After FAA ground stop, NFL referee Don Willard will work two games in one day, driving 110 miles between them
The impact of the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide ground stop in the United States has reached American football. The National Football League (NFL) said disrupted air travel forced it to adjust its officiating assignments for Week 10 games, reassigning officials to games within driving distance of their hometowns.
The most unusual part of the change involves referee Don Willard, who will officiate two games on the same day. After working the Miami Dolphins–Indianapolis Colts game in Indianapolis at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, he will drive roughly 110 miles to Cincinnati to referee the Pittsburgh Steelers–Cincinnati Bengals game at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Don Willard has been an NFL official for nine seasons and previously worked as a side judge. Whether Willard will be the first referee ever to work two games in one day is unknown, the league's announcement noted.
Besides Willard, two other backup officials will work as referees this week. Umpire Barry Anderson will work the Jacksonville Jaguars–Tennessee Titans game, and Duane Heydt will work the Carolina Panthers–New Orleans Saints game.
Under the original schedule, Shawn Smith was set to work the Carolina–New Orleans game, Alex Moore the Jacksonville–Tennessee game, Carl Cheffers the Miami–Indianapolis game and Clete Blakeman the Pittsburgh–Cincinnati game. The ground stop made travel uncertain and forced those plans to change.
The NFL said each of its 17 officiating crews has a designated backup who is trained throughout the season to fill in when needed, and that backup system is what has been used this week.
The FAA lifted its nationwide ground stop on Friday night, but the impact will still be felt on football fields on Sunday. The ground stop was only the second nationwide one since the September 11, 2001 attacks. More than 2,000 flights were canceled, forcing college football teams to scramble over travel plans ahead of Saturday's games.
