Goodell, Referee Union Call Conspiracy Theories “Ridiculous”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell takes questions at his annual press conference ahead of Super Bowl LIX, February 3, 2025. Screenshot via NFL Media.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called theories that the league’s officiating is biased towards the Kansas City Chiefs “ridiculous nonsense.”
The comments came as Goodell conducted his annual “State of the League” press conference. Goodell was asked about the widespread public perception that the referees favor the Chiefs in calling close plays. Goodell flatly denied the claims.
“This sort of reminds me a little bit of ‘the script,'” Goodell stated, “that I write a script and that I have the script for the entire season.” The league actually steered into the skid with this idea during promotional advertisements during the 2023-24 season.
On Tuesday, the NFL Referees Association concurred with the Commissioner’s characterization of the theories.
“Officiating crews do not work the same team more than twice each regular season,” said NFLRA Executive Director Scott Green in a statement. “It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team.”
Goodell, meanwhile, reiterated the importance of officiating the game.
“It reflects a lot of the fans’ passion,” Goodell said, “and I think it’s also a reminder for us of how important officiating is.
NFL officials undergo a rigorous selection process, predominantly from among officials that have worked Division I college football games for the NCAA, but may also come from other professional leagues. The officials are scouted just as players are scouted, and the league puts officials in a development plan.
The league evaluates each official on each play of each game, according to league sources and the NFLRA statement. The grades are the determining factor as to who works postseason games, including the Super Bowl. The game officials who work in the Super Bowl are adjudicated the best officials in each of the seven on-field positions.
In an exclusive interview with Birds Nest Media last offseason, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent talked about the disparity between the league’s officials making a game-changing mistake and the players making a game-changing mistake.
“The player may drop a pass that most fans would consider an elementary catch, or an elementary tackle,” Vincent said. “But if an official misses a holding call, or calls a [defensive pass interference], it’s like ‘They should be gone! What is going on with officiating?’ The officials over time, in any sport, not just football, they’re like the common enemy.”
Officials got 95 percent of calls correct in 2023-24, according to the NFL Football Operations department. Green indicated that this is indicative of the officials doing the best job.
“You can rest assured that on every single down, NFL Officials, both on the field and in the replay booth, are doing
everything humanly possible to officiate every play correctly,” Green remarked.
Goodell, meanwhile, recognized the importance of continuously improving officiating, while lauding the league’s officials for the job they’ve done.
“I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards,” Goodell observed. “But at the end of the day, it’s always something we have to continue to work on.”
