eli5: how do American football referees know where a punt goes out of bounds while the ball is in the air, watching from standing on the field?

Question

A referee can see the ball goes out of bounds, then jogs along the sidelines to call where the ball should be placed. From the view on the field however, from any angle, one referee couldn’t really tell where it went out while the ball is in the air. There is never a break or replay look, so do they just get as close as they can?

In: 2

Answer 1

Pretty much all refereeing in the NFL is eyeballing and guesswork. The sport has resisted any kind of technology in these decisions, for better or worse.