NFL hires 21 full-time referees
The NFL has hired 21 full-time officials for the 2017 season, the league announced Wednesday.
"In an effort to improve consistency, efficiency, and accuracy, the full-time game officials will work throughout the calendar year on game preparation and game administration, analyzing current game trends, communicating with the officiating roster, and assisting to ensure that there is a qualified pipeline of future officials through scouting efforts," the league said in a statement.
The NFL announced it planned to hire 21-24 full-time officials in August. The decision followed increasing criticism of the league's insistence on employing only part-time refs, who often need to find additional jobs.
"We believe that we will learn a great deal over the course of this initial year working with the full-time game officials," said the NFL's senior vice president of officiating Alberto Riveron. "Our collective goal is to make a positive impact on NFL officiating overall."
Here are the 21 full-time officials and their positions:
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Brad Allen | Referee |
| Walt Anderson | Referee |
| Jerome Boger | Referee |
| Pete Morelli | Referee |
| Barry Anderson | Umpire |
| Dan Ferrell | Umpire |
| Bill Schuster | Umpire |
| Derick Bowers | Down Judge |
| Ed Camp | Down Judge |
| Rusty Baynes | Line Judge |
| Julian Mapp | Line Judge |
| Mark Perlman | Line Judge |
| Mark Steinkerchner | Line Judge |
| Tom Hill | Field Judge |
| Steve Zimmer | Field Judge |
| Boris Cheek | Side Judge |
| Jonah Monroe | Side Judge |
| Steve Freeman | Back Judge |
| Scott Helverson | Back Judge |
| Terrence Miles | Back Judge |
| Greg Steed | Back Judge |