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Hermina Ferry

Feb 13, 2025

What is the job of the person on the NFL sidelines who wears the big orange gloves?

What is the role of the person on the NFL sidelines who wears the big orange gloves? Could you please provide more details about their responsibilities and how they contribute to the game? Thanks in advance for your help!

1 Answers

Best Answer

The man with the orange gloves on the sidelines is the "timeout producer," also known as “orange sleeves.”

When games are televised, the broadcasting network must coordinate with the referees to ensure that all commercials are aired during the game. The timeout producer ensures that fans at home do not miss a second of game action by working with the officiating crew and coordinating with the production team in the truck.

The timeout producer coordinates with the team in the truck when they want to take a break, and he communicates that to the officials on the field so they can work as seamlessly as possible.

Crossing his arms (across the chest) indicates that they want to take a commercial following the current play. Then, once they are in the commercial, he puts one arm behind his back so the radio personnel in the booth can see that they are in commercial as well, as they rely on their timing. The same applies to all of the local personnel. When they go to break, everybody goes to break. (There are five media timeouts per quarter, and they can take up to eight, depending on circumstances and other factors.)

The orange gloves are used because they are easily visible to the referees. In the 1960s, timeout producers were referred to as “red hats” based on the headgear they wore during the game.

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