Ex-ref John Parry: Time has come for a sky judge

[Roary]

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Former NFL referee John Parry never believed in the concept of a sky judge, an extra official watching the game from a booth with a monitor in front of him. Then he watched Monday night’s game from a booth with a monitor in front of him.

Parry, who now works for ESPN, was highly critical of the mistakes made by the officiating crew during the Lions-Packers game. And he said on ESPN today that he’s now in favor of a sky judge.

“Let’s embrace technology. I was not for a sky judge weeks ago. At this point, I think we have to embrace technology and we have to find a way to fix the egregious error,” Parry said.

It’s clear that sometimes the people watching on television have a better view than the officials on the field. An official who watches the game on television, inside the stadium, with the ability to contact the other officials immediately if they miss something, could improve officiating in the NFL. It’s an idea whose time has come.