There are moments in every sports fan’s life that just stick out for a variety of reasons. Whether it is something terrible like “The Fumble” or when LeBron James brought a championship back to the City of Cleveland (we have a lot of “moments” in our sports lives), moments are one of the things that make sports great.
One for me is pictured here:
If you don’t remember this moment, Cleveland Browns RB Duke Johnson fumbled against the then-Washington Redskins. Johnson then came out of the pile as he had recovered his own fumble. Unfortunately, the referee didn’t see it that way and awarded the ball to Washington despite Johnson having it in his hand coming out of the pile.
Being an official in professional sports is difficult. At times, it feels impossible especially now that almost everyone has the highest definition televisions, cameras are all over the place and replay slows things down to frame by frame.
NFL fans have long bemoaned the officiating in the league. Many, including Browns fans, often feel like the refs (and the league) have something against their franchise teams. (The above Johnson fumble certainly doesn’t help.)
A report by The Athletic (subscriber, $) is not encouraging for those who hope the officiating will be getting better:
“The officiating department is totally underfunded and understaffed,” said Scott Green, a former NFL official with 22 years experience, including nine as a referee, and the current executive director of the NFL Referee Association (NFLRA), the officials’ union.
Going into 2024, referees will have to implement rules around the hip-drop tackle and the new kickoff scenarios, which look a bit chaotic from an early glimpse. The nuance around the hip-drop tackle is difficult enough for experienced officials but this season’s group is far from that according to The Athletic piece:
This season, an abnormally high number of inexperienced officials will take the field: 27 will have three years or less, and a third of the 120 officials have five years or less. Twelve officials retired after 2022 (every departure is characterized as a retirement), and 10 officials retired after the 2021 season, just the second time that 10 or more officials left in back-to-back years.
Most officials agree that it takes about five years to become proficient at the NFL level.
The linked piece goes into great detail, including direct quotes from multiple current and former officials. The overall tenor says that fans should focus their ire on the NFL but, in the midst of the game, will probably aim it at the officials on the field.
Do you think there is anything the NFL can do to drastically improve officiating or is the game too big and fast for there to be a league full of great refs?
Do you have a moment with officials, like the Duke Johnson one, that stands out to you?
Share any and all of your thoughts in our comment section below