On the seven-member NFL officiating crew, it's always the umpire -- the official who lines up in the middle of the defense, four or five yards from the line of scrimmage -- who's most at risk. Umpires routinely get caught in the action and often end up knocked on their backsides.
Now the NFL is examining how they can keep umpires safe. Adam Schefter reported on ESPN this morning that the NFL's Competition Committee will address the safety of the officials, and that umpires could be equipped with helmets or moved to another spot on the field.
Schefter notes that on Monday night, umpire Butch Hannah got hit by San Diego Chargers safety Steve Gregory, and in the Week 2 game between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, umpire Garth DeFelice was knocked down four times. (DeFelice showed last year that he can dish it out as well as he can take it, but the NFL doesn't want players colliding with officials no matter who gets the worse end of the collision.)
The bottom line, Schefter reports, is that the NFL owners have already discussed the safety of the officials, and it's an issue that the league is determined to act on before anyone gets hurt in a player-official collision.
NFL looks at protecting umpires
Posted by Michael David Smith on October 25, 2009 11:53 AM ET
Permalink
9 Comments 
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Does anyone remember the one-man hovercraft that Destro had on the original GI Joe series?
Can't we just get the umpire one of those?
He can just hover above the play.....and we can all agree that it's hilarious when an ump gets hit in the head with a pass....so wouldn't it be even funnier if he got knocked off a hovercraft?
Actually, I guess he'd have to be strapped in pretty tight. If you knocked him off, how would you get him back on there?
This is a tough situation to resolve the more I think about it.
My only question is that the official has been there for HOW MANY YEARS and now suddenly they are deciding he needs to be protected......
Doesn't make sense to me.......
Perhaps we should just outfit these guys with segweys. Since every other aspect of testosterone and toughness is being legislated out of this sport, it would only make perfect sense.
The umpire could back out of any coming danger as soon as the ball is snapped, and then grab his makeup kit from the side pouch in-between plays to 'touch up' any dirt that he may have come in contact with.
I guess I didn't even know this was a problem. I see it once in a while. But I think generally speaking the NFL is getting a little rule happy about things. If the goal is to make the game perfect, don't bother. it never will be perfect. More rules = more problems. You are already seeing that with the catch/no catch rule in the endzone is having problems. No one knows that a catch is because the rules are so srewy.
Please NFL, tread lightly with the rules. Just like laws, sometimes less is more.
They should concentrate on officials getting the calls right, perhaps then they wouldn't have to protect them.
They should concentrate on officials getting the calls right, perhaps then they wouldn't have to protect them.
And Rich Reels just got knocked to ground in Pittsburgh...
Did anyone see the blatant hit that #83 of the Vikings laid on the ref during Percy Harvin's return for a TD? What the hell was up with that??
Blatant hit ,Dugan was going to make a block and the ref was right in the middle of the field. Why dont you mention the BS penalty called on Dugan for tripping. I hope it he was the same ref who made that horrible call and got what he deserved.