In recent years, as officiating in the NFL has become more and more of a financial windfall, the selection process has become more and more questionable. I have already referred to the widespread nepotism in the NFL officials' selection process but there is more. Now officials--usually less qualified officials than others--are able to rise quickly through the officiating ranks by paying to attend football officiating clinics, working in the Arena Football League, or both. This strikes me as unfair to the athletes and coaches.
Up until the mid 2000s, when NFL officials took over collegiate officiating, Division 1 officials would nurture, train, coach, and recommend officials from the area to their supervisors for selection into the various major conferences. Politics were a small part, if at all involved, since area officials' reputations were on the line. But this is happening no longer.
With the advent of profit-based football officiating clinics around the country, politics has been brought to the forefront. These clinics, which can cost up to $1500 each, include NFL officials being paid as "clinicians." Some lower-level football officials have attended as many as ten of these clinics over the years. Suddenly after the rise of these clinics, attendees are being selected--without the input of their area Division 1--officials to officiate levels of football that they don't deserve and are not qualified for; these selections only hurt the players and coaches. Those who were deserving, who had the experience needed, who had been trained by more experienced officials in their area, and who were being pushed for potential promotions by their area officials are being passed over by the paying clinic attendees. The use of clinics in officiating has created a type of "money politics" whereby officials who pay to go the clinics are rewarded with promotions to higher leagues.
The only way to get better at football officiating is to get experience by working football games and then being selected for higher divisions after gaining a good amount of experience. Attending trainings at clinics or working practices do not make officials qualified for higher levels of football; under the NFL officials' supervision--instead of hiring qualified and experienced officials--inexperienced and unqualified officials are promoted and then trained at the higher level on the job. This is unacceptable. An official should be ready to step onto the field of a higher football league the moment they are hired for that higher level, whether it be a higher collegiate division or the NFL.
Furthermore, the Arena Football League has become a proving ground for NFL officials. Have you ever heard of a college coach or NFL coach applying for an arena league coaching position? No, because AFL football is a different game than traditional football. Played on a 50-yard by 17-yard field, it doesn't even feel like football. But NFL officiating uses it as a training ground. There is not one mechanic that an official uses in the AFL that mimics a Friday-night high school game, a Saturday college game, or the NFL's own game played on Sunday. You might as well have a volleyball official working football games. So why is the AFL being used to train officials and judge their abilities?
In 2007 Mike Pereira, former vice president of officiating for the NFL, selected an official who had one season of experience in the Pac-10 and three seasons in the AFL. This is a perfect example of an under experienced official being selected for a level that they are not qualified for and being trained on the job. Another example this year is a one-year veteran of Arizona junior college football and a three-year AFL veteran being selected to officiate football for the Pac-12. He was chosen by NFL officials in California who have never seen him work a college football game. This is a direct slap in the face to all who have worked years to prepare themselves for the opportunity to work in the Pac-12. And is it fair to the athletes who will compete and the coaches who have prepared all year long for such as individual do be at their level?
Nepotism and politics have no place in two professions: judges and officials. But the officiating profession is rampant with both. The coaches are right: the officiating is getting worse.
