Privacy Policy NFL.com, 2022 Rules Changes and Points of Clarification, Summits showcase pipeline for minority coaches, GMs, Their Causes, Their Impact: Player-Led Initiatives a Multiplying Force for Good, Offensive backfield, right side of the formation, 15 yards deep and behind the normal Tight End position, Wears the white cap, known as the crew chief and leader of the officiating crew, Oversees everything related to the officials and maintains the pace of the game, Verbally and visually communicates all fouls, Counts the offensive players on the field, Determines first downs or if a measurement is necessary, Before the snap, watches for false starts by the QB and the Running Backs, Watches the Center, Right Guard, Right Tackle, monitors their actions and those of the defenders engaged with them, Watches the Right Guard, Right Tackle and monitors their actions and those of the defenders engaged with them, Turns attention solely to quarterback as the defense becomes a threat, Primarily responsible for all action around and to the QB/Passer, Rules on Roughing the Passer, Offensive Holding, Pass/Fumble and Intentional Grounding, Kickoff Lines up middle of the field between the hash mark on the receiving teams goal line, Prior to the kickoff counts the receiving team and initiates the kickoff, Punt Primary responsibility is the Punter, Field Goal/Point After Touchdown - Primary responsibility is the Kicker and Holder, On opposite sideline from line judge, looking directly down the LOS, Rules on sideline plays on nearest half of field, Watches for false starts, offside or encroachment at line, Watches blockers and defenders on nearest side of field for any penalties, Monitors sideline on plays run to nearest half of field, Determines when and if runner is out of bounds, Based on the formation they are responsible for specific receivers, If play goes into their vicinity, helps to rule on whether pass is complete or incomplete, Rules if receiver is in or out of bounds when catch is made, Rules on Offensive and Defensive Pass Interference, Defensive Holding and Illegal Contact of eligible receivers, Determines if pass is forwards or backwards on passes towards them, Makes sure passer is behind LOS when he throws ball, Kickoff Positioned on the receivers goal line on the sideline, Prior to the kickoff counts the receiving team, Punts - Observes LOS for offside and encroachment, Field Goal/Point After Touchdown Rules on false starts, offside or encroachment at line, Defensive backfield, 25 yards downfield from the LOS on the same side of the field as the down judge, Serves as the primary timekeeper if the game clock malfunctions, Watches receivers on their side of the field for illegal use of hands and blocking fouls, and for penalties on defensive back covering him, Watches sidelines to determine if runners are in or out of bounds, Signals referee when time expires at end of each quarter, Watches the blocks by receivers on their side of the field, looking for illegal blocks or holding by the receivers, If play goes to nearest side of field, helps determine if runner goes out of bounds, Focuses on the receivers to their side of the field to make sure the player is able to run his route without defensive interference, If play goes to the SJs area, helps to rule on whether a pass is complete or incomplete, Rules if receiver is in or out of bounds at time of catch, Kickoff Lines up on the receivers back restraining line and ensures the receiving team is lined up by rule, Punts Position 7-10 yards behind the receiver on the sideline, Field Goal/Point After Touchdown - Defensive backfield, lines up seven yards off the line of scrimmage over the snapper, watches for snap infractions and illegal blocks, Deep defensive backfield, 30 yards downfield. Like the back judge, the field judge makes sure the defensive team has no more than 11 players on the field. What does each referee do in football? Soccer is a popular sport all around the world. 2023 National Football League. How many substitutions can be made in a football game? High school football played under the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules typically use five officials for varsity and 3, 4, or 5 for non-varsity games. It must be in tiptop shape and inflated properly. official to watch scramblers, clock", "2009 FOOTBALL MANUAL For IOA Officials, Observers, Athletic Directors, and Coaches", "National League officials to work in crews of six (five)", "Why the ACC will use an eighth official called the 'center judge' in all conference games this season", "Inside Slant: Using Microsoft tablets for replay and more preseason experiments", "NFL taking another look at adding an 8th official in preseason test", "Big 12 adds eighth official just to keep up with up-tempo offenses", "XFL Q&A: Oliver Luck on lessons learned, Colin Kaepernick and sports betting", "CFL adds eighth official to monitor hits to helmet", "NFL experimenting with 8th on-field official", "Thomas will become first female referee in top tier of college football", "Thomas on field for Little Caesars Bowl", "Female ref Conti still chases NFL dream", "NFL makes Sarah Thomas first full-time female official", "Sarah Thomas, NFL's 1st Full-Time Female Ref, Gets 2015 Season Assignment", "Meet Sarah Thomas: The Only Female Official in NFL Playoff History", "Sarah Thomas Becomes 1st Woman to Officiate NFL Playoff Game", "UFL hires first female official in pro football", "United Football League Announces Officials And Explains Rules Differences For 2010 Season", "XFL breaks new ground by having a woman on every officiating crew", "Officiating crews for the 2020 XFL season", "Former officials are at odds with the NFL, too", "NFL's replacement officials would include first female ref", "Football referee Shannon Eastin a pioneer, but also a pawn", "XFL makes history again by opening doors to LGBTQ officials", "Officiating crews for the 2019 AAF season", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Official_(gridiron_football)&oldid=1136544818, Referee, umpire, head line judge, line judge, Referee, umpire, head line judge, line judge, back judge, Arena football, high school varsity, semi-pro, Referee, umpire, head line judge, line judge, field judge, Referee, umpire, head line-judge/down judge, Referee, umpire, head line-judge, line judge, back judge, field judge, side judge, center judge, This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 21:47. Stripes on officials' shirts in high school are one inch wide and in college are two inches wide. In addition to that, the NFL requires teams to open six new footballs in their locker room two hours prior to the game, and they must be specially marked. [46] Her first game as referee was Morgan State at Rutgers. