The NFL has begun to take steps to lessen criticism of their officials, announcing full-time positions.
One of the more curious things about the NFL has always been their lack of full-time officials. Make no mistake about it, the NFL is a business first and foremost. One would think it would make sense to have all officials be league employees and not have other jobs. They started to move in the right direction on Wednesday.
BREAKING: NFL approves full-time officials for the 2017 season, @AlbertBreer reports. https://t.co/GSz5wpNOTj pic.twitter.com/BSLBmqspm5
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) August 9, 2017
This comes directly from the report from Albert Breer –
"The NFLRA, the officials’ union, approved a plan on Wednesday for the implementation of 21 to 24 full-time officials, three sources said. Under the plan, each of the seven field officiating positions will be represented, with no more than five coming from one position."
The full release from the NFL can be read here –
The @NFL will hire up to 24 full-time game officials. pic.twitter.com/H9q8zXdjpQ
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) August 9, 2017
While this is certainly a step in the right direction, most fans probably wonder why all the officials aren’t full-time. It’s tough to craft an argument about part-time officials when you’re running a billion-dollar business. The good news is at least some officials will be solely focused on the NFL product.
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Hopefully, the experiment in 2017 will lead to better results. Officials and fans alike can sometimes have issues interpreting the rules. There’s a chance that even the full-time officials still won’t know what a catch is, but does anyone really know?
It’s also important to note that the full press release specifically mentions additional time in the off-season. Have you ever looked up what the NFL Rulebook looks like? It’s no wonder the officials can have a tough time on the field. Add in the speed of the game at the NFL level, and it becomes apparent that any additional time is a great thing. Here’s hoping for a better product when the season kicks off in under 30 days.