Play is supervised by impartial officials. Professional
and major college football programs use seven officials:
a referee, an umpire, a linesman, a field judge, a back
judge, a line judge, and a side judge. The officials
carry whistles and yellow penalty flags. They blow the
whistles or throw the flags to indicate that an
infraction of the rules has been committed.
The referee is in charge of the game at all levels of
play. The referee supervises the other officials,
decides on all matters not under other officials'
specific jurisdiction, and enforces penalties. The
referee indicates when the ball is dead (out of play)
and when it may again be put into play, and uses hand
signals to indicate specific decisions and penalties.
The umpire makes decisions on questions concerning the
players' equipment, their conduct, and their
positioning.
The principal duty of the linesman is to mark the
position of the ball at the end of each play. The
linesman has assistants who measure distances gained or
lost, using a device consisting of two vertical markers
connected by a chain or cord 10 yd (9 m) long. The
linesman must particularly watch for violations of the
rule requiring players to remain in certain positions
before the ball is put into play.
The field judge times the game, using a stopwatch for
this purpose. In some cases, the stadium scoreboard has
a clock that is considered official. |
