03-25-2016, 11:29 PM
Here is the thing with making ref's full time. There are 17 weeks in the regular season, 5 weeks of pre-season. That's 22 weeks and then the post season. So during a week without any byes, there would need to be 16 crews to work the games for the week. So lets say for each game the ref's need to be at the stadium for 5 hours. Arriving before the game starts, and staying til the stadium is cleared. That is ONLY 110 hours of work for the entire year. OK, so lets pay them for their travel time as well. At most we would be doubling the time, as you can get pretty much anywhere in the continental US in 5 hours. So now we're at 220 hours for the entire year.
A full time job, 40 hours a week, for 50 weeks, (lets get 2 weeks vacation), comes to 2000 hours a year worked. So if we take the 220 hours away for their actual WORK, and travel time, that would leave them 1780 hours that they have to find something to do. So lets have them practice, watch film, and study the rule book. Let's say that takes them 500 hours a year. Then what? How much film study and reading of the rules can they do? I guess they could work out to stay in shape, or possibly practice on flag throwing?
Point being there simply isn't enough work for them to be full time. They could re-watch every single NFL game for the entire year, multiple times over.
It's a prestigious job already. Not sure what they paid, but I'm sure it's pretty decent. There is some celebtiry status that comes with it, and if you're good a possible career in the booth when you're finished on the field. Make them accountable, and have the bad ref's lose their cushy jobs. That I think would have a more positive impact then trying to find some way for these guys to spend 1200 plus hours a year.
A full time job, 40 hours a week, for 50 weeks, (lets get 2 weeks vacation), comes to 2000 hours a year worked. So if we take the 220 hours away for their actual WORK, and travel time, that would leave them 1780 hours that they have to find something to do. So lets have them practice, watch film, and study the rule book. Let's say that takes them 500 hours a year. Then what? How much film study and reading of the rules can they do? I guess they could work out to stay in shape, or possibly practice on flag throwing?
Point being there simply isn't enough work for them to be full time. They could re-watch every single NFL game for the entire year, multiple times over.
It's a prestigious job already. Not sure what they paid, but I'm sure it's pretty decent. There is some celebtiry status that comes with it, and if you're good a possible career in the booth when you're finished on the field. Make them accountable, and have the bad ref's lose their cushy jobs. That I think would have a more positive impact then trying to find some way for these guys to spend 1200 plus hours a year.
