Arizona Cardinals

Arians: NFL should have full-time officials

Published Mar. 30, 2017 2:08 a.m. ET

PHOENIX -- Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has long advocated that NFL officials be hired full time.

In his first season as a member of the league's competition committee, Arians said he thinks the league is moving in the direction of hiring 17 full-time referees, one for each crew.

"There's a lot of negotiations in that process between the union and the league," he said at the conclusion of the NFL owner meetings, "but if we can have the head of each crew full time because of the consistency level of what's being said to the rest of the crew."

He said he now holds a 30-minute meeting just to scout the officiating crew that is going to work the upcoming game "because they're all different."

"Hopefully, we'll get more consistency in that area," Arians said.

He thinks the best new rule change is the centralizing of video reviews in New York. Arians said it should bring consistency in the calls.

"I think it will speed up for the fans and the coaches, not having to wait for a timeout to find out what's going on," Arians said. "There were times in the past where you would go to commercial break, come back and then we would get the TV feed, then we'd have to challenge. All that now should be sped up and we should not have those long breaks for the fans and the players."

Someone asked if Arians just mostly listened in his first season on the committee.

Fat chance, the always outspoken coach said.

"I don't have any problem giving my opinion," Arians said, "especially when it comes to rules and referees."