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To maintain order and ensure that the rules are followed, American Football federations, like other sports, various 'officials' – either referees– who run the game.
These umpires have specific roles, positions and responsibilities that enable them to whistle matches correctly and consistently.
Depending on the level at which football is played, there are three to seven umpires on the field during an American football game. The seven positions, plus the chain crew, each have their own duties and responsibilities.
In this article you can read more about the different referee positions in American football, where they line up, what they look for and what they do during each game to keep the action going.
Read also what all player positions in American football are and mean
What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
The Seven Umpires in NFL Football
An umpire is one who is responsible for maintaining the rules and order of the game.
Referees are traditionally dressed in a black and white striped shirt, black pants with a black belt and black shoes. They also have a cap on.
Every umpire in American football has a title based on their position.
The following referee positions can be distinguished in the NFL:
- Referee / Head Referee (referee, R)
- Chief linesman (Head Linesman, HL)
- Line judge (LineJudge, L.J.)
- umpire (Umpire, you)
- behind referee (BackJudge,B)
- side referee (Side Judge, S)
- Field Referee (FieldJudge, F)
Because the 'referee' is responsible for the overall supervision of the game, the position is also sometimes referred to as 'head referee' to distinguish him from the other umpires.
The different referee systems
So the NFL mainly uses a seven-official system.
Arena football, high school football and other levels of football, on the other hand, have different systems and the number of umpires varies by division.
In college football, just like in the NFL, there are seven officials on the field.
In high school football there are generally five officials, while youth leagues usually use three officials per game.
In a three-official system there is a referee (referee), head linesman and line judge active, or in some cases it is the referee, umpire and head linesman. This system is common in junior high and youth soccer.
At a four-official system use is made of a referee (referee), an umpire, the head linesman and the line judge. It is mainly used at lower levels.
A five-official system used in arena football, most high school varsity football and most semi-pro games. It adds the back judge to the four-official system.
A six-official system uses the seven-official system, minus the rear umpire. This system is used in some high school games and small college games.
Referee positions explained
Now you are probably curious about the specific role of each possible referee.
Referee (head referee)
Let's start with the leader of all umpires, the 'referee' (referee, R).
The Referee is responsible for the overall supervision of the game and has ultimate authority over all decisions.
That is why this position is also known as 'head referee'. The head referee takes his place behind the attacking team.
The referee will count the number of offensive players, check the quarterback during pass plays and the running back during running plays, monitor the kicker and holder during kicking plays, and make announcements during the game of penalties or other clarifications.
You can recognize him by his white cap, because the other officials wear black caps.
In addition, this referee also carries a coin to make the coin toss before the match (and if necessary, for the extension of a match).
Head Linesman (head linesman)
The head linesman (H or HL) stands on one side of the line of scrimmage (usually the side opposite the press box).
The head linesman is responsible for checking for offside, encroachment and other offenses that occur before the snap.
He judges the actions on his sidelines, checks receivers in his vicinity, marks the position of the ball and directs the chain squad.
Encroachment occurs when, before the snap, a defender illegally crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with an opponent.
As the game develops, the chief linesman is responsible for judging the action on his sidelines, including whether a player is out of bounds.
At the start of a pass play, he is responsible for controlling the eligible receivers who line up near his sideline up to 5-7 yards past the line of scrimmage.
He marks the forward progress and position of the ball and is in charge of the chain squad (more on this in a moment) and their duties.
The chief linesman also carries a chain clamp which is used by the chain crew to correctly position the chains and ensure accurate ball placement for a first down.
Line Judge (Line Judge)
The linesman (L or LJ) assists the chief linesman and stands on the opposite sideline of the chief linesman.
His responsibilities are similar to those of the chief linesman.
The line judge looks for possible offsides, encroachment, false starts and other violations on the line of scrimmage.
As the game develops, he is responsible for the actions near his sidelines, including whether a player is outside the lines of the field.
He is also responsible for counting attacking players.
In high school (where four umpires are active) and in the minor leagues, the linesman is the official timekeeper of the game.
In the NFL, college and other levels of football where official time is kept on the stadium scoreboard, the linesman becomes the reserve timekeeper in the unlikely event of something wrong with the clock.
Umpire
The Umpire (U) stands behind the defensive line and linebackers (except in the NFL).
Since the umpire is located where much of the initial action of the game takes place, his position is considered the most dangerous umpire position.
To avoid injury, NFL umpires are on the offensive side of the ball except when the ball is inside the five-yard line and during the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half.
The umpire checks for holding or illegal blocks between the offensive line and defensive line, counts the number of offensive players, checks players' equipment, checks the quarterback, and also monitors scores and timeouts.
The umpire looks at the blocks through the offensive line and at the defenders trying to fend off these blocks - checking for holding or illegal blocks.
Before the snap, he counts all attacking players.
In addition, he is responsible for the legality of all players' equipment and monitors the quarterback for passes beyond the line of scrimmage and monitors scores and timeouts.
The players themselves are of course in the middle of the action, and then also have a complete AF gear outfit or to protect themselves
Back Judge (behind referee)
The back judge (B or BJ) stands deep behind the defending secondary line in the center of the field. He covers the area of the field between himself and the umpire.
The back judge judges the action of nearby running backs, receivers (mainly tight ends) and close defenders.
He judges pass interference, illegal blocks and incomplete passes. He has the final say on the legality of kicks not made from the line of scrimmage (kickoffs).
Together with the field judge, he decides whether field goal attempts are successful and he counts the number of defending players.
In the NFL, the back judge is responsible for ruling on a delay of game infraction (when the attacker fails to start his next game before the 40-second game clock has expired).
In college football, the back judge is responsible for the game clock, which is operated by an assistant under his direction.
In high school (squads of five umpires), the back umpire is the official timekeeper of the game.
The back umpire is also the game clock guard in high school games and counts the one minute allowed for timeouts (only 30 seconds are allowed on team timeouts in televised college games).
Side Judge (side referee)
The side judge (S or SJ) works behind the secondary defense line on the same sideline as the chief linesman, but on the opposite side of the field umpire (read more below).
Like the field umpire, he makes decisions about actions near his sidelines and judges the action of nearby running backs, receivers and defenders.
He judges pass interference, illegal blocks and incomplete passes. He also counts defensive players and during field goal attempts he acts as second umpire.
His responsibilities are the same as those of the field judge, only on the other side of the field.
In college football, the side judge is responsible for the game clock, which is operated by an assistant under his direction.
Field Judge (field umpire)
Finally, there is the field judge (F or FJ) who is active behind the secondary defense line, on the same sideline as the right line.
He makes decisions close to the sidelines on his side of the field and judges the action of nearby running backs, receivers and defenders.
He judges pass interference, illegal blocks and incomplete passes. He is also responsible for counting defensive players.
Together with the back judge, he judges whether field goal attempts are successful.
He is sometimes the official timekeeper, being responsible for the game clock in a number of competitions.
Chain Crew
The chain team does not officially belong to the 'officials' or referees, but is nevertheless indispensable during American football matches.
The chain crew, also called 'chain crew' or 'chain gang' in American, is a team that manages the signal posts on one of the sidelines.
There are three primary signal poles:
- the 'back post' indicating the start of the current set of downs
- the "front post" indicating the "line to gain" (the place 10 yards from where the ball is spotted for the first down of an offense)
- the 'box' indicating the line of scrimmage.
The two posts are attached to the bottom with a chain exactly 10 yards long, with the 'box' indicating the current down number.
The chain crew signals the decisions of the referees; they don't make decisions themselves.
Players look to the chain crew to see the line of scrimmage, down number and line to gain.
Officials can rely on the chain crew after a game where the outcome depends on the original position of the ball (in the case of an incomplete pass or penalty, for example).
Sometimes the chains need to be brought onto the field when an accurate reading is needed to determine if a first down has been made.
Also read: Everything you need to know to become a hockey referee
American football referee accessories
Being on the field and knowing the rules is not enough. Referees also need to know how to use the various accessories.
In general, they use the following accessories to properly perform their duties on the field:
- Whistle
- Penalty marker or flag
- bean bag
- down indicator
- Game data card and pencil
- Stopwatch
- Pet
What exactly are these accessories and how are they used by referees?
Whistle
The well-known whistle of referees. Every umpire in American football has one and can use it to end the game.
A whistle is used to remind players that a ball is 'dead': that a game has ended (or never started).
A 'dead ball' means that the ball is temporarily deemed unplayable and must not be moved at all at such times.
A 'dead ball' in football occurs when:
- a player has run with the ball out of bounds
- after the ball has landed – either by the possessing player being tackled to the ground or by an incomplete pass touching the ground
- before the ball is snapped to start the next game
During the time when a ball is 'dead', teams must not attempt to continue playing with the ball, nor must there be any change of possession.
The ball in American Football, also called 'pigskin', is made of the best quality materials
Penalty marker or flag
The penalty marker is wrapped around a weight, such as sand or beans (or sometimes ball bearings, although this has been discouraged since an incident in an NFL game showed those players could injure), so that the flag can be thrown with some distance and accuracy.
The penalty marker is a bright yellow colored flag that is thrown on the field in the direction of, or in place of, a foul.
For fouls where place is irrelevant, such as fouls that happen during the snap or during a 'dead ball', the flag is typically thrown vertically in the air.
Referees usually carry a second flag in case multiple violations occur simultaneously during a match.
Officials who run out of flags when they see multiple violations can drop their cap or bean bag instead.
bean bag
A bean bag is used to mark different places on the field, but is not used for fouls.
For example, a bean bag is used to mark the location of a fumble or where a player caught a point.
The color is usually white, blue or orange, depending on the competition, level of play and weather conditions.
Unlike penalty markers, beanbags can be thrown to a spot parallel to the nearest yard line, not necessarily to the actual place where the action took place.
Down indicator
This accessory is mainly black in color.
The down indicator is a specially designed wristband used to remind the referees of the current down.
There is an elastic loop attached to it that wraps around the fingers.
Usually the officials put the loop on their index finger if it is the first down, the middle finger if it is the second down, and so on until the fourth down.
Instead of the custom indicator, some officials use two thick rubber bands tied together as a down indicator: one rubber band is used as a wristband and the other is looped over the fingers.
Some officials, especially umpires, may also use a second indicator to keep track of where the ball was placed between the pre-game hash marks (ie the right hash marks, the left one, or on the middle between the two).
This is important when they have to re-place the ball after an incomplete pass or a foul.
Game data card and pencil
Game data cards can be disposable paper or reusable plastic.
Referees write down important administrative information here, such as the winner of the coin toss for the match, team timeouts, and fouls committed.
The pencil that the referees carry with them has a special ball-shaped cap. The cap prevents the ref from being put through the pencil while it is in his pocket.
Stopwatch
The referee's stopwatch is usually a digital wristwatch.
Referees wear a stopwatch when needed for timing tasks.
This involves keeping track of playing time, keeping track of time-outs and keeping track of the interval between the four quarters.
Pet
All referees wear a cap. The head referee is the only one with a white cap, the rest wear a black cap.
If a player not carrying the ball steps out of bounds, the umpire will drop his cap to mark the place where the player went out of bounds.
The cap is also used to indicate a second offense where the ref has already used the usual object (as mentioned above), but also to indicate unsportsmanlike conduct against the ref himself.
Why do football umpires have a shirt number?
Referees wear numbers to distinguish themselves from other referees.
While this may make little sense at younger levels of play (most umpires have a letter on their backs rather than a number), at the NFL and college (university) levels it is essential.
Just as players need to be recognized on game film, so should officials.
When the league official makes judgments, it is easier to recognize the umpires and then determine which umpire is doing better or less well.
To date, there are approximately 115 officials in the NFL, and each umpire has a number. Football umpires are the backbone of this sport.
They help to maintain order in a hard and physical contact sport. Without umpires, the game would be chaos.
Therefore, respect your local umpires and never criticize them with insults for a wrong decision.
Why is one of the referees wearing a white cap?
As already described, the referee wearing a white cap is the head referee.
The referee wears a white cap to distinguish himself from the other referees.
In a hierarchical sense, the referee with the white cap can be seen as the “head coach” of the referees, with each referee being the assistant.
This ref will talk to the coach if there is an incident, is responsible for removing players from the game and announcing if there is a penalty.
This umpire will also stop play if necessary to address any issues.
So always look for the referee with the white cap if there is ever a problem.
