With regular referees locked out in a labor dispute with the NFL, a woman replacement ref will work a game for the first time Thursday night. (Bob Leverone / AP)
Eastin will work Thursday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers, marking the first time a woman will be part of an officiating crew, the Los Angeles Times’ Sam Farmer reports. Eastin has been a referee in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and other leagues.
Replacement refs worked the Hall of Fame game Sunday night between the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals and stumbled a bit getting out of the gate.
Craig Ochoa, who has worked Big Ten games, messed up the coin flip, incorrectly announcing the results and then, as he caught his error, stopping to say, “Correction. Arizona won the coin toss.”
Talks between the league and officials’ union are continuing, with the NFL training replacements in the interim.
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