Football Zebras

This year, the NFL will have the first majority minority officiating crew in Super Bowl history

by Cameron Filipe - January 20, 2020February 16, 2020 8

Embed from Getty Images Last week, Football Zebras broke the news of the seven men selected to officiate Super Bowl LIV to conclude the centennial season of the NFL. This crew will be making history on Feb. 2 in Miami, as the Super Bowl crew will be the first majority African-American

Officiating moments of the 2010s, part 3

by Ben Austro - December 31, 2019January 2, 2020 4

From the highlights to the lowlights, the past decade has been full of news, advancements, and controversies in the world of NFL officiating. We live in a very different world we lived in just ten years ago. Without further ado, from the game-changing calls to the broken glass-ceilings, and from

Officiating moments of the 2010s, part 2

by Mark Schultz - December 31, 2019January 1, 2020 0

Embed from Getty Images From the highlights to the lowlights, the past decade has been full of news, advancements, and controversies in the world of NFL officiating. We live in a very different world we lived in just ten years ago. Without further ado, from the game-changing calls to the broken

Officiating moments of the 2010s, part 1

by Cameron Filipe - December 31, 2019January 1, 2020 0

NFL100: When John McDonough called The Longest Game on Christmas Day

by Mark Schultz - December 29, 2019January 3, 2020 1

It's always hard for officials to be away from home on a special holiday. So it was for referee John McDonough and his officiating crew, scheduled to work the Christmas Day divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the visiting Miami Dolphins. McDonough, who officiated Super Bowl IV, and

NFL100: A century of determining who gets the ball first

by Mark Schultz - November 27, 2019November 27, 2019 2

It is a simple procedure. The game can’t begin without it. Before any football game starts the referee has to decide who gets the ball first. That question has been decided by the coin toss for the past 100 years. The coin toss determines who gets the first choice of

NFL100: When the referee had to rule on things other than football

by Mark Schultz - November 15, 2019 0

Usually, a NFL game goes off like a well-oiled machine. The players, coaches, fans, support staff, visual effects, broadcasters and infrastructure all work together to make the game the best show in town. But, sometimes, things happen: circuits overload, pyrotechnics tip over, fans get too drunk, and tornadoes threaten the stadium.

NFL100: For half of NFL history, the official time was not on the scoreboard

by Mark Schultz - October 18, 2019October 18, 2019 0

Today, there are clocks all over our TV screens on Sunday. The TV graphics are hard wired into the stadium clock. The stadium clock is the official time. The side judge times the game on a watch, but that time on the watch only serves as a backup in case

NFL100: 90-year-old rules made for a different game

by Mark Schultz - October 4, 2019 0

People who saw a NFL game 90-years ago would almost not recognize the game played today. Back in the 1930s, the pro game had some rules that are mind-boggling. In the early years of the NFL, if a player fell or was knocked down, he could still crawl or get up

NFL100: Why did officials use a pistol to signal the end of the quarter?

by Ben Austro - September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 1

It seems strange today, but NFL officials used to fire a starter's pistol to end each quarter. It's a mechanic that was first used in 1924 and lasted until the NFL discontinued the practice starting in 1994. In the 1920s, procedures were standardized that the referee was the only official that