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The 33rd Team

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NFL Competition Committee: Inside Look at League's Rules-Making Process

By Bill Polian

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With the NFL's Annual League Meeting being held this week, I'm reminded of the first one I attended in 1985 in Phoenix, which also happens to be the site of this year's gathering. I was the pro personnel director for the Buffalo Bills sitting in for the general manager —who was seriously ill — and I was, without question, the most junior football employee in the room.

I was sitting in there, awestruck, listening to debates on the significant issues affecting the game voiced by the likes of Don Shula, Al Davis, Paul Brown, Wellington Mara, Lamar Hunt and Tex Schramm, with Pete Rozelle presiding. It was surreal. I took copious notes and spoke only when Bills owner Ralph Wilson asked me a question.

The meeting is usually held at a high-end resort in a warm-weather destination. For team employees and media who would typically not frequent such places, it's a treat. The personnel director and scouts are not there. They are either on the road, at college pro days, or back in the office preparing for the draft. In many cases, assistant coaches are given this week off. Traditionally, clubs allow spouses or significant others to attend at the clubs' expense.

2023 Annual League Meeting

• Dates:  March 26-29
• City: Phoenix
• Site: The Biltmore Hotel

The meetings themselves are held in a huge ballroom. Club delegations are seated at long tables placed at a right angle to the dais on which the commissioner, his staff and various league officials sit. Attendance is limited to two or three per club for most sessions except for the "executive session," when only the owner or his designee may attend. Maybe it's the location and time of year, but it always felt as if the annual meeting was far more collegial and lower-key than the Super Bowl or NFL Scouting Combine, no matter how serious the issues.

The business of the NFL is conducted much like the U.S. Congress. Robert's Rules of Order applies, and committees do the majority of spade work with jurisdiction over specific areas of the league and game. The most consequential committees are Finance, Broadcast, Management Council and Competition. The subject matter of finance and broadcast are self-evident, and the members are all club owners, as is the chairman.

The Management Council is the league's lead negotiating arm. It is made up mainly of owners, but occasionally senior executives will also serve. For example, in the mid-90s, former New York Giants General Manager George Young, former New York Jets president Steve Guttman and I served on the council. In addition, Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay and Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy have served in recent years. Giants owner John Mara is the chairman of the Management Council.

The Competition Committee deals with all competitive issues, ranging from playing rules to bylaws that govern roster size, college draft operations, college-relations issues, equipment and game operations and officiating, to name just a few. Today, it consists of nine members. They range from owners, like John Mara; to executives like Stephen Jones; to coaches, like Frank Reich, Ron Rivera and Mike Tomlin; and general managers like Chris Grier of the Miami Dolphins . McKay is the long-time chairman, succeeding Young more than a decade ago. Other past chairmen have been Hall of Famers Jim Finks and Schramm.

The Competition Committee was formed in 1968. Its original membership consisted of Al Davis, Lamar Hunt and Vince Lombardi. When I was appointed in 1990, the committee consisted of seven members: Finks, Young, Paul Brown, Tom Flores, Don Shula, Marty Schottenheimer and the rookie, yours truly. All but Marty of that group is in the Hall of Fame, and he should be. Flores said that other than enshrinement in the Hall, the greatest honor a coach or executive can receive in the game is to serve on the Competition Committee.

He was absolutely right.

You must be a working head coach or executive in the league to be eligible to serve. Like all NFL standing committees, the commissioner appoints the members, and they serve at his pleasure. I was privileged to serve for 19 years, and it's still hard to believe that I had the honor of working with so many NFL icons, much less making lifelong friends in the process. Today, Troy Vincent, the league's vice president of football operations, supervises the support staff who deal with the committee's duties and issues on a daily basis. Troy is an ex-officio member, as is the director of officiating.

2023 Competition Committee Members

• Rich McKay (chairman), Atlanta Falcons president
• Katie Blackburn, Cincinnati Bengals EVP
• Chris Grier, Miami Dolphins GM
• Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys EVP of player personnel
• John Mara, New York Giants co-owner
• Ozzie Newsome, Baltimore Ravens EVP of player personnel
• Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers head coach
• Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders head coach
• Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach
• Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans head coach

The senior most league office football operations people also act as liaisons to the committee. Hall of Famer Art McNally and well-known TV analysts Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino were key contributors while heading the officiating department. Among the senior league office liaisons, Don Weiss and Joel Bussert — while not household names to many fans — were revered by many committee members and immensely respected by everyone in the NFL football community.

Vincent and Rich McKay work together consistently on a year-round basis. The committee meets regularly throughout the year, both electronically and in person, and will submit a report this week to be delivered to and acted upon by the owners at the annual meeting. This report runs well over 100 pages and is distributed to every meeting attendee.

