NFL fans who continue to hold out hope for a system of full-time referees better not get their hopes up of anything changing any time soon.
It’s well-known by now that all NFL officiating is a part-time gig. In other major sports leagues like the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, refereeing/umping is a full-time position.
The NFL’s 2023 head referees have all been announced, courtesy of Football Zebras. And in the tweet below from @_MLFootball, you can see what each of the league’s employed officials do for a full-time career.
As you can see, those are some prominent and very well-paid jobs that these officials would have a tough time walking away from, if the NFL were to try and negotiate full-time contracts with them.
With these officials working their own full-time jobs, it’s not like they would have enough time to undergo further training as a way to improve their overall performances, either. It’s not an ideal situation for the NFL to be in, but they chose this path a long time ago.
There have been many suggestions thrown around in order to improve officiating, including the usage of a sky judge system as well as the freedom for coaches to challenge any play — including judgement calls on penalties.
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The 2023 NFL season will open at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 7, with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Detroit Lions.
