FOX sideline reporter Brock Huard interviewed the field judge closest to a controversial play during a UFL game in St. Louis, an unprecedented step in professional football broadcasting, the report says. The interview followed a third-down incompletion on which an apparent pass interference was not called and the Battlehawks settled for a 38-yard field goal.
The report says the brief, on-camera exchange with field judge Gabriel DeLeon represented a notable extension of the UFL’s transparency efforts. The league already lets broadcasters air discussions between officials and the UFL’s command center, where head of officiating Dean Blandino and Mike Pereira explain calls and narrate replay decisions, per the report.
Blandino told the report that the league does not intend to conduct such interviews frequently. “It’s not something we want to do multiple times a game or even every game,” he said, adding that letting officials explain their reasoning gives viewers the “why” behind calls. Blandino said hearing the official’s explanation can make the decision make more sense, even if viewers ultimately disagree.
Per the report, FOX executives asked Blandino for permission to speak with DeLeon after the no-call on Battlehawks receiver Hakeem Butler, and Blandino allowed it. During the exchange DeLeon explained his view on a potential back-shoulder pass, saying, “If there’s a back shoulder [pass], and I’m looking at that and there’s no material restriction, I’m just going to leave it alone, to be honest with you.” When Huard pressed for a clearer line, DeLeon added, “If the throw is not where it should be…you’re not going to reward a poor throw on something like that.”
The report says DeLeon ended the interview as play resumed, but that the in-the-moment explanation quickly became part of any fan debate. Blandino believes such transparency helps shift postgame conversation toward the competition rather than lingering over calls, noting that pool reports after games can be “very vanilla” and that explaining decisions during the game can allow everyone to move on.
The report contrasts the UFL practice with the NFL, where officials are generally barred from public comment beyond pool reports and the league has a designated public spokesman for officiating, per the report.
