The referee situation was a hot topic all year. With the NFL more popular than ever and social media offering instant replay for every snap, any blown call became a headline — and a trending topic. In response, the league is tightening things up.
Three officials have been let go, and with other major changes on the way, it looks like a new era for NFL officiating is about to begin. For starters, down and distance measurements will now be digitally processed, reducing reliance on human judgment. Still, one official claims not all the criticism last season was deserved.
Referee Ship Is Tightening Claims NFL Official
In an unprecedented move led by the NFL’s vice president of officiating, Ramon George, three officials were sent back to the collegiate level after last season. They included second-year umpire James Carter, first-year down judge Robert Richeson, and third-year line judge Robin DeLorenzo.
The move is a continuation of George’s continued insistence to make sure data was the ultimate performance guideline. One NFL official, under the cover of anonymity, spoke to Football Zebras about the current officiating landscape.
“The culture is changing, it’s changing rapidly. It’s changing into a competitive environment where everybody’s equal. There are no favorites. There’s no favoritism. There’s none of that; it’s all about performance.”
The three relocated officials will have a chance to earn their merits, join the developmental program again, and make their way back to the league. However, that road feels more unlikely than a realistic possibility.
Until now, any official fired by the NFL had the option to return to the college game voluntarily. This time, the league made that choice for them—setting a new precedent for how officiating careers might play out moving forward.
Even though the human element in refereeing has always been a part of the sport, last season seemed to bring every wrong call under a greater microscope than ever before. With that level of scrutiny from the fanbase, it is clear that George wants to run a better shop.
The rule changes, combined with the aggressive performance-based mindset when it comes to officials, might change the perception and the efficacy of the officiating regime. But for the time being, the collective sentiment in the entire fanbase is one of overwhelming joy.
We will see how else the NFL chooses to approach this new-minded look for accountability, but it seems to only be for the betterment of the game and the on-field product.