Anyone – fan, media member, coach or club executive – can submit proposals for rules or bylaw changes. The committee reviews and discusses any such proposals. Typically, a head coach or GM will submit a proposal on behalf of a club. If sufficiently submitted on time, all club proposals must be given a hearing, followed by debate and a vote at the annual meeting. A two-thirds majority (24 votes) is required to pass a rules change or bylaw proposal.

The Eagles, Lions, Bills, Chargers, Texans, Rams and Jets have submitted proposals this year. The committee also submits proposals of its own, and, in general, these proposals fall into three buckets.

The first bucket is called "housekeeping issues." These items would update or clarify language in a particular rule or bring specific rules in line, visa vi enforcement (i.e., make the start of the play clock consistent in all circumstances).

The second is bylaw proposals that affect things like roster size, eligibility for play or eligibility for certain reserve lists. An example would be a mandate to dress a third quarterback on game day.

The third bucket is for significant rule changes, which, if passed, affect how the game is played, coached and viewed. Two examples on the agenda this year would be a major expansion of replay and a change in how the use of the helmet in blocking or tackling is both written in the rule book and officiated.

It is this third bucket upon which the media and fans will focus.

2023 Rules Change Proposals

• By Eagles; to permit the use of zero as a jersey number; to allow kickers and punters to use any jersey numeral between 0-49 and 90-99.
• By Eagles; to permit a team to maintain possession of the ball after a score by substituting one offensive play (4th-and-20 from the kicking team's 20-yard line) for an onside kickoff attempt.
• By Chargers; to make the adjustment of the play clock following an instant replay reversal consistent with other timing rules.
• By Lions; to expand the coaches' challenge system to include personal fouls called on the field.
• By Lions; to provide clubs with more opportunities for a third challenge.
• By Lions; to expand the replay official's jurisdiction to allow for consultation regarding penalty assessment.
• By Texans; to expand the replay official's jurisdiction to allow for review on failed fourth-down attempts.
• By Rams; to make fouls for roughing the passer called on the field subject to replay assist and/or review by a coach's challenge.
• By Jets; to expand the crackback prohibition to players who go in motion and go beyond the center to block ("split-flow block") a defender below the waist.
• By Competition Committee; to change the definition of a launch to leaving one or both feet.
• By Competition Committee; to make the penalty for tripping a personal foul.
• By Competition Committee; to make the penalty for illegally handing the ball forward consistent with other illegal acts, such as illegal forward passes.
• By Competition Committee; to make the penalty for illegal punts, drop kicks, or placekicks consistent with other illegal acts, such as illegal forward passes.
• By Competition Committee; to put the ball in play at the receiving team’s 25-yard line when a touchback occurs from a punt.
• By Competition Committee; to prevent the offense from benefitting by an extension of the half as a result of their foul.
• By Competition Committee; to put the ball in play at the receiving team’s 25-yard line if there is a fair catch on a free kick (kickoff and safety kick) behind the receiving team’s 25-yard line.
• By Competition Committee; to clarify use of the helmet against an opponent by removing the “butt, ram, spear” language from Article 8 and incorporating those actions into Impermissible Use of the Helmet.

When I served, the committee spent upwards of 12 hours a day meeting, viewing videos, hearing from experts and debating the efficacy of proposals. The exchange of ideas between these football savants is stimulating, educational, enlightening and fun. Often you would go into a discussion with one point of view, only to listen to your colleagues and end up on another side of an issue. At the end of each discussion, a vote is taken, and the majority rules. Only voting members from clubs, not league office staff or executives, have a vote.

In my day, it was rare to have significant splits in final votes. The vast majority of the time, we were unanimous. While discussion can sometimes be intense, because of the respect the members have for one another, they are always collegial, cordial and often humorous. For example, Paul Brown would begin every meeting with "the joke of the day."

Frequently the committee will reach out to clubs that have submitted proposals and share its thoughts on a revised version, and a club will withdraw its proposal in favor of the committee's. All members lobby with their friends around the league, discussing and getting viewpoints on various proposals. McKay instituted a survey that goes to every head coach and GM, asking for detailed opinions and suggestions on various competitive issues. These processes give every senior football person in the NFL a voice in shaping the rules.

When I was appointed to the committee, I found the job and the opportunity to work closely with so many giants of the NFL astounding. Paul Brown and Don Weiss led my orientation. They emphasized that when you enter the meeting, you remove your competitive club hat and replace it with the obligation to do what's best for the game and the league.

After that discussion, Brown asked me, "Bill, do you know why you're here?"

I responded, "Coach, please tell me."

"To be a guardian of the game. Don't ever forget that."

I haven't, and I treasure the honor of serving with all my fellow guardians through the years.

As told to Vic Carucci.

Bill Polian is a former front office executive and a six-time Executive of the Year award winner who won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts. Polian’s career as an executive earned him an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Bill Polian

Hall of Fame Team Executive

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Bill Polian is a former NFL executive and a six-time Executive of the Year (1988, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, and 2009). Polian won Super Bowl XLI with the Colts and was inducted into the Indianapolis Ring of Honor in 2017. Polian’s illustrious career as an executive earned him an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

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Officiating Roster

News Officiating Roster

2020 Officiating Roster Week 17

Officiating crews for the 2024 season

The list of the 17 crews for the 2024 NFL season.

