crew communication

Surprise: The enemy of officiating

by Mark Schultz - October 11, 2015October 11, 2015 3

Officials try to prepare for everythingFormer baseball umpire Jim Evans used to run an umpire's school. One of his biggest lessons to his students was "an umpire's biggest enemy is surprise." That mantra can be adopted for all officials in all sports.As tongues were wagging at the end of the

Penalty enforcement is an entire-crew effort

Mechanics

by Mark Schultz - August 1, 2014August 1, 2014 1

NFL looks for 'efficient, accurate penalty enforcement' I've joked about it before: when Terry McAulay is the referee of a game, when there is a penalty flag the cameras had better find him quickly, because chances are he could be finished with his penalty announcement before the camera gets him in

The eyes have it

by Mark Schultz - October 10, 2013July 20, 2017 0

Officials double check with each other on tight and routine calls NFL officials each have a specific area and specific player or players to watch during each play.Â But do you know that officials also watch each other during a play?Â The glance may be a few hundredths of a second,

Crews need to work together, get it right

by Mark Schultz - September 10, 2013November 15, 2018 2

Â Football is one of the most team-oriented games in the world.Â It is a joy to watch a team function on the field as a well-oiled machine as they work to win the game.Â The seven-person third team on the field must also function as a well-oiled machine to give

Quick calls: Week 1

Calls
Week 1

by Ben Austro - September 8, 2013September 11, 2013 9

Did you see a call in the kickoff weekend that needs our attention? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @footballzebras. We have the week 1 assignments and the crew lists available for your review. 7761