The NFL announced it has adjusted its officiating assignments for Week 10 due to the “ongoing nationwide impact to air travel this week” following the Federal Aviation Administration’s ground stop on Friday, reassigning officials to games within driving distance of their hometowns.
Due to the changes, three backup referees will work as referees on Sunday.
Umpire Duane Heydt will referee the 1 p.m. ET game between the Panthers and Saints; umpire Barry Anderson will referee the 1 p.m. ET game between the Jaguars and Titans; and side judge Don Willard is set to work two games in one day — a 1 p.m. ET Dolphins-Colts matchup and Steelers versus Bengals on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. ET.
The travel between the Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and the Bengals’ Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati is roughly 110 miles.
“Each of the league’s 17 officiating crews have a backup referee identified, and that individual trains throughout the year to work at the referee position should the need arise,” the NFL said in its statement announcing the officiating changes.
The FAA grounded all flights nationwide for several hours Friday, with transportation officials citing “extraordinary circumstances” caused by communications issues at regional air traffic control centers for the stoppage.
Trump administration officials said Friday that new technology being added to the nation’s air traffic control system overloaded antiquated parts of it and caused “intermittent” communications and radar gaps, leading to the longest nationwide ground stop in 25 years.
It was lifted Friday evening after a five-hour stretch when most flights were not allowed to take off from airports in the U.S.
Source: www.nfl.com
