Official ( American football ) In American football , an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game . During professional and college football games , seven officials operate on the field . Arena football , high school football , and other levels of football have other officiating systems . Football officials are commonly referred to as referees , but each position has specific duties and a specific name : referee , umpire , head linesman , line judge , back judge , side judge , and field judge . Because the referee is responsible for the general supervision of the game , the position is sometimes referred to as head referee . Equipment . American football officials generally use the following equipment : Uniform . For ease of recognition , officials are traditionally clad in a black - and - white vertically striped shirt , white knickers with a black belt , black shoes , and a peaked cap . A letter indicating the role of each official appears on the back of the shirt at college level , while NFL officials have numbers with a small letter or letters above . Shortly after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks , an American flag was added to the shirts of NFL officials . The stripes were first introduced in the 1920s , before which plain white shirts were worn . College football referee Lloyd Olds is credited with the idea after a quarterback mistakenly handed the ball to him . The officials are colloquially called " zebra s " due to their black - and - white striped shirts . During the American Football League ' s existence ( 1960 – 1969 ) , officials wore red - orange striped jerseys . The referees wore red hats , the others white , each with the AFL logo . This look was recreated in 2009 during AFL Legacy Weekends to mark the 50th anniversary of the AFL ' s founding . The United Football League , which launched play in October 2009 , featured officials wearing solid red shirts ( no stripes ) with black numbers and black pants . As no teams in the league wore red or orange , there was no prospect of a clash of colors . From 2010 , the UFL switched to a customised version of the traditional stripes . Stripes on officials ' shirts in high school are one inch wide and in college are two inches wide ; NFL officials wear shirts with an uneven striping pattern . High school and college officials wear socks with a " Northwestern stripe " pattern , while NFL officials wear socks with two white stripes bordering one black stripe . In 2006 , the NFL completely redesigned the shirts , going to a sleeker - looking uniform which , however , no longer identified a given official ' s position from the front . Also new for 2006 were black pants with a white stripe down the side to be worn in cold weather . These looser - fitting pants allow for layering of warmer clothes underneath . During the 2010 season , college officials and , in many states , high school officials , will have the option of wearing the black cold - weather pants . The black pants became mandatory for college officials in 2011 and NFL officials in 2012 . For several decades , all NFL officials wore white hats . In 1979 , the referees changed to black hats with white stripes , while the other officials continued to wear white ones . Finally , in 1988 , the NFL switched to the high - school and college football style : the referee wears a white hat ( which now includes the NFL logo , first added for Super Bowl XXXIX ) , and the other officials wear black hats with white stripes . Officials ' hats are also occasionally used as additional equipment . If a player not carrying the ball steps out of bounds ( a wide receiver running a deep passing route or a player running downfield on punt coverage , for example ) , the official will drop his hat to mark the spot of where the player went out of bounds . The hat also is often used to signal a second foul called by the official on a play ( by those officials that may carry only one flag ) ; to indicate unsportsmanlike conduct committed against the official himself ( as when a player shoves an official ) ; or when some other situation requires a physical mark and the official has already used the ordinary item on the play . Some conferences discourage the use of the hat in these situations , and the bean bag will be used instead . Officiating systems . The NFL and college football primarily use a seven - official system . On the other hand , Arena football , high school football , and other levels of football have other officiating systems . Positions and responsibilities . The following are the positions and responsibilities in the standard seven - official system . Differences used for the other officiating systems are also noted . Referee . The referee ( R ) is responsible for the general supervision of the game and has the final authority on all rulings . Thus , this position is sometimes referred to as head referee and is considered to be the crew chief . He can be identified by his white cap , while the other officials wear black ones . During each play from scrimmage , the referee positions himself behind the offensive team , favoring the right side ( if the quarterback is a right - handed passer ) . He also counts offensive players . On passing plays , he primarily focuses on the quarterback and defenders approaching him . The referee rules on possible roughing the passer and , if the quarterback loses the ball , determines whether it is a fumble or an incomplete pass . On running plays , the referee observes the quarterback during and after the time he hands off ( or laterals ) the ball to the running back , remaining with him until the action has cleared just in case it is really a play action pass or some other trick passing play . After it has been established that the running back will keep the ball , the referee then checks the running back and the contact behind him . During punt s and field goal s , the referee observes the kicker ( and holder ) and any contact made by defenders approaching them . On a punt out of bounds , he uses his vantage point behind the punter to direct the nearest sideline official to the spot where the ball went out of bounds . In college football , the NFL and other professional leagues , and in some high school games , the referee announces penalties and