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We've always wondered why there are referees in basketball, umpires in baseball, and both in football. The duties of the officials in most major sports are fairly clear, but the roles of football's arbiters can be difficult to discern. To learn the difference between the two, we went right to the NFL's official site. Once there, we searched on "officials" and found the extremely helpful Digest of Rules. We clicked through to the section titled "Officials' Jurisdictions, Positions, and Duties" and found our answer. It turns out that each man has a number of responsibilities while the action unfolds on the gridiron. The referee is "The
Man" -- the big cheese on the field. He's the guy the other officials turn to when they spot something amiss. He wears the microphone and announces the penalties. His job includes: marking the definitive spot of the ball after a play; keeping an eagle eye on the quarterback on passing plays; and just generally overseeing the entire game. In short, he's a busy guy. While the referee monitors the action from behind the offense, the umpire is stationed a few short yards behind the defense. One of his main duties is to keep an eye on the battle at the line of scrimmage between the offensive and defensive linemen. He's the one who will usually throw a penalty flag for holding, false starts, or an illegal block. The referee and umpire are not the only ones enforcing the rules on the field.
In the NFL, an officiating crew also includes a Head Linesman, a Line Judge, a Field Judge, a Side Judge, and a Back Judge. Each job includes a very specific set of on-field responsibilities, and any one of these officials has the authority to throw one of the dreaded yellow hankies. Toss in a couple of assistants who watch replays up in a booth, and you have eyes scanning every inch of the field to make sure calls are made correctly. Every fan knows they could do a better job than the "zebras" on the field. If you think you have what it takes to don the stripes, we recommend reading this short primer on becoming an official.
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