5 officiating observations from 2017

With just one more game left this season, here are five officiating observations I noticed in the last six months of football. Too many ejections This year, NFL officials gave the hook to 20 players for fighting, a flagrant personal foul or for contact against an official. This is not because officials are

Jerome Boger leads Hall of Fame game crew

The 97th season league history begins Sunday from the place where the seed was first planted -- Canton, Ohio. Culminating the enshrinement festivities of the 2016 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday will be the Hall of Fame game between the Packers and Colts, beginning at 8

50 Super Bowl calls, Part 4: XX to XI

The Football Zebras staff -- with the assistance of our affiliated forum, Behind the Football Stripes -- has examined the Super Bowls of years past for the work of the officials who, in a given year, achieve the honor of the best of the best. While every team competes for

50 Super Bowl calls, Part 1: L to XLI

The Football Zebras staff -- with the assistance of our affiliated forum, Behind the Football Stripes -- has examined the Super Bowls of years past for the work of the officials who, in a given year, attain the honor of the best of the best. While every team competes for

Week 8 officiating video: crackback blocks, official timeouts

#457964914 / gettyimages.com NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino today released the Week 8 media video. Topics this week included interception/touchback rules, crackback blocks, and timing rules (video download). Low blocks and crackback blocks were a topic of discussion during the Cardinals-Eagles game. The rule is that any player that is

Simplifying complex enforcements: Breaking down Proposal No. 13

2014 rule changes The Competition Committee offered up a proposal that received little discussion, and was explained by committee member Jeff Fisher in a fairly obscure manner: Basically, this Proposal Number 13 is going to simplify everything; clean it all up, make sure we don’t have any issues. [The officials] have a

Sometimes a safety is just a safety

AFC Divisional Playoff: Colts at Patriots When the snap sails over the punter’s head and out the back of the end zone, all of us have the same first reaction:  safety.  However this season we saw many instances of bizarre rulings, rare rule applications, and rule misapplications, so now more than