Definition: The referee is the official that has control of the game and is generally the final authority in all decisions. Among his duties are:
• Announce all penalties
• Explain penalties to the offending team's captain
• Explain penalties to the head coach of the offending team and inform him of who it was called against
• Position himself in the backfield, approximately 10 yards behind the quarterback, before each snap
• Monitor illegal hits on the quarterback
• Watch for illegal blocks near the quarterback
• Determine whether the yardage chains should be brought on the field for a measurement
You can tell the referee from the other officials because he is the only one that wears a white hat. All other officials wear black hats.
