NFL to add an 8th official

Trial for preseason games. The 8th guy will be placed in the backfield and his focus will be on " holding", interior line play.

NFLN just did a piece on it. Looking for a link to add.

Edit: http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/story?storyId= ... rc=desktop

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... ason-games

I'd prefer centralized replay, but I guess another set of eyes is... better?

More holding calls for us?

Yay for more penalties that completely kill drives and are often dubious at best.

If they plan on calling more holding, they need to make it a 5 yard penalty (which I think they should do anyway)

I really don't like the idea of another zebra on the field. I would like to see somebody, maybe up "in the box" with the authority to override an obvious "bad call". Even with replay, we are still seeing bad calls slip through, some of these effect the outcome of a game. In this day and age, with the technology we have, no way should a bad call, change the way a game ends.

It'll give them a better chance of banning the word that shall not be named. (I assume that's what this is about, right?)

Yeah, centralized replay or full time officials are both >>>>>>>>>> this.

Popeyejones":1vr2pvqy said:

Yeah, centralized replay or full time officials are both >>>>>>>>>> this.

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I'm very much in favor of the NFL making the officials "full time" employees.

pmedic920":1lvarays said:

Popeyejones":1lvarays said:

Yeah, centralized replay or full time officials are both >>>>>>>>>> this.

Click to expand...

I'm very much in favor of the NFL making the officials "full time" employees.

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The problem with that is a lot of today's officials already have full time jobs that they make very good money at. The NFL would need to significantly increase their pay to make them full time or they won't do it and will leave the officiating ranks. That means the NFL would be fielding officiating crews full of rookies who will have to learn everything on the fly, just like the replacement refs from a couple of years ago.

...or they would have to significantly increase their pay.

The NFL is a non-profit with over 9 billion dollars in annual revenue. It's not like the money isn't there.

Popeyejones":3bnv8tb4 said:

...or they would have to significantly increase their pay.

The NFL is a non-profit with over 9 billion dollars in annual revenue. It's not like the money isn't there.

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I agree the money is there, but how much is it going to take to convince the majority of officials to leave their current full time jobs?

SeatownJay":29j6qpel said:

Popeyejones":29j6qpel said:

...or they would have to significantly increase their pay.

The NFL is a non-profit with over 9 billion dollars in annual revenue. It's not like the money isn't there.

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I agree the money is there, but how much is it going to take to convince the majority of officials to leave their current full time jobs?

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I don't think you have to get the current refs to leave their jobs.
Like already stated they for the most part already are successful in other areas.
If the NFL made the officials " full time" employees, they would have "x" number of slots. Those spots would be filled by qualified applicants. Those applicants would go through a process of becoming on field ready.
I think it's obvious that some of current refs would leave but some would stay.
IMHO retention of the current refs is not an issue.

So, with all the available technology, they add another human.....Great.

AbsolutNET":3hrhlhgm said:

Yay for more penalties that completely kill drives and are often dubious at best.

If they plan on calling more holding, they need to make it a 5 yard penalty (which I think they should do anyway)

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Exactly. This should have been done years ago.

Another dumb idea in a long line of dumb ideas by the NFL. They need to call less penaltys IMHO, not more.