Officiating Development
Officiating an NFL game takes years of training and experience.
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Upon further review…
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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 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.
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Officiating an NFL game takes years of training and experience.
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Without the benefit of multiple camera angles on high-definition TV, the crew rules on about 154 plays each and every game. Correctly officiating an NFL game takes years of experience, training and development.
NFL officials are the best of the best — only 122 officials currently have the privilege of calling football games at the highest level. No one officiates forever, so the NFL’s Officiating Program continuously strives to develop a robust talent pool to ensure that the next generation of officials is ready to step up when needed.
“If you were going to write a 10-chapter book about what it’s like to be an official in the NFL, the first nine chapters would deal with preparation. The last chapter would deal with the game.”
JERRY SEEMAN, NFL SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OFFICIATING, 1991–2001
The Officiating Department works closely with local, state and collegiate officiating associations to develop this pipeline of high school and college football officials across the country. The league also hosts grass-roots clinics and programs designed to introduce young men and women to football officiating.
The NFL has developed a regional network of officiating scouts to canvass the country in search of officials with the potential to advance to higher levels of football.
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All of these candidates will learn important personal and professional skills that will help them on and off the field. A select few will demonstrate the skills, athleticism and strength of character necessary to officiate in the NFL.
The efforts of the scouts and NFL Officiating Department have led to a pool of about 4,000 officials at all levels that have been observed and evaluated. Once in the officiating database, scouts track their progress, and those who stand out can earn opportunities to move up to officiate in higher levels of football.
High-performing prospects may earn their way into one of these programs, which develop officiating talent to work at the highest levels: