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NFL Creates Practice Squad for Officials and Eases Postseason Eligibility Rules

The league will create a new practice squad for officials and expand its coaching staff. The changes follow negotiations with the NFLRA and build on offseason training already underway.

1 source·Jun 20, 11:34 AM(1 day ago)·2m read

NFL Creates Practice Squad for Officials and Eases Postseason Eligibility Rules

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The NFL plans to form a practice squad of up to 12 game officials, @AdamSchefter reported, citing reporting by SeifertESPN and kalynkahler. The league and the NFLRA also agreed to remove the two-year eligibility requirement for postseason assignments.

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Officials with three or fewer credited seasons can now earn their way off probationary status by ranking in Tier 1 for one season or Tier 2 for two seasons.

Ramon George, the league's VP of officiating training and development, said the league will take the best official at each position group and give them the opportunity to officiate in the playoffs through the Super Bowl. The league will add eight more coach coordinators to the officiating staff over the next two years, doubling the current number from eight to sixteen, George said.

All 17 officiating crews worked OTAs this spring.

Previously, crews worked OTAs only if they had a rookie on the crew. The officiating department sent a memo directing officials to attend all team and position meetings, including film and video review sessions, even if that required returning to the club's facility.

The 2019 collective bargaining agreement required the NFLRA and the NFL to create a training and evaluation program for the 2020 season.

Sean Green said the program was never implemented during the seven-year life of that agreement. Green stated the NFLRA sent drafts and began discussions, but the NFL lacked staff to work on it while grading. He credited George with intending to move forward and said former VP of officiating training and development Walt Anderson did not show the same interest.