Missed illegal formation affects playoff fates

Week 17: Chiefs at Chargers (video) Update: NFL statement issued Monday morning appears at the bottom of this post. The Chiefs missed a three-pointer at the end of regulation. The officials missed the seven players on one side of the defensive formation. Those misses were felt in Pittsburgh, as it had ramifications on their

Quick calls: Week 2

We will update this post with some of the key calls from Week 2. See something that needs our attention? Hit us in the comments section of this post or tweet us @footballzebras. 4206

Anderson leads Super officiating crew

Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs. Packers Here are the officiating assignments for Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, listed with the head referee they worked under  in the regular season: R — #66 Walt Anderson (15th year, 8th as referee) U — #31 Chad Brown (19th year, Ed Hochuli) HL — #79 Kent Payne (7th

Rule modifications in effect for Pro Bowl

In order to minimize injuries, the Pro Bowl plays modified rules that protect the players. Basically, pass rushes are shut down, and standard formations are used. A summary of the rule modifications from the league’s Record and Fact Book: The offensive formations must have a tight end and have no

AFC Championship officiating

Jets at Steelers Ed Hochuli is the referee (full crew) in his sixth conference championship game. Final | Steelers 24-19. Penalties: Jets 6 for 50 yards, Steelers 4 for 25 yards, 1 penalty declined (against the Jets). There were two replay reviews: a coach's challenge (Jets) was reversed, while a booth review

NFC Championship officiating

Packers at Bears Terry McAulay is the referee (full crew) in his fifth conference championship game. Final | Packers 21-14. Penalties: Packers 6 for 40 yards, Bears 9 for 89 yards, none declined or offsetting. Two replay reviews: one coach's challenge (Bears) was reversed and one booth review was upheld. 4th Quarter |

Sunday’s divisional playoff officiating

Jets at Patriots Bill Leavy is the referee (full crew). 2nd Quarter, 5:46 remaining. Patriots coach Bill Belichick challenged a juggled catch by Jets receiver Santonio Holmes. Although it was just a five-yard pass, it made the difference between a first down and a 4th-and-5. Holmes was able to get his hand