the numbers of the players committing them ( college and professional ) , and clarifies complex and / or unusual rulings over a wireless microphone to both fans and the media . During instant replay reviews in the NFL and college football , the referee confers with a replay official , who is stationed in the press box above the field , on the play and then announces the final result over the wireless microphone . For replays in the NFL , the referee also views the play on a monitor stationed near the sidelines and makes the final decision ; the replay official makes the final judgment in college football . In addition to the general equipment listed above , the referee also carries a coin to conduct the pregame ( and if necessary , overtime ) coin toss . Umpire . The umpire ( U ) stands behind the defensive line and linebackers ( except as described below for the NFL ) , observing the blocks by the offensive line and defenders trying to ward off those blocks — looking for holding or illegal blocks . Prior to the snap , he counts all offensive players . During passing plays , he moves forward towards the line of scrimmage as the play develops to ( 1 ) penalize any offensive linemen who move illegally downfield before the pass is thrown or ( 2 ) penalize the quarterback for throwing the ball when beyond the original line of scrimmage . He also assists on ruling incomplete passes when the ball is thrown short . As the umpire is situated where much of the play ' s initial action occurs , he is considered to hold the most dangerous officiating position . For this reason , the NFL carried out experiments in the 2001 preseason with the umpire placed in the offensive backfield adjacent to the referee . In March 2010 , the NFL announced that this repositioning would be permanent , after five major injuries were suffered by umpires in 2009 ( two concussions and three knee or shoulder surgeries ) . During the last two minutes of the first half , the last five minutes of the second half , and anytime when the offense is inside the five - yard line however , the umpire returns to the defensive side of the line of scrimmage during plays . In addition to his on - field duties , the umpire is responsible for the legality of all of the players ' equipment . Head linesman . The head linesman ( H or HL ) stands at one end of the line of scrimmage ( usually the side opposite the press box ) , looking for possible offsides , encroachment and other fouls before the snap . As the play develops , he is responsible for judging the action near his sideline , including whether a player is out of bounds . During the start of passing plays , he is responsible for watching the receivers near his sideline to a point 5 - 7 yards beyond the line of scrimmage . He marks the forward progress of the ball and is in charge of the chain crew with regard to its duties . In addition to the general equipment listed above , the head linesman also carries a chain clip that is used by the chain crew to properly place the chains and ensure an accurate spot when measuring for a first down . Line judge . The line judge ( L or LJ ) assists the head linesman at the other end of the line of scrimmage , looking for possible offsides , encroachment and other fouls before the snap . As the play develops , he is responsible for the action near his sideline , including whether a player is out of bounds . He is also responsible for counting offensive players . During the start of passing plays , he is responsible for watching the receivers near his sideline to a point 5 - 7 yards beyond the line of scrimmage . Afterwards , he moves back towards the line of scrimmage , ruling if a pass is forward , a lateral , or if it is illegally thrown beyond the line of scrimmage . On punts and field goal attempts , the line judge also determines whether the kick is made from behind the line of scrimmage . In high school ( four - man crews ) and minor leagues , the line judge is the official timekeeper of the game . In the NFL , college and other levels of football where the official time is kept on the stadium scoreboard clock , the line judge becomes the backup timekeeper . Field judge . The field judge ( F or FJ ) works downfield behind the defensive secondary on the same sideline as the line judge . He makes decisions near the sideline on his side of field , judging the action of nearby running backs , receivers and defenders . He rules on pass interference , illegal blocks downfield , and incomplete passes . He is also responsible for counting defensive players . He has sometimes been the official timekeeper , and in a number of leagues will run the game clock on a six - man crew . With the back judge , he rules whether field goal attempts are successful . Side judge . The side judge ( S or SJ ) works downfield behind the defensive secondary on the same sideline as the head linesman . Like the field judge , he makes decisions near the sideline on his side of field , judging the action of nearby running backs , receivers and defenders . He rules on pass interference , illegal blocks downfield , and incomplete passes . He also counts defensive players . During field goal attempts he serves as a second umpire . In college football , the side judge is responsible for either the game clock or the play clock , which are operated by an assistant under his direction . Back judge . The back judge ( B or BJ ) stands deep behind the defensive secondary in the middle of the field , judging the action of nearby running backs , receivers ( primarily the tight ends ) and nearby defenders . He rules on pass interference , illegal blocks downfield , and incomplete passes . He covers the area of the field in between himself and the umpire . He has the final say regarding the legality of kicks not made from scrimmage ( kickoffs ) . With the field judge , he rules whether field goal attempts are successful . In the NFL , the back judge is responsible for ruling a " delay of game " infraction if the play clock expires . In college football , the back judge is responsible for either the game clock or the play clock , which are operated by an assistant under his direction . In high school ( five - man crews ) , the back judge is the official timekeeper of the game . The back judge is also the keeper of the play