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. This is the newest position of all the official types and their primary job is to keep everything calm and organized while the other officials watch the main bulk of the game. Football Officiating Academy | NFL Football Operations Next time you watch a match, keep an eye out for the four officials and watch them work their magic on the pitch! [8] Although all officials on the crew may be responsible for any decision involving the application or interpretation of the rules, the referee has the final decision. [16][17], The field judge (F or FJ) or back umpire (BU) works downfield behind the defensive secondary on the same sideline as the line judge. In college football, the side judge is responsible for either the game clock or the play clock, which are operated by an assistant that the side judge directs. [31], For the 2015 and 2019 NFL preseasons, for 8 and 2 games respectively, the NFL experimented with the umpire (U2),[25] positioned in the offensive backfield. The NFL has drafted new rules for roughing the passer. Similar to the field judge, just covering the opposite side of the field. The level of training and review in which NFL officials participate makes additional time redundant. Each official has his own title and assigned responsibilities: referee, umpire, head linesman, line judge, back judge, field judge and side judge. Once the score is over, a team has four consecutive downs to advance to the next down. Now, two members of the referee crew will inspect each football. Additionally, the jump from high school to college or the pros was . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for (JUNK)FIFA World Cup 2006 Germany Adidas Official Soccer Ball Teamgeist Football at the best online prices at eBay! List of National Football League officials, NFL Back Judge 199091 Referee 1992 to 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_National_Football_League_officials&oldid=1142536522, Dave Anderson (19842002) Head Linesman; Line Judge, Ron Baynes (19872000) Side Judge 1987; Line Judge 19882000, Grover Klemmer (19551981) Head Linesman 19551966, Back Judge 19671977, Side Judge 19781981, George A Sladky, Sr (19861991) Replay Official, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 23:52. The NCAA transitioned to the gender-neutral term head line-judge. CFL referees, unlike their counterparts in the NFL and American college football, identify the team committing the foul when announcing penalty enforcement, instead of using "offense" or defense".[10]. Its simply not possible to officiate every game in real time. How Do You Referee A Little League Soccer Game? Regardless, this change was a positive step toward increasing game quality. The down judge (DJ) in the NFL, CFL, and the 2022 version of the USFL; head line-judge (H or HL) in college and some states for high school football; or head linesman (H or HL) stands at one end of the line of scrimmage (usually the side opposite the press box, always with the chain crew), looking for possible offsides, encroachment and other fouls before the snap. For the NFL and CFL, this was the seventh official, added in 1978 and 1991 respectively.[21][20]. James Alder is an expert on the game of American football, blogs for The New York Times, and appears on radio shows. Usually, officials put the loop around their index finger when it is first down, the middle finger when it is second down, and so on. As the play develops, the head linesman is responsible for judging the action near that sideline, including whether a player is out of bounds. During passing plays, umpires move forward towards the line of scrimmage as the play develops to penalize any offensive linemen who move illegally downfield before the pass is thrown or penalize the quarterback for throwing the ball when beyond the original line of scrimmage. [6] For this reason, the NFL carried out experiments in the 2001 preseason with the umpire placed in the offensive backfield adjacent to the referee. The New England game balls were checked again at halftime, and were still at the legal pressure. A yellow flag may be thrown onto the field by an official to signal a penalty. [7] In the 2010 season, college officials and, in many states, high school officials, were given the option of wearing the black cold-weather pants. After the introduction of VAR, there are total 4-5 referees in VAR Room and the other 4 on the pitch. They help the Head Referee make any decisions by giving their input based on what theyve seen, but ultimately, the Head Referee has the final say. The NFL does not own the footballs; each team provides at least a dozen balls for every game. For the NFL, this was the fourth official, added in 1929. Two Game Officials will be designated by the Referee to inspect and record the PSI reading on each ball. The third official is a linesman, who has responsibility for certain important decisions involving offside and goalscoring opportunities. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show personalized ads. The back judge is the official who sets up 20 yards deep in the defensive backfield on the wide receiver side of the field. [26] In the 2014 season, any conference that wanted to use the eight-official system could do so on an experimental basis. They rule on pass interference, illegal blocks downfield, and incomplete passes, and are also responsible for counting defensive players.