NFL Prepared to Hire Replacement Refs

[dmek25]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Why do they need to be full time? Can you practice what they do? I guess they could target pratice throwing the flag so not to hit someone in the eye, I just don't see how going full time would change anything.

so if i came to you and said i think your job is only needed 6 months a year, but in those 6 months you better not make any mistakes, how would you feel/do?

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by dmek25

so if i came to you and said i think your job is only needed 6 months a year, but in those 6 months you better not make any mistakes, how would you feel/do?

I'd say hell yea and take a 6 month vacation. No one tells them to not make mistake. Its a given that mistakes will happen with full or partime refs. What other sports have full time refs that don't still make mistakes? I don't think the Refs are the problem the stupid rules like you cannot hit the QB's head even if its a little tap is the problem with the game.

[HailGreen28]

Originally Posted by firstdown

I'd say hell yea and take a 6 month vacation. No one tells them to not make mistake. Its a given that mistakes will happen with full or partime refs. What other sports have full time refs that don't still make mistakes? I don't think the Refs are the problem the stupid rules like you cannot hit the QB's head even if its a little tap is the problem with the game.

Agreed about the refs not being the problem. Goodell and the league have to go overboard on the helmet hits, or the league could get overwhelmed by legitimate lawsuits. I do think the officiating can be improved, though. And ought to be fairer to the officials.

I'd love to see the league support a cadre of professional officials. From the head referee to the replay officials. With no more vacation than the players get, with an offseason of tape and review. We couldn't eliminate mistakes from the officials, any more than the players. But we can at least make the officiating more consistent with more offseason training.

And pay the officials accordingly. $25K-$70K to referee a season involving multi-millionaire players in a sport worth billions, is ridiculous, IMO. Pay officials six figures at least.