Should the NFL take a lesson from the UFL's new referee strategy?

The UFL is shaking things up with its approach to in-game officiating controversies, and there might be a lesson that the NFL could take from the burgeoning spring league.

This past Friday, amid a contest between the St. Louis BattleHawks and Columbus Aviators, there was a controversial no-call on what some thought should be declared pass interference. And then, the league did something that might confound NFL fans – they brought field judge Gabriel DeLeon front and center on the broadcast to do an in-game interview addressing the call.

"If there’s a back shoulder and I’m looking at that and, you know, there’s no material restriction, I’m just gonna leave it alone to be honest with you,” DeLeon said.

“So if the throw is not where it should be — if that throw’s not there — you’re not gonna reward a poor throw on something like that?” Fox analyst Brock Huard asked.

“Yeah, that works,” DeLeon said. “That works for me.”

This type of official accessibility and overall transparency is quite refreshing, particularly when the NFL doesn't allow anything close to the access to what actually goes into these crucial officiating decisions, which often have direct impacts on game outcomes.

While integrating on-field official interviews into NFL broadcasts hasn't been discussed and seems antithetical to the league's typical practice, the league should give the idea serious thought. It could improve the image of both the league and its officials.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Should the NFL take a lesson from the UFL's new referee strategy?