準備斑馬：NFL官員如何為超級碗做好準備

為超級碗做準備是對球員的旋風，在管理美國最大的體育賽事的混亂的同時學習遊戲錄像帶和戰略傾向，而黑白條紋的人們也是如此。

The NFL selects the seven-member officiating crew for the Super Bowl based on their performance during the regular season, when every call is graded. Fifteen-year veteran Ron Torbert will serve as the lead official, or referee, his second Super Bowl assignment.

NFL根據常規賽的表現，在每個電話分級時，選擇了七名成員的主持人為超級碗選拔。 15年的老將羅恩·托伯特（Ron Torbert）將擔任他的第二任超級碗任務的首席官員或裁判。

Before taking the field, the crew will spend hours on Saturday watching plays, reviewing rules and studying film of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, retired officials said.

退休官員說，在參加比賽之前，工作人員將在周六花費數小時觀看戲劇，審查規則和研究堪薩斯城酋長和費城老鷹隊的電影。

“I want to look at down, distance and formation, and see what they do,” Jeff Rice, a retired official who worked four Super Bowls, including one as an alternate, told Reuters. “Do they favor the strong side? Do they do counter plays? What are their blocking techniques?”

“我想看下來，距離和陣型，看看他們在做什麼。”退休的官員傑夫·賴斯（Jeff Rice）在四個超級碗中工作，其中包括一個替代人，他告訴路透社。 “他們喜歡強大的一面嗎？他們做反戲嗎？他們的阻塞技術是什麼？”

Along the way, there will be armchair experts at home judging their every move.

一路上，判斷他們的一舉一動，在家中將有扶手椅專家。

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Scott Green, the executive director of the referees’ union, both rejected the notion that the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs receive preferential treatment.

NFL專員羅傑·古德爾（Roger Goodell）和裁判聯盟執行董事斯科特·格林（Scott Green）都拒絕了兩次衛冕冠軍堪薩斯城酋長獲得優惠待遇的觀念。

Officials need to coordinate seamlessly during the game. On every play, each official is responsible for different players and areas of the field, and the assignments can switch depending on how the offense lines up – and how the play unfolds.

官員們需要在比賽中無縫協調。在每場比賽中，每位官員都負責該領域的不同球員和領域，並且作業可以根據進攻的方式進行切換，以及比賽的發展方式。

Unlike during the regular season, when officiating crews work together all year, Sunday’s officials are pulled from various groups and have a short time to learn each other’s styles, from nonverbal signals to field positioning.

與常規賽不同的是，當主持人全年一起工作時，週日的官員被從各個小組中撤出，並且有很短的時間來學習彼此的風格，從非語言信號到現場定位。

“There are idiosyncrasies that become second nature when you work with the same crew every week,” said retired official Mike Carey, who served as referee in Super Bowl XLII in 2008, when the New York Giants upset the undefeated New England Patriots.

退休的官員邁克·凱里（Mike Carey）說：“當您每週與同一名工作人員一起工作時，就會有些特質成為第二天性。

The officials also use film to focus in on individual players, though they need to be careful not to allow that to influence what they see on the field.

官員們還使用電影專注於個別玩家，儘管他們需要小心，不要讓它影響他們在場上看到的東西。

“There’s a big difference between anticipating what’s going to happen and assuming what’s going to happen,” Carey said.

凱里說：“預期將會發生的事情和假設將會發生什麼之間有很大的區別。”

Officials want to be ready for an exotic formation, or a trick play, that might be difficult to call. To that end, the referee will typically meet before the game with the head coaches, who may even diagram an unusual play to make sure they don’t trigger a penalty flag in the moment.

官員們希望準備好進行異國情調的形成或戲法，這可能很難打電話。為此，裁判通常會在比賽前與總教練見面，他們甚至可能會繪製不尋常的比賽，以確保他們目前不會觸發點球標誌。

In 2010, the New Orleans Saints famously shocked the world – and their opponents, the Indianapolis Colts – by starting the second half with an unexpected onside kick that they recovered, turning the tide of the game.

2010年，新奧爾良聖徒隊以他們恢復的意外踢球開始，震驚了世界及其對手印第安納波利斯小馬隊，並扭轉了比賽的潮流。

One person who was not entirely surprised? Green, the game’s referee, who said he had heard from Saints coach Sean Payton beforehand that the team might use an onside kick at some point.

一個並不完全驚訝的人？格林（Green）是比賽的裁判，他說他已經從聖徒隊教練肖恩·佩頓（Sean Payton）手中聽說，球隊可能會在某個時候使用陣容。

Unlike in regular season matchups, the referee has to attend a dress rehearsal for the Super Bowl coin toss, a televised moment that usually includes luminaries on the field.

與常規賽的比賽不同，裁判必須參加超級碗硬幣拋棄的禮服彩排，這是電視轉播的時刻，通常包括球場上的Luminaries。

There are around 120 balls ready for use, and the officials aim to replace the ball on every play if possible, building a pile of souvenirs for corporate donors and other VIPs, Rice said.

賴斯說，大約有120個球可以使用，官員的目標是在每場比賽中更換球，為公司捐助者和其他貴賓建造一堆紀念品。

The seven alternates help as well, retired officials said. For instance, one will be assigned to shadow each head coach, so that any questions – or, perhaps, profanity-laced complaints – can be relayed via headset to the referee without delay.

退休官員說，這七個交替的幫助。例如，將把一個人分配給每個主教練，以便可以通過耳機毫不拖延地將任何問題（或者也許是褻瀆性的抱怨）傳遞給裁判。

Like the players, officials’ goal every year is to make it to the Super Bowl. The crew receives Super Bowl rings to commemorate their inclusion.

像球員一樣，官員每年的目標是進入超級碗。船員接收超級碗戒指以紀念他們的納入。

Rice, whose father officiated in two Super Bowls, recalled getting choked up when he called to tell him the news.

賴斯（Rice）的父親在兩個超級碗比賽中主持了儀式，他回憶起他打電話告訴他這個消息時被cho住了。

“It’s a completely life-changing event,” Carey said. “It’s a humbling experience – a thrilling experience – but you just start reflecting on all those things that helped you get there.”

凱里說：“這是一次完全改變人生的事件。” “這是一次令人沮喪的經歷 - 一種激動人心的經歷 - 但是您只是開始反思所有幫助您到達那裡的事情。”

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Alistair Bell)

（約瑟夫·阿克斯的報導；阿利斯泰爾·貝爾的編輯）