Dean Blandino rejoins XFL as head of officiating
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The XFL plans to return to action in 2023 and Den Blandino will be part of the league’s relaunch.
Blandino served as the head of officiating in 2020 and the XFL announced that he will return as the vice president of officiating and playing rules innovation in 2023. Blandino was the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating for several years before stepping down to become a rules analyst for Fox Sports in 2017.
“Football is a dynamic and ever evolving sport with increasing global appeal. From my time in the NFL through to the XFL, my focus has always been on bringing forward ideas and structure that can continue to support the game we love and allow it to grow into the future. Football is my passion and it’s an exciting time to be a part of the XFL as they build a dynamic game that will appeal to fans and players,” Blandino said in a statement. “I was thrilled to join the league initially in 2019 and happy to be back alongside this incredible ownership and leadership group as we gear up for 2023.”
The XFL and NFL recently announced that they will be working together on “select innovation programs” including officiating, rules changes, and player safety. Blandino’s role will involve that work along with the oversight of all of the league’s officials.
