Three additional refs pulling double shifts for NFL games after historic FAA ground stop

A four-hour nationwide FAA ground stop on Friday disrupted NFL officials’ travel, prompting three more referees to work two games on Sunday. The unusual scheduling change is intended to keep Week 10 games staffed despite widespread flight disruption.

Umpire Terry Killens, field judge Jabir Walker and side judge Justin Larrew will officiate Dolphins-Colts in Indianapolis, then travel 110 miles by car to Steelers-Bengals in Cincinnati. Referee Don Willard had already been assigned two games on Saturday. The NFL said it moved officials to games within driving distance of their hometowns and has a backup referee for each of its 17 crews; the stoppage followed a communications problem involving overloaded older technology and led to more than 2,000 flight cancellations.