Being a referee in the National Football League comes with significant pressure and scrutiny. In a 60-minute game, often extending beyond that, they must make game-altering calls in a high-stakes environment, leaving no room for error. Yet, they are paid relatively little, receive minimal respect from fans and players alike, and become targets of criticism for even the smallest mistakes.
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That said, with the 2024 season inching closer, it’s only fitting to highlight the unsung heroes who regulate the game we love. Fortunately, the NFL has just released the list of officials taking on this thankless job this season.
A football game is a complex sport with many factors to consider, so it requires significant manpower to ensure everything runs smoothly on the field. That’s why there are referees, umpires, down judges, line judges, field judges, side judges, back judges, and replay officials. Some of the big names from last season and several seasons before will once again be wearing the stripes this season.
According to the league’s website, those names include Brad Allen, Tra Blake, Carl Cheffers, Tra Blake, Land Clark, Alan Eck, Adrian Hill, Shawn Hochuli, Clay Martin, Brad Rogers, Scott Novak, Bill Vinovich, Alex Kemp, and John Hussey, among others. Over 140 officials are chosen for this season alone.
While fans only see them on game day, officiating is a year-round job. It takes months of preparation before they are allowed to officiate a game. They attend OTAs, minicamps, and training camps to prepare for the season. Like players who evaluate their performances through film, the refs are also given the footage or TV broadcast of the game they’ve officiated to review and improve themselves.
Last season, the NFL averaged 153 plays per game and the NFL officials delivered 98.9% correct calls. However, it’s those 1.1% calls that are often scrutinized heavily by the fans and players.
Even though the NFL will not use an electronic system for measuring down this year, there are plenty of other technologies that will be used in the upcoming season to aid the officials.
To improve communication, the league is providing referees with headsets hooked up to a communication system so they can talk to each other on the field. The league will also use Hawk-eye’s state-of-the-art line-to-gain optical tracking technology to review and make critical rulings on plays.
