Football Official

Football Official

Zebra

Somewhere in, NJ

Male, 62

I've officiated football for over 30 years, now in my 26th on the college level. I've worked NCAA playoffs at the Division II and III level. In addition, I've coached at the scholastic level and have been an educator for over 35 years. I have no interest whatsoever in being an NFL official! Ever!

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

514 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on January 23, 2021

Best Rated

In NFL overtime, if the first team to possess the ball scores a touchdown after a 10 minute drive that expires the overtime period, what happens next?

Asked by Dallas1960 over 7 years ago

Everyone goes home. Unlike in college or high school OT, in the NFL both teams don't have to have a possession if the first score is a touchdown.

4th and 10 from the K20. After the punt, Punter K1 is roughed by R1. R2 makes a fair catch at the R40 where he his hit late by K2. What do we have?

Asked by D from KC about 8 years ago

 You You have a live ball foul, roughing the kicker, and a dead ball foul come the late hit. And we're going to enforce both. A is going to keep the ball because B got the ball with "dirty hands".  So we enforce the 15 yd penalty for roughing first. which gives A the first down. But then we enforce the late hit against A and bring it back 15 yd. So therefore we have A 1/10 @ A20. We're enforcing both fouls.

My understanding is that by college football rules.. a player in possession and control of the ball, whose knee touches the ground is down at that spot and the play is dead. Is this true in absolutely every circumstance ?

Asked by mercury almost 8 years ago

I can't think of a time it's not, so yes. But by asking the question, you obviously heard of, or saw, something that didn't go that way.

On Sunday the refs ruled the pass incomplete in the Bears/Eagles playoff game because there was "no clear recovery". If the refs had called it a catch & fumble - with no clear recovery - would the Bears have kept the ball at the 4 yard line?

Asked by Kaptain Kill over 7 years ago

Yeah, that was interesting. Even former NFL ref and now-rules expert Terry McCauley was thrown a bit and had to dig into the rule book and case book.

The NFL sometimes has very different rules from college and high school. I'm more familiar with the latter and if there's a loose ball - and no one recovers it - it belongs to the team last in possession. So in the case you describe, it would belong to the team that was on offense and made the catch.

And all those guys on defense who didn't jump on a loose ball would be fired!

Why hasn't any quarter back worn tented visors so the MLB won't read his eyes?

Asked by Ken S almost 8 years ago

At least in college, it is illegal. For safety reasons. A trainer needs to be able to see a player's eyes if they are hurt. If a helmet can't be removed (e.g. possible neck injury) the eyes will help determine consciousness.

What happens in OT in the NFL if the first team possesses the ball for the full 10 minutes and kicks a FG as time expires? The Rulebook insists both teams “must possess the ball” (at least once) but it never covers the scenario I described.

Asked by Jeff in Tampa almost 8 years ago

Goid question, and you're correct up to where you may gave stopped reading. Rule 16 (OT) Sction 1, Article 4 (covering preseason and regular season) states: There shall be a maximum of one 10-minute period, even if the second team has not had an opportunity to possess the ball or if its initial possession has not ended. If the score is tied at the end of the period, the game shall end in a tie.

That sounds like it's over, but they seem to be saying the first team didn't score. But I'd go with, game over.

Can a defensive player on the sidelines call a timeout during a game while his offense is on the playing field

Asked by Mark kettner over 8 years ago

No. Only a player - someone in the game/on the field - or a substitute - someone coming on to the field to replace a player - can call tmieout.