NFL referee average salaryNFL referees now make an annual salary of $205,000, an increase of around $56,000 from their previous amount. In comparison, the average referee outside of the NFL makes around $16.26 per hour.
College football and the NFL use seven different officials to monitor the game. In high school football there are generally five officials, while youth leagues and middle school will typically use three officials at a game.
One possible solution is to put RF transmitters in knee pads and/or the tips of the football. The RF transmitters could give exact digital coordinates and press box referees could use lasers to tell on field referees exactly where to spot the ball.
Usually, if a referee is unable to continue the match the responsibility then carries over to the fourth official or the senior assistant referee to complete the match.
In the NFL, if a referee (White hat) goes down, there is an alternate on the sidelines who will quickly fill in. If it's another official, ie., Back Judge, Line Judge or whatever, the other officials simply adjust to adequately cover the injured officials responsibility.
The referee, assistant referees, fourth official, additional assistant referees and reserve assistant referee are the 'on-field' match officials.
The down judge is one member of an NFL officiating crew, which consists of 7 on-field officials in specific positions with differing duties. The down judge is positioned on the sideline at the line of scrimmage, with an unobstructed view of the neutral zone.
Refs are required to arrive at least 24 hours before a game. They fly first-class and the league covers all their travel expenses.
The NFL has been around for 95 years, and all those years only one full-time female official has been hired-Sarah Thomas. The NFL publically announced on April 8, 2015 that Thomas will be an official referee for this season.
More often than not, it means that a player has gone out of bounds and is now an ineligible receiver unless they re-establish themselves by taking three steps within the field of play. When that happens, referees throw their hats to mark the spot where the player left the field of play.
They are attorneys -- including referees Ed Hochuli, Ronald Torbert and Clete Blakeman -- as well as insurance agents, high school principals and financial advisers.
There are no specific educational requirements to become an NFL referee, though it is expected, that they would have passed high school and would have a bachelor's degree. NFL referees need to have at least 10 years of officiating experience in football games.
Call the NFL's customer service number for general questions. Their phone number is 800-635-5300.
Football officials are commonly, but incorrectly, referred to collectively as referees, but each position has specific duties and a specific name: Common positions include referee (which is the lead member of the officiating team), umpire, head linesman (or down judge), line judge, field judge (or back umpire), side
In 2019, the list of NFL referees included: Brad Allen, Walt Anderson, Clete Blakeman, Jerome Boger, Carl Cheffers, Tony Corrente, Adrian Hill, Shawn Hochuli, John Hussey, Alex Kemp, Clay Martin, Scott Novak, Brad Rogers, Shawn Smith, Ronald Torbert, Bill Vinovich, and Craig Wrolstad.
A major reason the owners opted out of the CBA early was that they wanted a larger percentage of league revenue. Part of the previous CBA involved a transfer of revenues from the higher earning teams to the lowest, even though some of the higher earners also had higher costs.
Can age be a detriment to referees? Average age for a referee is 51. With refs needing a minimum of 10 years of experience before being considered for a position in an NFL, they are not going to be too young when they finally make it to the league. That is why most referees in the NFL are so old.
Sarah Thomas (American football official)
NFL referee Ed Hochuli has retired, the league announced Tuesday, ending a colorful career that made him one of the most recognized game officials in American sports. Known for his long-winded explanations and exposed biceps, Hochuli, 67, will serve as an independent consultant to the league.
Today, 40 of the NFL's 121 officials are Black. Of those, four are crew chiefs or referees.
How much do NFL Waterboys make? According to Stack.com, on average, salaried NFL waterboys normally make $53,000 a year.
Future Super Bowl locations
| Year | Super Bowl site |
|---|
| 2020 | South Florida, Hard Rock Stadium, Super Bowl 54 |
| 2021 | Tampa, Raymond James Stadium, Super Bowl 55 |
| 2022 | Los Angeles, Los Angeles Stadium, Super Bowl 56 |
| 2023 | Glendale, State Farm Stadium, Super Bowl 57 |