clock in high school games , and times the one minute allowed for time outs ( only 30 seconds are allowed during team time outs during televised college games to reduce time ) . In four games in the 2010 preseason , the NFL experimented with an eighth official , a deep judge , in the defensive backfield opposite the back judge . Primary responsibility for this new position is the action of receivers , and it allowed the NFL to adjust coverage after the umpire was moved to the offensive backfield . The experiment was continued for 12 games in the 2011 preseason , but any decision to add the extra official would have to be approved by ownership . Transitioning during turnovers , punts , and other returns . During turnovers , punts , and other returns by the defense , and play transitions from one direction to the other , the officials must also adjust . The Field Judge , Side Judge , and Back Judge then become the trail / back positions ; and the Referee , Head Linesmen , and Line Judge then become the lead / front positions . The Umpire , in his traditional position in the middle of the field , usually stays stationary until the returner and the other players pass him . History . When the NFL began play , only three officials ( referee , umpire , and head linesman ) were used . The field judge was added in 1929 and the back judge in 1947 . In response to scrambling quarterbacks , namely Fran Tarkenton , the line judge was added in 1965 to watch the other side of the line of scrimmage . The side judge was added for 1978 , as the NFL included new rules to open up the passing game . The practice of having the referee announce penalties or clarify complex and / or unusual rulings over a wireless microphone started in the NFL in 1975 . College football and other professional leagues soon adopted this practice . For years , college football referees were prohibited from announcing the number of a fouling player , except in the Mountain West Conference ( and in all conferences when ejecting the offending player ) . In 2004 , the rules were changed throughout college football to permit the fouling player ' s number to be announced . Among the various Halls of Fame for major North America n sports , the Pro Football Hall of Fame is unique in that it has " not " inducted any officials ; the Baseball Hall of Fame , Basketball Hall of Fame and Hockey Hall of Fame have each inducted game officials as members . Employment status . Because their regular season spans only 17 weeks , the NFL is the only major sports league in the United States that only pays their officials on a contract basis as opposed to being full - time salaried employees . Advantages to this system include being able to eliminate unqualified officials simply by not offering them a contract the following season , where terminating full - time employees would require them to show cause . Critics argue that full - time officials would free them from the distractions of a second job , but proponents of part - time officials point out that the NFL would lose a number of qualified officials because many of them are owners , presidents , or C . E . O . s of various companies . Proponents also argue that there is only one game per week and the regular season is only 4 months long , and that having full - time officials does not necessarily guarantee that they will make fewer officiating mistakes . The level of training and review in which NFL officials participate makes additional time redundant . In any event , veteran officials can make quite substantial salaries for their work . The NFL Referees Association serves as the union that represents officials in the NFL . Replacement officials were used through Week 3 of the 2012 NFL season following a contract dispute between the NFL Referees Association and the NFL . Most of these replacements were high school or officials from lower college divisions . None of the replacements were Division I college officials , since the league wanted to protect them from union backlash and let them continue working their scheduled games during the concurrent college football season . In addition , current and former NFL officials serve as Division I conference officiating supervisors , and did not allow their officials to cross the picket line . The replacement officials performance was highly scrutinized and ridiculed by fans , players and coaches . The final play of the Green Bay Packers – Seattle Seahawks game in Week 3 saw Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson throwing a Hail Mary touchdown pass to wide receiver Golden Tate that officials ruled was simultaneously caught by Packers safety M . D . Jennings . Prior to the catch , Tate shoved a defender with both hands , which the NFL later acknowledged should have drawn an offensive pass interference penalty that would have negated the touchdown and resulted in a Packers victory . The contentious nature of the replacement officials ' decision at the end of the Packers – Seahawks game is widely considered to have been the tipping point that finally led to an agreement being reached to end the lockout prior to the Week 4 games . Female officials . Historically , all American football officials have been males , corresponding with the male - dominated sport . In 2007 , Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a major college football game , working a game between Memphis and Jacksonville State . Thomas later became the first woman to officiate a bowl game when she worked as a line judge during the 2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl between Marshall and Ohio . Since then , other females have officiated Division I college football games . Terri Valenti became the first female to officiate professional football when she began working United Football League games in 2009 . The UFL later hired Thomas in 2010 . In 2012 , Shannon Eastin became the first female to ever officiate an NFL game . However , she was a replacement referee while the league had locked out the regular officials due to a labor dispute , and thus writers such as Darin Gantt of Profootballtalk . com and Sam Farmer of the " Los Angeles Times " lamented the fact that this gender barrier was broken in this manner , while those like Thomas chose not to be a strikebreaker like Eastin .