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Official (gridiron football) Field judge Brad Freeman (88) and line judge Jeff Seeman (45) at an NFL game in October 2014. In gridiron football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. During professional and most college football games, seven officials operate on the field.
when the side judge is added at the urging of Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, who thought that defensive backs were getting away with interference. The side judge, positioned 20 yards from the line of scrimmage, watches as receivers run down the field. The addition meant that an official was assigned to each of the five eligible receivers.
Aug 21, 2024 · A line judge in football is the official entrusted with the task of ruling on matters occurring along the line of scrimmage and downfield. They monitor the widest receiver on their side of the field and observe any activity between surrounding players. From tracking line of scrimmage decisions to noting offsides, line judges are the vigilant ...
- Crews of 3 and 4: Trying to Keep The Play Boxed in
- Crew of 5: A True ‘Back’ Judge
- Crew of 6: Reacting to A More Open Game
- Crew of 7: Lynn Swann Clothesline Ushers in The Side Judge
- Crew of 8: Work in Progress
In the league’s infancy, the teams hired three officials to work a game: the referee, umpire and head linesman. The college game was already using four officials when the NFL came on the scene, but it would be a few years before the new kid on the block would require that. Officials weren’t assigned to dedicated positions. An official could work as...
In 1952, the NFL, in response to the game becoming faster with more passes, added a fifth official, the back judge. The position originated in the All-America Football Conference as the sideline judge. Today the back judge is the deepest official in the secondary, but in 1947, the back judge started opposite the head linesman — in the offensive bac...
During the 1960s, the forward pass became more and more part of an offensive game plan. Plus scrambling quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton made it difficult for the referee to determine whether or not the passer was behind the line of scrimmage when he fired the ball. So, the NFL added a sixth official — the line judge in 1965, with the AFL following...
The back judge, field judge and head linesman held down the secondary as the NFL took to the air with spectacular passing attacks during the 1970s. While the three officials worked well, there was a hole in their coverage, that defenders took advantage of by interfering with receivers, or worse. In 1976, George Atkinson of the Oakland Raiders, clot...
The NFL has experimented with eight-person crews for the past several years, but has not found a position to their liking. The jury is still out on whether there will be eight officials on the field. But, I’m sure the NFL officials of 100 years ago would look at the seven-person crews today and think it’s a luxury. Ben Austro and Jeremy Snyder/Quir...
Assists the Referee with ruling on action around or to the QB/Passer. Kickoffs – Lines up on the kickers restraining line and ensures KO team is lined up correctly. Responsible for kicking team not being offside prior to the kick. Punts - Positions a few yards behind the Punter, as wide as the Left Tackle. Watches for infractions by the ...
Jan 1, 2018 · The line judge assists the umpire with illegal use of the hands and holding calls and assists the referee on false start calls. The line judge makes sure the quarterback does not cross the line of scrimmage before throwing the ball, watches for offensive lineman going downfield too early on punts, supervises the timing of the game and supervises substitutions by the team on the side of the ...
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Assistant referee signalling that an offside offence has occurred. In association football, an assistant referee (previously known as a linesman) is an official who assists the referee in administering the Laws of the Game during a match. Although assistants are not required under the Laws, at most organised levels of football the match ...
