The NFL has agreed to permit television networks to outfit the on-field official known as the umpire with a miniature TV camera in his cap during regular-season and post-season games this year. Fox Sports executive director Ed Goren told Bloomberg News Thursday that on certain plays the cap camera will "give you an intimate look at what is happening." CBS exec producer Terry Ewert said that in preseason tests the camera showed "the size and power of running backs coming right at you." The umpire is the official who generally positions himself behind the line of scrimmage. (Responding to a question on an Internet newsgroup site about a football umpire's responsibilities, one official noted that the last time he worked the post, he ended up with "a bloodied nose, a pair of broken glasses, and a few cracked ribs." Therefore, he added, "the umpire's primary responsibility during a regular play from scrimmage is STAY OUT OF THE WAY and PROTECT YOURSELF at all times. And I'm only half kidding.")

Source: Studio Briefing