2008 NFL Playoff Crews

[secondregionbug]

How does the Super Bowl crew get picked? Will it be one of these 8?

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by secondregionbug

How does the Super Bowl crew get picked? Will it be one of these 8?

REPLY: "All-star" crew, i.e. the top official at each position based on regular season grading, excluding those who might have worked the SB last season. Then it would go to the second guy at that position. Also, to keep them from getting stale, the NFL typically assigns them to either a wild-card or a divisional playoff game. So, it's almost a sure thing that you saw this year's SB officials either this weekend or last weekend.

Second and third ranked guys at position will be working next weekend in the conference championships.

[ace]

I thought the NFL moved to assigning regular season crews in the playoffs and super bowl? If an official is in-eligible (rookie in league, rookie to position) then they are replaced by an official who the crew-chief (R) and the leauge agree on?

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by ace

I thought the NFL moved to assigning regular season crews in the playoffs and super bowl? If an official is in-eligible (rookie in league, rookie to position) then they are replaced by an official who the crew-chief (R) and the leauge agree on?

Playoffs, largely.

Super Bowl, no.

And I think that's what they're doing - some of the crews were a mis-mash, some were largely intact in the first two weekends.

[Bob M.]

REPLY: Those that were "mish-mash" for the first two weekends were that way either because a member or two of a crew were too new to be eligible for the playoffs or because of illness. But generally, regular season crews were assigned to these two rounds.

And unless something has changed, the only position where tenure at position is considered is for the referee.

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: Those that were "mish-mash" for the first two weekends were that way either because a member or two of a crew were too new to be eligible for the playoffs or because of illness. But generally, regular season crews were assigned to these two rounds.

Yes, they were.

But some were more intact than others.

Hochuil had 6 of his 7 regular guys.
Coleman had 5 guys from McAulay's crew and 2 other guys from various crews.
Green had guys from 5 other crews.
Hence - mish-mash.

[JugglingReferee]

The Wild Card and Divisional Rounds are officiated by the top 8 crews in the NFL. This year, those crews are: McAulay, Triplette, W. Anderson, Hochuli, M. Carey, Boger, Austin and Parry.

The top 3 officials at each position will work the Conference Championship Games and the Super Bowl. For those who work the Super Bowl, they will officiate in one of the first 2 rounds if they were on one of the top 8 crews. It's also possible they could be an alternate in the first 2 rounds. It's also possible they may not work at all until the Super Bowl.

The officials removed from their crews in the first 2 rounds are most likely to be working in the Conference Championship games.

For officials that are remove from their crews, high rated other officials from crews who did not make the playoffs will fill in for their spot. Other considerations are made such as officials who have had a good year but have not worked a playoff game in a while. They may be selected to fill an open spot.

The Pro Bowl is a group of officials rated high that did not work in the playoffs. Sometimes considerations are made to officials who may be retiring at season's end.

[HLin NC]

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