NFL Referees: Keeping the Integrity of the Game

This past Sunday, the National Football League (NFL), suspended two referees, Adrian Hill and Jeff Seeman, for unsportsmanlike conduct towards players on the field while officiating games.   

Seeman was suspended for using profanity against a Cardinal’s player on the sidelines of a Giants vs. Cardinals game. Cardinal’s player Trey McBride was supposedly tripped on the field and when a flag wasn’t thrown, McBride went to the sidelines and called out to Seeman to throw a flag. 

Seeman responded with profanity and did not throw a flag on the play. 

Hill was also suspended for his unsportsmanlike conduct while officiating a Vikings vs. Dolphins game on Sunday. During a play, Hill was accidentally knocked to the ground by Vikings player Eric Wilson.  

Wilson apologized to Seeman but the referee got up and started yelling in his face and pointing fingers, while another referee separated the two.  

According to news reports online, Wilson expressed that he was able to explain the situation to Hill and the two reconciled. 

But that was not enough to satisfy the NFL. 

Both of these interactions were all caught on camera, allowing the NFL to investigate and suspend Hill and Seeman. Seeman is suspended for the next two games, while Hill is only suspended for one.  

Referees have always gotten a bad rap from players, coaches and thousands of people sitting on their living room couches whenever the referees make a call they don’t like, but recently, NFL referees have been hounded by fans for not officiating games well this season.  

Players often get suspended for violations of unsportsmanlike conduct, but, as we’ve seen from the actions taken by the NFL this weekend in suspending Hill and Seeman, it’s different when referees return the unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Is it right for us to hold referees at different standards of discipline than the players? Is it right to hold higher standards for referees’ conduct on the field? 

The NFL’s decision to suspend two of their refs for a short period of time was a decisive move to send a message about how serious they are about keeping the integrity of the game.  

Referees act as the face of discipline on the field, and with that level of power, respect must be maintained. The refs must command respect on the field, so that players, coaches and audiences know that the NFL is worthy of their attention and trust.  

Anybody in authority, whether in sports or not, must have a commanding yet respectful presence so that we respect their decisions in turn. 

We are less likely to listen to someone who does not respect us and speak to us civilly than we are to someone who belittles us with profanity or anger.  

Showing anger and unsportsmanlike conduct on the field lets the audience not trust those in power to make sound decisions that are truly unbiased. 

Referees are supposed to be the most unbiased judges on the field, and I personally would not trust the calls of a referee that disrespected a player with unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Without this level of professional unbiased civility from referees, the standard for proper conduct and authority would be non-existent, and the integrity of the game would dissolve.  

I respect a referee that is confident enough to hold back his emotions while on the field and make clear-minded decisions.  

That’s why the NFL suspended Hill and Seeman. They are keeping the integrity of the game grounded by holding everyone in the game to higher standards, even the referees. 

In this case of rebuilding trust between referees and teams and fans, the NFL is succeeding.