Why aren't Refs wearing protective gear?

[KillerKat]

I'm watching Football Follies of NFL network now. They have follies of refs getting hit. Makes me wonder why they don't wear protective equipment. They could wear a helmet with the facemask of a kicker thats down low and wear small shoulder pads with a flak jacket and pants like the players wear with knee, upper leg, and hip padding. It's not that complicated. It wouldn't keep them from doing their job. Why hasn't it been done?

[Lumps]

Because there really isn't a need for it. How many refs get seriously injured? No one is purposely trying to hit a ref, except that thug Luke Keachly, so I think that minimizes any real issue. These are old men as well. Strapping on 20lbs of pads and I could see it affecting their job. Same with the helmet falling or what not etc. I just don't think it's needed but then again I think refs should be replaced with technology and find it silly to rely on a 60 year olds' eyesight and slowing though process vs. just putting a damn chip in the ball.

[Oldmanrivera]

Because there really isn't a need for it. How many refs get seriously injured? No one is purposely trying to hit a ref, except that thug Luke Keachly, so I think that minimizes any real issue. These are old men as well. Strapping on 20lbs of pads and I could see it affecting their job. Same with the helmet falling or what not etc. I just don't think it's needed but then again I think refs should be replaced with technology and find it silly to rely on a 60 year olds' eyesight and slowing though process vs. just putting a damn chip in the ball.

I remember wondering, as a wee lad, why the hell they couldn't put an accurate chip in a ball and outfit the entire field with sensors.

[PandaPancake]

I could almost see the need for a bump cap. Just to disperse energy from their head. When I used to work harder I wore an old body armor vest so that if I got hit by a pipe I wouldn't get bruised or break a rib

[OneBadCat]

If they wear gear they better be allowed to get hit for making a bad call.

[jasonluckydog]

Maybe they want babies. 

[SCMunnerlyn1]

They could rock the leather head and those really nice clothes built in gurdles and flakjackets that arent bulky at all.

[Nicbsbll2]

I could see a helmet similar to what hockey refs wear but that's about it. Aside from the one official in the middle of the defensive backfield all the others are pretty much out of the way (or should be if they are doing their jobs correctly.)

[Khyber53]

No gear keeps them quick but not weighted down. It amazes me how much ground those guys cover each game, no plays taken off.

And we've all seen those breakaway touchdowns where a running back shooting down the sideline, leaving other football players in the dirt, and here's some 60 year-old dude in a zebra shirt, running along with him, backwards, watching the sideline and the player simultaneously.

You can call refs blind and/or stupid, but never call them lazy or slow.

 

[fjblair]

If you get rolled as a ref you aren't doing something right, in general.