Football Zebras Trivia Quiz

Answer: black

The NFL uniform for field officials consists of a black and white striped shirt, black knickers (pants), black belts, and black shoes. The referee wears a white cap while all other officials wear black caps. During the 1920s before the striped shirts were adopted, they wore white dress shirts, black bow ties, black dress pants, and black dress shoes.

Answer: referee

The other positions are the umpire, head linesman, field judge, line judge, back judge, and the side judge.

Answer: Johnny Grier

Johnny Grier became the first referee in the NFL with the start of the 1988 season. He was a line judge and a field judge for 7 years before earning his promotion. He officiated Super Bowl XXII, which was also the year the first African-American quarterback (Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins) won the Super Bowl.

Answer: beans or sand

At one time, ball bearings were used. This practice was discontinued after a player was injured when he was hit in the eye by an officials flag in 1999.

Answer: Fran Tarkenton

When quarterbacks became more mobile, the use of the line judge became necessary. The line judge watches for line of scrimmage infractions, whether passes are forward or lateral, and if the quarterback threw after he was passed the line of scrimmage. The line judge is also responsible for counting how many offensive players are on the field at any time.

He is usually positioned to the left of the quarterback at the end of the offensive line.

Answer: Jim Tunney

Dr. Jim Tunney was the first NFL official to have served in 4 different decades. He set a record for postseason assignments, having worked 29 different games. He was the referee in 3 Super Bowls and an alternate in a 4th. He is nicknamed "The Dean of NFL Officials".

Answer: indicates if a ball goes thru the uprights for field goals

The umpire does all these except ruling on field goals and points after touchdowns. They also monitor for offensive holding and illegal man downfield. Finally, they record all time outs, the coin toss, and the scores.

Answer: back judge

The back judge lines up in the backfield of the defense. His duties are to watch the passing game and make sure all catches are legal and whether interfence has occured, both by the offense and the defense. He also watches the returner in punting plays and watches for clipping penalties during run-backs. He also decides whether a ball went through the uprights.

Answer: head linesman

His calls can really make or break a game. He lines up on the side straddling the line of scrimmage. He also is in charge on the chain crew and monitors whether any player goes out of bounds on his side of the field.

Answer: Ed Hochuli

While all of the choices were among the officiating elite, it is Hochuli who is known for his powerful build. He has been dubbed Ed Hercules and his build can make one wonder whether he is an official or a player.