Officials, Referees, and Umpires... What's the Difference?
Football officials... they're the men on the field we all love to hate and complain about. But without these keepers of the rules, a football game could not progress with any sort of structure or sanity. 
Officials play a very important role in the game, from keeping things moving along to making sure the athletes don't unnecessarily hurt each other. Officials are responsible for monitoring the game clock and play clock, enforcing the rules of play, and recording all rule infractions.
You often hear them referred to by the general term of referee, but there is actually only one referee on the field during a game. Each official (usually seven in college and NFL games) has his own title and assigned responsibilities. Read more...
And if you've ever wondered what it takes to become an NFL official, we have all the details.
Photo: Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images
Comments
Thanks for you article .I love NFL Games.
I was watching the Redskins game when the Eagles kicked a field goal that cleared the crossbar by the thickness of the laces. Would it be legal for a team to hire an NBA type, 7′+ to stand back by the goalpost and block a kick that is coming in instead of blocking it at the line of scrimmage? They would still only have 11 defense men on the field and the ball is live, right?
How are referees/umpires in the NFL assigned to games? Is there any consideration given to them being assigned close to their home city or is that avoided/
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The NFL needs to move to full-time salaried refs. These guys are important, as you said and they are putting their bodies on the line out there. The problem with refs is when they make bad calls that cost points or are inconsistent in what they call. This impacts the outcome of the game and that should not happen. We should insist on excellence and pay them for it – with benefits for the hazards of the job.