Football Zebras exclusive

Football Zebras has obtained the officiating crew rosters for the 2024 NFL season. This season, there are 6 new officials to replace the 6 that left the field at the end of last season. Just as last season, there is an umpire and a line of scrimmage official designated as swing officials who will move between crews through the season.

There are three women on the field with the hiring of field judge Karina Tovar and the departure of line judge Maia Chaka . There are also six women working as replay officials or replay assistants.

Derek Anderson, who just finished his stint as a Big 12 referee, will be a line judge in the NFL, just as his father Walt was from 1996 to 2002 before being promoted to referee (and with the same number). Walt Anderson was most recently the head of the officiating department, but was reassigned to allow his son to be hired and as part of a larger departmental reorganization .

There are two open replay assistant positions that have not yet been filled.

Crew members are listed with their years of NFL experience, including the upcoming season, the crew they were on last season, and, (where known) the college they attended and their occupation outside of the NFL.

* indicates an official who is on the same crew as last season. Officials and replay staff who have changed positions from last season are noted on each crew. Information for first-year officials (and other missing information) will be updated when available.

• Position change: Manley (replay official→replay assistant).

• Position changes: Tovar (college S→FJ), Cornell (college coordinated replay assistant→replay assistant)

• Position changes: Hall (SJ→FJ), Jones (FJ→SJ).

• Position change: Hutcheon (college H→LJ).

• Position changes: Anderson (college R→LJ), Wollan (replay assistant→replay official).

• Position change: Choate (college replay communicator→replay assistant)

• Position changes: Richeson (college U→DJ), Frye (replay assistant→replay official).

• Position change: Perry (college H→LJ).
• † Substitution: Hawkshaw out due to injury in Weeks 3-6, and replaced by an official with a scheduled off week. In some weeks, Ramsey moved to SJ and a FJ substitute joined the crew.

• Position change: Young-Seigler (replay official→replay assistant).

• Position change: Walker (college R→U)
• Number change: Keller (#129→9)

• Position change: Anderson (replay assistant→replay official)

• Swing officials are assigned to different crews during the season
• Crew change: Stritesky from Vinovich crew (June)
• Position note: Gallagher can be assigned as a DJ or LJ in any given week.

Senior staff

• Perry Fewell, senior vice president of officiating administration
• Ramon George, vice president of officiating training and development
• George Stewart, vice president of officiating training and development
• Mark Butterworth, vice president of replay training and development
• Jon Berger, director of replay

Officiating coach coordinators

• Gary Arthur
• Garth DeFelice
• Doug Rosenbaum
• Rob Vernatchi

Trainer coach

3 more officials retire, now totaling 6 this offseason

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May 28, 2024 at 2:57 pm

What no Blackula in Jerome Booger Boger. Clete is best known as Nebraska’s Field Goal Holder. Another year with a Land of the Lost Reject. Land Clark is just Lost in Space. Let Walt Anderson’s son become a ref and his Name is Derek Anderson so does that mean he will be for any teams Derek Anderson the QB played for. Plus Walt Anderson was a Very Corrupt Official. Just ask my older brother. Can we please have Hussey Change his name to something less Slutish. Is that the same Grantis Bell who was a Star in my 4th and inches Leagues. Make the former CFL official a Ref please so he can say Objectionable Conduct. please just make Ed Hochuli head of Officiating. Gene Steratore’s brother sounds like he has a Mob Job.

May 29, 2024 at 1:33 am

The Derek Anderson that was QB was a Different Derek Anderson and Derek Anderson the Official is Walt Andersons Son

May 29, 2024 at 1:25 pm

What is Tom Hill’s new role with the NFL. He is listed as a Trainer Coach.

May 30, 2024 at 8:54 pm

Sarah Thomas is getting a bad reputation by being on the crew headed by the clueless Brad Allen. Allen thinks he’s superior to other officials because he came straight into the NFL as a referee, which never, ever should have happened. He didn’t pay his dues like others and he has an arrogance about him.

May 30, 2024 at 8:55 pm

Nice to see the NFL is placing Karina Tovar at field judge. Finally, a lady working somewhere other than the LOS.

June 29, 2024 at 8:20 pm

Anybody know what Tom Hill’s new job consists of.

June 29, 2024 at 8:23 pm

Anybody know what Tom Hill’s new job in the NFL consist of.

August 1, 2024 at 11:07 am

Referee assignments for Hall of Fame Game

September 22, 2024 at 11:42 am

players are always making the throw a flag gesture why are they not flagged for interfering with the officials job you men and women are the over seers of the game the players should be flagged they dont have bias opinions that goes foe college and pro you dont throw passes or hand the ball off make it a rule

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