Game Officials
Game officials are responsible for many important tasks during a football game. They oversee the play of the team, make decisions regarding the scoring, and help prevent a team from scoring a touchdown. A referee’s primary job is to oversee the game’s play. In addition to the other duties, a official’s role is to determine whether a play should be called foul or not. They also oversee a kicker’s field goal and determine whether or not contact has occurred behind the kicker.
Crew Chief
As Crew Chief of game officials, you must be a leader who embodies a team spirit. This means taking care of the other officials, facilitating communication, and being a problem-solver. A good crew chief should be a role model and be willing to share his or her own ideas.
The crew chief is responsible for making the final call on the . Similar to coaches and coordinators, he or she will answer to the other referees but will still be the final authority in the game.
Referee
Referees are the officials who ensure that the rules of the are adhered to. They also take the necessary disciplinary action if necessary. Key examples of disciplinary actions are flagging foul play, awarding penalties, and issuing yellow and red cards. These officials must be clear and firm in their decisions to ensure the safety and fair play of the game.
The role of a referee varies from sport to sport. In American football, the referee is in charge of general supervision of the game and has final authority on all rulings. Depending on the number of players in a , there can be as many as seven officials. They may also be called “head referees.”
Umpire
Game officials are an integral part of a game. Their job requires a lot of commitment and dedication. They are in charge of the game’s rules and must be able to handle the emotional roller coaster that can accompany day. Umpires have to be up to the challenges that come their way, both on the field and in the office.
Umpires are generally paid on a per-basis, and their pay increases with the level of competition. They work irregular hours and many of them are part-time. The job outlook is good; employment of officials is expected to increase by 6 percent by 2028, as the number of people participating in organized sports will increase.
Replay Center
The NBA Replay Center for officials allows officials to review plays after the game. The facility has a capacity of 20 people and can process two reviews at a time. The first two centers opened in 2008 and 2009 and were used in eight games. Officials prefer to be at the rather than at a terminal.
A Replay Official reviews the play from all available angles and determines whether the call should stand or be overturned. Then, he contacts the referee using a pager. The clock is stopped while the Replay Official is reviewing the play. The clock will resume once the review is complete.
Line judge
The line judge is the person whose job it is to call fouls on both sides of the line of scrimmage and to mark the forward progress of the ball. They are also responsible for judging illegal forward throws and encroachment, as well as determining whether a kick is made from behind the line of scrimmage. They also serve as the official timekeeper in high school four-man crews and minor league games. In the NFL, they use the stadium scoreboard clock.
The BWF’s website has detailed information about the process of becoming a line judge. The organization has a pool of more than 100 international line judges who are required to meet minimum qualifications and must be nominated by a continental federation.
