The National Football League surpassed $23 billion in revenue for the 2025-26 fiscal year, yet not a single referee is full-time.
Instead, lawyers, civil litigators, engineers, financial advisors, school counselors, pilots, and more are the ones enforcing the rules and throwing flags on gameday. They travel Friday or Saturday, officiate games on Sunday, then return to their day jobs on Monday.
As a result, refs are not consistently around teams, players, and practices to get a heightened feel and sense for the actual game. The refs are just like you and me walking into a stadium - perhaps unfamiliar and in awe of the size and noise of the venue, the speed at which the players play, an athlete's momentum and balance, and the sheer physicality that happens on the field.
In addition to all the stimulation, the refs being on the field simply does not give them the best view or angle of the play. They have to navigate players to not get hit, whip their head around as a pass sails over their head, and attempt to run fast enough to keep up with the play.
How is it possible that announcers, fans, and even the on-air "rules analyst" can all agree on a call being poor, but the seven refs on the field all miss it? It would make sense if they put an official in the booth to help make decisions with a better view - the view that millions of people are watching.
The discourse surrounding the refs reached a tipping point in the main slate of Week 7 yesterday. When Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown appeared to be tackled after a 4-yard gain, no whistle was heard. As a result, St. Brown kept running and Green Bay Packers' lineman Devonte Wyatt tackled him again. This tackle inadvertently knocked over an official who, from his backside, launched a flag into the air.
Everyone on the field, in the booth, and on the sidelines were confused as the refs made the penalty official with an "unnecessary roughness" call. After the game, players and coaches on both sides said they heard no whistle. It marked the third time this season an official has made an emotional decision. Earlier this year, the NFL suspended two refs for unprofessional conduct towards players in Week 4.
That was one of several horrific calls in the Packers vs. Lions game, though that play was a weird one that doesn't happen often. The more worrisome trend is the amount of obtuse roughing-the-passer calls taking over the league.
Take a look at the two calls below:
Tom Brady has had enough with the officiating. "My goodness. What is that?" "There's no way!" "It's definitely not roughing the passer." https://t.co/a0JlJUylJM
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 25, 2026
Very questionable roughing the passer call against the #Packers that everyone on the telecast disagreed with, including Tom Brady, who said: “I don’t like it either.” 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/40PiMm91Ri
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 25, 2026
It also seems like it's becoming a common theme that these calls happen in the fourth quarter. The Lions getting a free 15 yards with just two minutes left in the game is a massive swing. It put a team out of field-goal range into field-goal range, where the Lions' Jake Bates would capitalize with a game-winning kick
The Broncos vs. Cardinals game also featured horrendous calls on each side. Riley Moss and Denzel Burke were flagged for phantom pass interferences, and Alex Singleton got a roughing call as well:
How is this pass interference on Riley Moss?? https://t.co/3CBFTx1O0g
— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) October 25, 2026
At this point I have no clue how you hit an NFL QB without getting a roughing the passer. https://t.co/9g9nprB0AE
— Forever Broncos (@denver_TD_catch) October 25, 2026
New York Giants' running back Cam Skattebo was flagged for unnecessary roughness for trucking a player and getting more yards - something all fans love to do when playing the NFL's video game - Madden.
#Giants RB Cam Skattebo just absolutely obliterated #Texans S M.J. Stewart—but was called for unnecessary roughness for lowering his helmet. This is not the NFL you grew up watching. https://t.co/6jt8xE4qXP
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 25, 2026
These brutal 15-yard penalties are massive and can change a game. It's not like a basketball ref that makes a bad call which results in two free throws that becomes forgotten at the end of the game.
The Cardinals had difficulty moving the ball the whole game, and one of their rare drives that ended in points only happened due to the refs early gift-wrapped Christmas present for their offense.
Broncos coach Sean Payton told the refs during the game: "If you guys are doing your best to tune the television audience out, you're on a roll."
It's true. These blatantly poor calls makes it feel like the game isn't in total control by the players and coaches. It puts anger into the fans that got swindled, and garners a tongue-in-cheek reaction from the fans that know their team got bailed out. After every play, good or bad, it's become common for a fan to dim their excitement or disappointment until they see there are, in fact, no flags.
But let me clear: this is the NFL's fault, not the individual referees. The organization put themselves in this spot. The league needs to implement a true full-time job system where refs can be around teams, walkthroughs, and practices just like reporters and journalists are allowed to do.
The rule changes protecting the quarterback and offense have been hard to officiate as well. The "landing on the quarterback's body weight" that has been implemented over the last few years put defenders into tricky positions when they're hitting the quarterback. It also adds another layer of judgement and opinion onto the refs' plate before having to make a decision in a split-second.
Pass interference calls are also judgement-based, and again, the refs don't have the best view. They're watching the ball, the receiver and his feet, and the defender all while backpedalling. What happened to the option to challenge and review PI calls? That option was around for a single season before the league made it non-reviewable again.
Simply, these fouls (that result in 15 yards or more) can certainly determine the outcome for a game. 15 yards is a lot in this modern era where NFL offenses typically start drives around the 35-yard line. Not to mention the automatic first-down the play results in.
These games are not "rigged" for the sportsbooks - the refs have lost common football sense, and the system needs a major overhaul to get it right, ASAP.
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