Ask a Football Official anything

Do you think the replacement refs ARE actually worse than the regular refs? Or are the coaches and players going overboard in trying to intimidate and incriminate them?

Asked by Go LeSean!!! about 12 years ago

In the spirit of full disclosure, I know officials on both sides. I've worked with some at the high school and college level. I believe the replacements were put into a very difficult situation. They are officials - at some level - but are unfamiliar with the intricacies of NFL rules, the speed of the players at that level, and the nuances of what goes on at the line of scrimmage and downfield in the pro game. Like so many others have said, I think the replacements did the best job they could. I do feel that as the pre-season and then the regular season got underway, coaches and players saw what they could get away with (perhaps more than they could with the regulars) and pushed the envelope.

1194 Votes

Do NCAA and NFL refs typically hold other jobs, also?

Asked by A-Train about 12 years ago

Yes. As far as I understand, the only major sport in the US that has "full-time" officials is baseball. While the salaries the NFL officials make is significant, they are employed full time elsewhere. They are lawyers, educators, finance people, and a host of other professionals. College officials, even in the highest level conferences, don't come close to the income of the NFL officials so they definitely have regular jobs.

1192 Votes

All of the talking heads on TV were droning on about how much FASTER the NFL game is than other levels - how much truth is there to that? Is it really that much harder to officiate?

Asked by carryon about 12 years ago

The talking heads love to talk. But some of them have bodies below those heads that actually played the game. And they're right. Go to a local high school game and watch the players, not necessarily the game. Then go to a college game - doesn't have to be "big time" - and compare. Take that up one more level to the NFL and the difference is staggering. I still work high school games, and I do it primarily with other college officials. It is, comparatively, much easier than doing a college game. Why? The skill, size, and speed of the players. There aren't many calls to be made in the average high school game that a decent official can't make. It gets a bit more challenging at the college level, and I'm only talking about D2 or 3. I've also worked as a practice official for a nearby D1 program. Bigger than high school players? yes. Faster? yes. More skilled? yes. And there are more of them with talent. A top high school program might have maybe 1, 2, or 3 kids who could play D1 (and not necessarily in the SEC). A college team at D1 has, well, everyone who can play there. And the very top D1 programs might have 4 or 5 players who will be drafted into the NFL. NFL teams have....uh, you get the picture. With the increase in the size, speed, and skill of the players comes a commensurate need for an increase in the skills of the officials. Talking heads droning? Yeah, but this time they have a point.

1161 Votes

Do a coach's yells and pleas have any effect on a ref's decision-making? Or are you immune to it?

Asked by Georgia Dame about 12 years ago

Regardless of the level of play, officials are human. We actually do have feelings, and no one enjoys getting yelled at. That being said, if you are really doing your job properly, you have to turn off the outside distractions, including coaches, players, and fans. And you'd better develop a thick skin and leave your emotions in the locker room. You have to try to be objective and "call what you see". Officials don't care (or shouldn't care) who wins or loses. Now, as a young official who is human (see first part of answer) can you be influenced? Sure. Are there "make up" calls? There shouldn't be. But as an official, a big part of your job is communication with the coach. You need to establish a relationship, especially the officials who work the sidelines, with the coach. He wants answers to questions, he wants and needs information (ask Bill Belichick) to do his job. And that means giving him both good news ("Coach, it will be your ball if you decline the penalty") and bad news ("Coach, your right tackle was holding; that's gonna be 10 yards"). The good coaches, and most of them are decent, know you have a job to do; if you communicate with them and do your job to the best of your ability, the yelling and screaming just become background noise to the game.

1148 Votes

I read this a.m. that NFL refs will make, on avg, $173K/yr starting 2013. Am I missing something, or does that seem insanely high for like 20 days of actual work? Or is there a lot more work that goes on behind-the-scenes?

