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NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has hired 24 full-time game officials, including veteran referees Walt Anderson and Pete Morelli.
The NFL and NFL Referees Association made the announcement Thursday. The number of full-time officials is up from 21 last season.
All seven on-field officiating positions — referee, umpire, down judge, line judge, field judge, side judge and back judge — will be represented with full-timers.
The full-time officials will work throughout the year to help improve various aspects of officiating, including game preparation and administration, analyzing game trends, communicating with teams, and helping develop a pipeline of future officials.
Alberto Riveron, the NFL's Senior Vice President of Officiating, says the full-time officials were beneficial last year and improved communication with teams.
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