The NFL reassigned officiating crews for Week 10 games after Friday’s nationwide FAA ground stop, moving officials to contests within driving distance of their homes, and naming side judge Don Willard to work two games on Sunday.
NFL reassigns officials
The league adjusted assignments for Week 10 amid widespread air-travel disruption, the NFL said in a statement, with multiple backup referees stepping into lead roles rather than flying to previously scheduled games, ESPN and ProFootballTalk reported.
ProFootballTalk identified three backup officials who will serve as referees: umpires Barry Anderson and Duane Heydt and side judge Don Willard. The reassigned games listed by ProFootballTalk are Carolina at New Orleans (Duane Heydt), Jacksonville at Tennessee (Barry Anderson) and Miami at Indianapolis plus Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (Don Willard).
ProFootballTalk also noted the league has 17 officiating crews and that each crew identifies and trains a backup referee to be prepared to fill the referee position when needed.
NFL reassigns officials: Willard to work two games
According to ProFootballTalk, Willard is set to referee the Miami-Indianapolis game at 1:00 p.m. ET and then travel the 109 miles from Indianapolis to Cincinnati to serve as referee for the Sunday night game between the Bengals and Steelers.
ProFootballTalk added that Willard’s usual crew, led by referee Scott Novak, was not scheduled to work this weekend. The report said the NFL’s announcement did not specify the exact roles or on-field assignments for the substituted referees, and it listed the originally scheduled referees for those matchups as Shawn Smith (Panthers-Saints), Alex Moore (Jaguars-Titans), Carl Cheffers (Dolphins-Colts) and Clete Blakeman (Steelers-Bengals).
ESPN also reported the league’s intent to limit travel by assigning officials to games within driving distance as a contingency for the weekend affected by the FAA action.
The changes reflect the league’s contingency planning to keep games staffed despite significant airline disruptions; the NFL’s statement and subsequent reporting by ProFootballTalk and ESPN outlined the reassigned officials and the unusual circumstance of one official working two games in a single day.
Sources: ProFootballTalk, ESPN