It's our responsibility to strengthen the sport.
Ensuring a consistent and fair game that is decided on the field, by the players.
Ensuring that players conduct themselves in a way that honors the sport and respects the game.
Knees Bent. Pads Down. Head Up.
The NFL is proud of the HBCU professional football legacy.
Honoring the league’s commitment to serve the communities where the game is played.
Meet the people behind NFL Operations.
Learn about the people, the jobs and the technology that deliver the best game possible to NFL fans across the U.S. and around the world.
Countdown to kickoff: how NFL games happen.
In the NFL, balancing technology with tradition.
How television has changed the game.
Upon further review…
It takes hundreds of computers and four NFL executives to create the NFL’s 256-game masterpiece.
Learn how NFL players have changed over time, how they’re developed and drafted and how the league works with them after their playing days are over.
Creating an NFL player: from “everyman” to “superman.”
Supporting the next generation of players and fans.
Preparing players of all ages for success at football’s highest level.
Introducing the next wave of NFL superstars.
A look at the programs and services NFL Player Engagement provides to assist every player before, during and after his football career.
Celebrating, educating, embracing and connecting all former NFL players with each other, their former teams and the league.
Strengthening football and the community.
Discover the evolution of professional officiating, the weekly evaluation process and how the NFL identifies and develops the next generation of officials.
“One thing hasn’t changed: the pressure. It will always be there.”
The latest information from the NFL's officiating command center.
Every week, officials take the field ready to put months of preparation, training and hard work on display, knowing that the whole world — and the Officiating Department — is watching.
Officiating an NFL game takes years of training and experience.
NFL Football Operations protects the integrity of the game by ensuring that the rules and the officiating are consistent and fair to all competitors.
The custodians of football not only have protected its integrity, but have also revised its playing rules to protect the players, and to make the games fairer and more entertaining.
The NFL Video Rulebook explains NFL rules with video examples.
Explore the official rules of the game.
The NFL's procedures for breaking ties for postseason playoffs.
The NFL's familiar hand signals help fans better understand the game.
Sharpen your NFL football knowledge with this glossary of the game's fundamental terms.
See where the players line up in pro football's most common offensive and defensive formations.
Understand what the graphics on NFL television broadcasts mean and how they can help you get the most out of watching NFL games.
The NFL’s instant replay review process focuses on expediting instant replay reviews and ensuring consistency. Learn how it works.
Go inside the game with the NFL's official game stats. Sort the stats by season or by week.
Chart and compare the NFL Football Operations stats you're looking for with the NFL's data tool.
Get a snapshot of the current NFL game stats, updated weekly during the regular season.
Knees Bent. Pads Down. Head Up.
Explore the official rules of the game.
Creating an NFL player: from “everyman” to “superman.”
Countdown to kickoff: how NFL games happen.
Step behind the scenes of NFL Football Operations, the department that fosters a culture of clarity, consistency and credibility and ensures that the game’s rules — and the league’s officiating — are consistent to ensure the sport’s long-term success.
Explore Football OpsTake a look behind the scenes at the NFL’s meticulous preparation, each season and each week, for 332 preseason, regular season and playoff games, and see how the league is anticipating the future while preserving the history, integrity and equity of America’s favorite sport.
Explore The GameThe NFL is only as good as its players. That’s why the league works with individuals at every stage of their involvement with the game to develop and support not only great players, but also great people. Learn about the history of NFL players and how the league prepares players for life on and off the field.
Explore The PlayersNFL officials are the best of the best — for every down and every snap, this seven-person unit makes precision calls and split-second decisions at full speed. Look behind the scenes at how the league scouts, develops and evaluates the officials who work at football’s highest level.
Explore The OfficialsThe NFL’s rules have continued to evolve since football’s earliest days — always changing to protect the players, the game’s integrity, and to make the game fairer and more entertaining. See how today’s rules have come about through testing, analysis and careful deliberation, and how the game has evolved into the sport beloved by millions today.
Explore The Rules
NFL Football Operations’ mission is to establish a culture of clarity, consistency and credibility in all aspects of the greatest game. Football is an essential piece of America’s fabric, uniting fans, players and communities with a simple yet powerful bond. We honor our game’s history while continuing to innovate and preserve our sport for future generations of fans, players, coaches, teams and officials.
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