Officials hold their final clinic before preseason

Just as teams are starting training camp to prepare for the 2024 season, NFL officials will attend their own “training camp” on July 24 with the league’s annual officiating clinic. This clinic will take place virtually and run through the 25th (if necessary) for on-field personnel. The replay officials’ clinic will be in-person in the replay command center in New York. All personnel will have a rules test at the conclusion of the clinics.

This is far from the only preparations NFL officials have gone through during the offseason. An on-field officials clinic was held in Dallas in June while replay officials held a remote meeting to review rules and mechanics. Last season, officials added two all-staff meetings to their schedules, one before Week 1 and another in November; those are expected to occur again this year.

With the exit of Walt Anderson and the hiring of Ramon George as the new vice president of Officiating, this clinic will be an opportunity for George to put his initial stamp on the officiating department. George will likely institute his vision of how on-field officials should move, operate, and officiate games. At the top of George’s agenda at the clinic will be two new significant rule changes approved by NFL owners: the new kickoff formation and the ban on hip-drop tackles. The hip-drop tackle will be particularly tricky to monitor and officiate properly, and it will be the job of the league and its officials to educate teams and players on what types of tackles are legal and which types are not.

The clinic typically includes film study and discussion, including position-specific breakout sessions with an officiating supervisor and position coach. With the Hall of Fame game scheduled for Aug. 1, officials will ramp up quickly to be ready for the preseason and ultimately the kickoff of the 2024 regular season, which is less than seven weeks away.