Last year, the Chiefs weren’t just favored by their fans; many in the football world felt the referees favored them, too. The fans cried foul play even in the AFC Championship Game against the Bills. It isn’t just about the Chiefs. It’s a bigger picture about the decreasing standards of on-field decisions. Finally, the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken the matter into his hands. As the supreme leader of this framework, he must ensure that these referees have the utmost precision in their decisions. Therefore, he’s using some help from other football leagues.

Vice president of NFL Officiating Ramon George revealed they are sending 4 referees to the United Football League (UFL). These 4 men are Scott Walker (Insurance Agent), Brian Sakowski (Quality Engineer), Brian Perry (Mutual Funds), and Jeff Shears (Professor). While the 2024 season was a first year for Walker and Perry, it was the 2nd for Sakowski and 3rd for Shears.

The NFL has a rule that referees in their first year couldn’t officiate in the playoffs. This was the main reason Walker and Perry weren’t making decisions in the postseason. But the other two didn’t make the cut to be there. So, George chose them to make sure they return as better referees. This isn’t new for Roger Goodell and his officers.

The NFL has a history of sending referees to other leagues. Earlier, it used to be the NFL Europe League, but that closed way back in 2007. Then, the NFL tried seeking help across the border from the Canadian Football League. There was a program to send four officials to get some extra experience, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the program, and it never started again.

Overall, for the fans, this is a good sign that the league is taking the key areas seriously. We have seen how close decisions can make a team winner lose the key moments. However, the NFL is not concerned about the on-field referees only. It’s also trying to simplify what happens behind the scenes.

Roger Goodell & Co. make a serious mistake

The league has made one significant error in its latest bid to lay down the rules for the coming season. Before we tell you what that is, just imagine this situation. You are watching your favorite team, and the referee gives a foul that wasn’t a foul. Now, the replay assist team steps in and removes the foul. You would be delighted, right?

Now there is a foul, and the referee misses it. Well, you would be angry, but who would you want to step in and correct this mistake? The replay assist team, right? Here is where things become messy. The Competition Committee has proposed the rule where if a referee gives a wrong foul, the replay assist team can pick up the flag. However, if he doesn’t give a right foul, the officials can’t then drop the flag. Now, the analysts want an explanation from Roger Goodell and his team.

According to Rich McKay, the competition committee chairman, almost everyone agrees on the fact that the game can be officiated from the replay booth. But he also claimed that such an enormous change will require a complete reworking of the rules. This is where things get interesting. Troy Vincent, Executive VP of football operations, even denied using replace assist to throw a flag.

Well, the rule can be passed if the owners agree to it. Till then stay connected as we bring up more rule changes about the latest season.