Teamwork key for officials, too

0 Comments | USA TODAY, October, 2007

They are the third set of players involved in an NFL game: the seven on-field officials and two replay officials who administer the game and enforce the rules. Referee Ed Hochuli, one of the NFL's most recognizable officials, even views his crew as a team.

Hochuli's group, and the NFL's 16 other crews, go through detailed steps to get ready for each game, not unlike the 32 teams. They watch game video. They grade their work. Above all, they are fully absorbed. Watching college football for fun, they comment on the calls. "It's hard to watch even those games as a fan," says Hochuli's back judge, Scott Helverson.

The NFL and Hochuli's crew gave USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt access to his group's Saturday preparation meeting, Sunday pregame routine and the start of...