Asked by Big Rich about 12 years ago

It always comes down to money. What is anyone worth for their labor? Is A-Rod worth $240 million? Is any performer worth the money they get for a movie or a concert? What will the traffic bear? As you watched the first three weeks of the NFL season, I'm sure there were a few times when you thought that whatever the NFL paid the regular refs wasn't enough. The big questions here, and in any profession, is what is your expertise, your skill, your time worth? Your question notes 20 days of work. Well, it's a bit more than that. As an educator, I would get similar comments like 'you only work 10 months' and you only work from 9 to 3. Not exactly. Go to the answers on this site about teachers. The woman writing does a good job explaining the hours/days that teachers put in well beyond the "9 to 3". Same for officials. For starters, all of us started out doing Pop Warner, midget leagues, and JV games. And we got a lot less than $173K. The first high school JV game I ever did I earned $15. There are tests to take, clinics to attend, conditioning to do - and that's on "your time". NFL officials have to be at the game city the day before, where they do film study together. That's in addition to film and rule study during the week on their own. Yes, the behind-the-scenes work is pretty extensive, and it also reflects years of work leading up to the ultimate assignment. A quick comparison: I can work a Division II game and get $195 for the game. But I have to arrive there three hours before the game and I'm usually there an hour after, what with game reports, hearing from an observer, and cleaning up. So I've been on site for about 6 hours for $195. That's just over $32/hour. That doesn't include the weekly pre-season study groups I attended, the two-day rules/conditioning clinic I attended, and all the other preparation I put in before I even stepped onto a field. Is it a lot of money? Sure. But I feel they've earned the right to make that. And you have something to compare it to the last three weeks.

1133 Votes

Do you take players’ body language reactions into account? eg if 4 def. players IMMEDIATELY start waving their arms "incomplete", I say that's real evidence that you should take into acct. It's MUCH harder to fake immediate reactions than ppl think.

Asked by howard about 12 years ago

Defenders ALWAYS signal incomplete. Receivers ALWAYS signal catch. If they think they were held or interfered with, they ALWAYS wave their hands as if throwing the flag. They react very quickly, because they believe there was a foul. And there is the big difference between a player and an official. Officials don't BELIEVE there was a foul, they KNOW it. Four defenders waving their arms "incomplete" to me says four defenders blew their coverage.

1112 Votes

How can the NFL say unequivocally “Golden Tate should have been called for offensive pass interference, which should have ended the game”, and not reverse the game result? Has the NCAA ever reversed the actual result of a game after the fact?

Asked by 1time about 12 years ago

To the best of my knowledge, that has never happened. And I don't think it should. If you open that can of worms and set a precedent for changing results after the fact from what occurred on the field, there would be no end to the challenges. It would call into question every decision, every call, every outcome. The old saw goes, 'It's a game played by humans and judged by humans'. You have to live with certain things. And as a side note, the official who made the call apparently is publicly saying he was right. Heard that on the radio this morning.

1099 Votes

Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Do you think the replacement refs ARE actually worse than the regular refs? Or are the coaches and players going overboard in trying to intimidate and incriminate them?

Do NCAA and NFL refs typically hold other jobs, also?

All of the talking heads on TV were droning on about how much FASTER the NFL game is than other levels - how much truth is there to that? Is it really that much harder to officiate?

Do a coach's yells and pleas have any effect on a ref's decision-making? Or are you immune to it?

Also on Jobstr...

I read this a.m. that NFL refs will make, on avg, $173K/yr starting 2013. Am I missing something, or does that seem insanely high for like 20 days of actual work? Or is there a lot more work that goes on behind-the-scenes?

Do you take players’ body language reactions into account? eg if 4 def. players IMMEDIATELY start waving their arms "incomplete", I say that's real evidence that you should take into acct. It's MUCH harder to fake immediate reactions than ppl think.

How can the NFL say unequivocally “Golden Tate should have been called for offensive pass interference, which should have ended the game”, and not reverse the game result? Has the NCAA ever reversed the actual result of a game after the fact?

Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Do you think the replacement refs ARE actually worse than the regular refs? Or are the coaches and players going overboard in trying to intimidate and incriminate them?

Do NCAA and NFL refs typically hold other jobs, also?

All of the talking heads on TV were droning on about how much FASTER the NFL game is than other levels - how much truth is there to that? Is it really that much harder to officiate?

Do a coach's yells and pleas have any effect on a ref's decision-making? Or are you immune to it?

Also on Jobstr...

I read this a.m. that NFL refs will make, on avg, $173K/yr starting 2013. Am I missing something, or does that seem insanely high for like 20 days of actual work? Or is there a lot more work that goes on behind-the-scenes?

Do you take players’ body language reactions into account? eg if 4 def. players IMMEDIATELY start waving their arms "incomplete", I say that's real evidence that you should take into acct. It's MUCH harder to fake immediate reactions than ppl think.

How can the NFL say unequivocally “Golden Tate should have been called for offensive pass interference, which should have ended the game”, and not reverse the game result? Has the NCAA ever reversed the actual result of a game after the fact?

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