has called Arizona home ever since. In high school, Hochuli played football, basketball, wrestling and
Dissecting blindside blocks: when is it legal or illegal?
Analysis by Rich Madrid There has been a great deal of confusion among fans as to what constitutes a blindside block. Part of that confusion stems from the fact that in 2019, the NFL competition committee changed the rules on blindside blocks. Originally, the rule covered only forcible contact to the
What’s to come in the 2020 offseason?
Embed from Getty Images The confetti is cleared. The countdowns have reset. Tampa is already beginning their preparation to host Super Bowl LV. This means that the NFL offseason has begun, and there are several items on the agenda for the officiating department, both in terms of rules and personnel. The
6 officiating observations of Super Bowl LIV
Special rules in place for the 2020 Pro Bowl
The NFL has furnished Football Zebras with the rules modifications in place for the Pro Bowl. For player safety and exhibition purposes, there are restrictions on formations, pass coverage, and rushing the quarterback or kicker. In addition, there are some rules and procedures in place to test for a possible
Unprecedented punishments are appropriately harsh to Garrett, Pouncey, the Browns, and the Steelers
Three players are suspended and both teams have been fined a half-million dollars in total after a freakishly violent end to the Thursday night game between the Steelers and Browns. The announcement came about 12 hours after the game went final, which is faster than any punishment in recent memory. Browns
