NFL Countdown: League officiating changed forever in 1947 after one major addition

Football back judge signals for a touchdown

The NFL officiating crew have one of the most thankless jobs in all of football. If they are doing their job effectively, you should barely be aware of their existence. If you know their names, or if they are part of the conversation, then chances are they have messed up at some point.

Often referred to as the third team on the field, the NFL provides the following description of their officials:

"Without the benefit of multiple camera angles on high-definition TV, the crew rules on about 154 plays each and every game. Correctly officiating an NFL game takes years of experience, training, and development. NFL officials are the best of the best — only 121 officials currently have the privilege of calling football games at the highest level.

The NFL officiating crew is a team of seven, comprising of a referee, umpire, down judge, line, side, field, and back judge. Prior to 1947, their job was even more difficult when they operated without the support of a back judge.

Located deep in the defensive backfield at least 30 yards downfield, back judges have a wide variety of resposiblilities. This includes making those dreaded pass interference and holding calls.

Back judges also have the added task of ruling on the legality of the catch. With such weight of responsibility, they can often have a dramatic impact on the outcome of any contest, and quickly become the subject of intense scrunity.

Infamous calls made by NFL back judges

If any evidence is required that officiating in the NFL is a tough task, look no further than the referee lockout of 2012. With the NFL and the NFL Referees Association unable to reach a compromise on a collective bargaining agreement prior to the 2012 season, NFL officials withdrew their labor.

In order to call their bluff, the league drafted in replacement officials prior to the start of the season. The plan only lasted three weeks, as the new officials consistently made questionable calls.

But everything came to a head in a Monday Night Football matchup in Week 3 between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. Trailing 12-7 with eight seconds to go, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson launched a 'Hail Mary'.

This was intercepted in the end zone by Packers safety MD Jennings in a contested catch with Seahawks wideout Golden Tate.

The back judge correctly ruled it an interception, but the line judge felt it was a touchdown. At this point, all hell broke loose when the match official got involved. After much deliberation, in was incorrectly ruled a touchdown and the Seahawks stole the victory.

It was a touchdown. 😉 #FailMary #Seahawks #GreenBay #ThrowbackThursday #SimultaneousPossession #Touchdown #GoHawks

https://t.co/1bWB4hKMiE

The play soon became known as the 'Fail Mary', and the very next day the refereeing lockout ended, with the proper officiating crews returning for Week 4.

On that occasion, the back judge got the call correct. However, during the crazy 2002 playoff game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers, the back judge blew a pass interference call. This ultimately cost the Giants the game.

Jim Fassel was head coach of the 2002 Giants team during one of the craziest playoff games in NFL history. Down by an incredible 38-14 score, San Francisco came all the way back to take the lead 39-38. The absolutely wild ending is relished by 49ers fans & reviled by Giants fans: https://t.co/G9wkS8vyMW

In what was already a wild game, the Niners were seemingly beaten after they trailed by 38-14. What followed was one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history as they recorded 25 unanswered points to lead 39-38 with seconds remaining.

New York, however, would have a 41-yard field-goal attempt to snatch a last-gasp victory, only to botch the snap. But a heads up play by the holder led to a pass downfield, which resulted in clear pass interference, which should have left the Giants with a chip shot for the win.

Except that the call was missed, and the 49ers professed, much to the anger of the G-Men, and their fans.

Officials have a thankless task, and fans and players will never praise the calls that they call correctly, but without them we wouldn't have a game at all.