The NFL now seems to support the idea of adding a sky judge to help the referees with in-game decisions.
A sky judge is a referee who typically sits in a booth by the press box and can take an overall look at the action on the field and view call camera angles, compared to the referees trying to see things in real-time on the field. They are in a position to help correct egregious calls, such as the one that heavily impacted the NFC Championship game two years ago.
The XFL used a sky judge for their limited inaugural season this year, which was canceled after five games due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dean Blandino, who used to be the head of NFL officiating and holds the same position for the XFL, told the Toronto Sun that the NFL’s competition committee now supports the idea of a sky judge.
The Sun reports that members of the committee now endorse the concept of a sky judge.
Two teams introduced a proposal to the rules committee to add a sky judge for the future.
NFL officiating is one of the league’s most consistent sore spots, so any way to help improve it would be better for the league. They also need to close this loophole while they’re at it.
