Editor’s note: “The NFL has an optics problem, not a referee problem” is a guest column written by J.C. Abdallah, Ph.D, assistant professor of communication, originally appearing in the Feb. 13 issue of The Chanticleer.
Throughout the 2024 NFL season (and the 2023 season, and the 2022 season and…), fans have complained about issues of officiating in the league. Several games this season, particularly games of high magnitude, have been marred by calls that had a significant impact on the outcome of the game. This is not necessarily unexpected, as those who have watched games for years will attest to.
Fans who are irritated at the officiating in the NFL have a right to be angry and upset but their fury is misguided. Often, fans will be angry at the officials themselves when, in fact, they should be angry at the league instead.
Over the years there have been several controversial calls in the NFL that have impacted games, seasons and even championships. The examples are too many to enumerate, but fans of any team can think of a call which went against their favorite squad and changed the outcome of a game. Some of the same controversial calls often show up time and time again, further worsening the perceived problem.
Particularly in this new era of legal sports betting, questions about the integrity of the game and officiating will be at the forefront of anyone’s mind during any hint of hullabaloo. Ask an NFL fan what a catch is, and you might get a different answer each time. This is an example of a problem which should be an easy fix but continues to plague the NFL.
For example, the Detroit Lions’ Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson had a touchdown taken away in a 2010 game against the Chicago Bears. Then, the Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Dez Bryant and his “non-catch” in the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers following the 2014 season. Just three seasons later in 2017 with a similar “non-touchdown-catch” involving Pittsburgh Steelers’ Tight End Jesse James in a very important late-season game against the New England Patriots.
All three of these non-catches were supposedly fixed by a 2018 rule change that simplified what a catch is determined to be. The unfortunate part is that confusion is rampant among fans to this day, years after a “simpler” version was introduced.
This, at its core, is the issue with the NFL. In trying to make things better, the league somehow has made it worse.
The biggest problem, and perhaps the problem that really makes an impact on average fans’ enjoyment, is the league’s own arrogance. The commissioner of the league, Roger Goodell, said the “protection of the shield” is important above all else; trying to maintain the league’s integrity. By ignoring calls to “fix the officiating,” the league is throwing the officials themselves under the bus, whether intentional or not.
The matter at hand here is the league often refuses to call out its own mistakes. On the rare occasion that it does, it’s often much too late. This is exemplified by the catch rule mentioned earlier.
The NFL could make things better, but it must make several advances in its own policy and procedures to make things better for the players, the league, the fans and the integrity of the game. Notwithstanding external factors that impact the possible talent pool of officials (there is a major official shortage in low-level leagues around the nation across all sports), there are several things the league can control, which I believe can help in alleviating frustration and irritation toward officials from fans.
The NFL currently does not have full-time positions for officials, something that often surprises fans. The longest tenured referee (the lead official that fans hear calling penalties during games) in the NFL, Carl Cheffers, works a job as a sales manager. Hiring full-time officials would be a giant step towards enhancing the abilities of and educating the officiating crew.
Another aspect, in terms of officiating, that could help the public’s understanding of the calls made during games would be to automatically have a pool reporter talk to the referee after each game. This would allow clarification from the referee themselves about these calls, if any. Currently, media members must request for this pool report to be completed.
A third and final aspect that the NFL could easily do is add a “sky judge” official, who can review everything on the field of play, including missed penalties. This would be crucial for penalties not easily seen by officials on the field. It’s important to note the human element in this equation as well. As fans, something important to remember is that officiating is difficult. Particularly in the NFL, seven officials have to be aware of all 22 world-class athletes on the field.
The human eye is not perfect, and humans miss calls. Of course, these are professionals, but organizations invest in making their employees the best that they can be. For a league that made $13 billion in revenue in 2023, it should be a great return on investment.
It is easy to fault officials for not doing their jobs correctly, but they are just an unfortunate product of their current environment. The NFL needs to embrace its humanity and stop enforcing a veneer of egotism. By showing its fans that as a league it is willing to own up to its faults and invest in the legitimacy of the game, the NFL can repair integrity issues that inevitably arise during times when referees make mistakes.
All that being said… no matter what the real outcome was, Jesse James caught that ball.
