Fixing the NFL Referee Problem

The NFL has a referee problem. In the first four weeks of the season, critical errors have been a huge part of the nationally televised games. In week 1, it was the false start drama. Last night, two calls were the center of attention. The holding call that wasn’t called on a 3rd and 22 and the Sauce Gardner holding call that many thought was suspect. It is getting to the point where people don’t necessarily care about the bad calls but want to know what the consequences are for those mistakes.

The NFL Referee Problem In A Nutshell

Here is the issue not just in the NFL but in sports at large. We have so many camera angles and high-definition looks that every call can be looked at under a microscope. In baseball, networks put a strike zone on the screen so we immediately know whether the pitch was a ball or a strike. Social media means that every call spreads like wildfire. Let me be clear. The issue is not that officials make mistakes. We’re human. Humans are going to make mistakes. The problem is that there is no mechanism in place to help correct those mistakes. That is what the NFL needs to solve the referee problem.

An Eye In The Sky

The NFL should add another official who watches the game not on the field. This person has access to every camera angle under the sun. What this corrects is the egregious calls that go unnoticed. For example, a running back gets a ball and runs to the outside. The defender gets ahold of his face mask but the referees miss it. It is clear as day on every replay that the face mask was grabbed. This official could radio down to the team to throw a flag. This would take all of 20 seconds. We have replay instantly and the call could be made easily before the next play happened.

We saw a small example of this on Thursday night. The Lions kicked a field goal to go up 13 on the Packers and a commercial break commenced. After the break, we immediately cut to an official who was informing us that Quay Walker was being called for unsportsmanlike conduct. This was absolutely the right call based on the rule. However, the referees on the field did not catch it initially. Some other person informed them of the penalty and they corrected their mistake. Why can’t this be done for every play? It wouldn’t solve all calls but would definitely eliminate some of them.

More Quick Discussions

I never like it on a controversial call when the referees don’t huddle and discuss. What is the harm in asking other officials what they saw? If you find out no one got a better angle then fine. However, you might find that someone saw it differently and it informs your call. There is a team of referees for a reason. This goes hand in hand with my previous idea. If the referees slowed down it would give the other official time to look at the play and give feedback. In no way am I saying that officials should take five minutes to make a decision on a call but even just ten more seconds could prove beneficial to the outcome of the game.

Make Them Full-Time

This is the most obvious solution and one that should happen immediately. One huge reason for the NFL referee problem is that we are dealing with part-time employees. Many referees have to spend the offseason, or even the season, doing other jobs in order to have access to benefits. Part-time means you are getting part-time attention. The offseason isn’t spent honing your craft. It is spent doing another job. If the NFL made referees full-time, the offseason could be spent going over key calls, tricky rules, or any other issues we have seen in the past. A full-time employee would be more invested in their craft and probably do it better. The NFL has enough money. Make officials full-time.

No Replay Please

I don’t want to see replay as an option. While I don’t mind making the game ten seconds longer, replays slow the game down drastically. The NBA adopted replays in the final two minutes and it makes the final two minutes of a game inch along. Every kind of close play is reviewed and the reviews take at least five minutes each. At times, it makes the end of the game unwatchable. The NFL tried to have pass interference be reviewable and it wasn’t effective. They got rid of it the year after. I don’t want every holding, pass interference, illegal contact, etc. to be put under a microscope. This would hurt the product more than bad calls.

Something Has To Be Done

After combing through social media, the frustration of most people is that there doesn’t seem to be any consequences to the actions of the referees. The NFL referee problem is going to continue if nothing changes and big games keep being marred in controversy from the officials. Look at last night. The discussion isn’t about the play of Zach Wilson, the Jets’ defense, or Patrick Mahomes. It is solely about the referees. This isn’t what the NFL or its fans want. We want to talk about the play on the field. The NFL needs to make some changes so that is the focus and not the referees.