Female officials coming soon to the NFL

The NFL has never had a woman work as an on-field game official. That may change soon.

NFL V.P. of Officiating Carl Johnson told Jane McManus of ESPN.com that he expects to hire a female official.

“We have some in our pipeline, and I expect we’ll see it soon,” Johnson said.

Johnson wouldn’t say who the female officials in the pipeline are, but he was presumably talking about either Sarah Thomas, a Conference USA official who was the first woman to officiate a major college football game, or Terri Valenti, who was the second female official in major college football and the first in pro football when she worked a UFL game last year.

Thomas said she likes the idea of moving up to the NFL.

“Any professional sport is at the highest level, and if they asked me to officiate at that level, I would not turn them down,” Thomas said.

Valenti has also said she wants to be an NFL official.

“I’d love to make it to the NFL; if I could get to the top of my profession that would be just awesome,” Valenti said after becoming the UFL’s only female official last year.

“Our goal,” Johnson said, “is to get the best people working this game.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...on-to-the-nfl/

[deleted] Like Women admitted in The Citadel,, That Military adcademy was for only men. If Traditions get ruined why not allow MEN in the YWCA? Why not allow men reporters in Female Locker rooms in Tennis and LPGA Golf events?

No question that there are inequities; however, if adding a female official improves the quality of the NFL's officiating, I'm in favor.

More significant than the officials' gender, to me, is the $9 billion NFL industry still does not engage full-time officials.

Ok by me.

I met an female official at a high school game once and she was the best one on the field.

And I completely agree with T, we need full time officials.

I'm willing to give them a shot. Who knows, we might find that they're pretty good at the job. A woman certainly won't be any worse than a blind old man.

You know how players and coaches curse at the officals? Now you know manners its not polite for men to curse at a woman i cant even say the F word to my mother. Look its not allowed in Pro Baseball because the way managers and players curse at umpires. How would a woman react to Ray Lewis or James Harrison get in her face?

Why I'm sure she'll just faint away like a poor wilting flower! The NFL game is going to be severely slowed by having to lug around fainting couches, plus having to stop the game to gossip about the new gal in the typing pool! Not to mention when all of them have to go to the bathroom together. Also they're going to call plays terribly once a month when they're on the rag.

Ya know, cause that's how women are. :eyes:

I think she should become a player first. Like see how it feels getting jacked up by Ray Lewis. Female Body is very delicate then men. Mens bones are much stronger then female bones. And Females wouldnt survive concussions like men do. When you get jacked up by a hit from Ray Lewis you can shake it off. But if a woman get jacked up by a hit from Ray Lewis well shell be leaving on a strecher. heres an good example Look at a cheerleader getting hit by a linebacker

They are already female officials at the top levels of soccer and it works fine

Best person for the job, if they are good enough I'm all for it