The defensive team must be a full ten yards from the ball when it is kicked. In my entire career, I have seen only one, and it occurred so long ago that I cannot remember the teams involved. There seems to be a lot of talking between opposing players on the field. Calif. Talking between opposing players is as much a part of football as blocking and tackling. The officials continually discuss things with players as it is a good way of keeping control of the game.
Mutual respect is an important factor in game control.
Green, Chicago Most of the officials in the National Football League are allowed to work in the cities where they live. However, the referees, or crew chiefs in the white hats, do not work in the cities where they live, because they are well-known in their communities, and the League does not want to put undue pressure on them. I agree with the policy and in my time on the field, I worked only one regular-season Bear game. Thanks for the questions. To assist victims of the recent terrorist attacks, the McCormick Tribune Foundation is conducting a drive to raise disaster relief funds.