Full time Zebras?!?!

[Cntrygal]

Finally, the internal push for full-time officials is starting to gain some traction. https://t.co/AUCHRu8U2J

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 29, 2022

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the push for full-time officials is gaining some traction.

That doesn’t mean it will happen, or that it will be as clear and clean as all officials immediately devoting full professional efforts to officiating. The league may allow (for example) the officials who currently moonlight to continue to do so, with new officials being required to take full-time jobs with no other professional responsibilities.

Regardless of when it finally happens that all officials are full-time employees, it needs to happen. The officials should all live in the same city. They should meet in person every Tuesday and/or Wednesday to review and discuss calls collectively, with the goal of ensuring consistency.

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[Cntrygal]

Training for the post-QB fallback job?

Catch or no catch?! �� #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/h3MdGqmCNL

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 30, 2022

[YardRat]

Can't be much worse than the current part-timers, but I certainly don't expect it to be better.

[OpIv37]

Can't be much worse than the current part-timers, but I certainly don't expect it to be better.

I don’t know if it will help but they have to try something to fix the current **** show, so I’m on board.

[Novacane]

One crew calls everything, Another calls nothing. One crew will call block in the back on every punt. The next one ignores them. They all have their own definition of PI. What good will making them full time do?

[sukie]

Full time pay… with full,time benefits and then what for the other 31 or so weeks? Layoffs?

[Novacane]

Full time pay… with full,time benefits and then what for the other 31 or so weeks? Layoffs?

Exactly. What are they going to do during that time to make them not suck? To me this seems like doing something for the sake of doing something. They obviously see there's a problem. How about they start by firing officials who consistently **** up.

[Night Train]

Would like to read what the entire plan entails. $$ isn't an issue. Billions in the NFL.

All must attend the same training, obviously. What gets reviewed from above and dozens of other questions.

Must be younger, athletic and pass vision tests. Background checks. Don't take 3-4 minutes to make simple calls.

[YardRat]

Hockey officials are full time employees of the NHL and their performances aren't much better. There were a couple of horrible penalty calls against the Sabres on Thursday that made me wonder if they were trying to keep the Wings in the game.

[Novacane]

Hockey officials are full time employees of the NHL and their performances aren't much better. There were a couple of horrible penalty calls against the Sabres on Thursday that made me wonder if they were trying to keep the Wings in the game.

Was one of them the interference on Power that the crowd was booing loudly about? I was yelling to but Rob Ray said it was a good call.

[YardRat]

Was one of them the interference on Power that the crowd was booing loudly about? I was yelling to but Rob Ray said it was a good call.

I was thinking more about Peterka and Dahlin later in the game. Especially the Peterka "embellishment" penalty, he was getting mugged.

[Novacane]

I was thinking more about Peterka and Dahlin later in the game. Especially the Peterka "embellishment" penalty, he was getting mugged.

That call was BS.

[Cntrygal]

Full time pay… with full,time benefits and then what for the other 31 or so weeks? Layoffs?

Exactly. What are they going to do during that time to make them not suck? To me this seems like doing something for the sake of doing something. They obviously see there's a problem. How about they start by firing officials who consistently **** up.

According to the article....

"The officials should all live in the same city. They should meet in person every Tuesday and/or Wednesday to review and discuss calls collectively, with the goal of ensuring consistency.

Their full work duties should be devoted to knowing the rulebook and how to properly and consistently apply it. When not studying the rulebook, they should be determining how to properly use the rules via simulations. When not doing that, they should be working out. When not doing that, they should be officiating offseason workouts and training-camp practices.

Obviously, this is opinion with "secret source" blah blah blah ... I don't see how the NFL could say - all of you have to live in a particular city. But, I could see something along the lines of OTA's, Training Camp and mandating certain other requirements (fitness/tests on the rulebook/film etc).

[Novacane]

If they're only meeting once a week the live in the same city idea is crazy.

[Novacane]

And if they did try that they'd probably lose some of the good ones. Not every NFL official is bad.

[YardRat]

The union would never allow language requiring them to live in the same city. Maybe under a short-term training camp-type premise, but that's about it.

[Mace]

It can't hurt.

Still think they need a sky judge kind of official in the stadium, and the league office needs to do better when involved. Those related officials should be more devoted to the integrity of the game instead of trying to protect their guys on the field from criticism like the league tends to do.

There have been way too many stupid calls where the officials were coddled or the league bent over backwards to tacitly support them. The officials need to be policed by their bosses, not babied.

[Novacane]

Make NFL refs face the media after every game like they do the coaches and players.

[Woodman]

Make NFL refs face the media after every game like they do the coaches and players.

Absolutely!

I'd like some extensive background checks done on more than a few of them.

[sukie]

That dolphin fumble ruled a forward progress no fumble would have been great in a post game press conference. That was horrific and the pats got screwed 2 weeks in a row on forward progress issues.

perhaps the refs would have gotten it right both times had they had a 401k and dental