4 more officials leave the NFL with 10 total vacancies to fill

Football Zebras has confirmed through multiple secondary sources that in addition to referee Jerome Boger, three more officials have retired, bringing the off-season retirement list to 10 -- and there will be more, according to a source. In a surprising move, some officials are definitely early in their NFL careers and

Veteran referee Jerome Boger retires

Football Zebras has learned though multiple secondary sources that referee Jerome Boger has retired. The total number of on-field officials retiring after the 2022 season now stands at seven, with more retirements in the offing. NFL Officiating tweeted the information as we prepared for publication. The NFL never tells the public

Officially, beards are in this season

  Have you noticed something different with NFL officials this year? This year, NFL officials have been sporting facial hair and down judge Sarah Thomas is wearing her hair in a ponytail, out the back of an adjustable official's hat. (Up until this season, she wore her hair pinned up under

Jerome Boger leads Hall of Fame game crew

The 98th season in league history begins Thursday from the place where the seed was first planted -- Canton, Ohio. Football Zebras has confirmed that Jerome Boger will be the referee in the exhibition game between the Cardinals and Cowboys. He will be working with his regular crew, with the exception of back

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

‘Official Review’ Week 3: a hideout and TD wipeout

The semiregular "Official Review" segment appeared for (I believe) the first time this season on NFL Total Access. Vice president of officiating Dean Blandino addressed two calls (video): The hideout play executed by Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (which we covered Sunday) was reviewed. Blandino added this illegal maneuver is legal maneuver

NFL grooming players on officiating ‘fast track’

The NFL could soon see more former players become officials. The league is sending 14 former players and one active player to a pair of officiating clinics over the next three days. The first clinic is tomorrow, March 13. It is the league's Fast Track Clinic, run by the Football Officiating

Boger, Carey, Parry out of playoffs

In an attempt to narrow down potential assignments, Football Zebras has learned from multiple sources that last year's Super Bowl referee, Jerome Boger, did not receive a playoff assignment this season. Also not receiving an assignment are Mike Carey and John Parry. Missing the playoffs the year following a Super Bowl