Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
NFL officiating director Mike Pereira is overseeing a significant overhaul to his departmental structure. The league will employ five regional supervisors to forge a better understanding with teams while promoting the development of future officials across the country.
The league previously employed five New York-based supervisors. Under the new plan, supervisors will spend the offseason observing and even working practices at the team facilities in their regions. Officials already shift their in-game alignments based on formations, but Pereira thinks they can make additional improvements as they see the game the way teams see the game. Officials adjusted how they align for special-teams plays based on input from former Lions special-teams coach Chuck Priefer to break down video for them.
Former New York-based supervisors Johnny Grier (southeast) and Neely Dunn (southeast) are already in place. The league plans to hire supervisors in the mideast, central and west regions. During the season, regional supervisors will spend Mondays through Wednesdays breaking down games in New York. Pereira said this isn't a shift toward full-time officials.
