A former NFL ref and acclaimed rules expert shares his insights and thoughts on the rules of the sport   Only recently in the world of NFL media have “rules experts” become an essential part of a fan’s viewing experience. As the league continues to implement rule changes that have more and more of an impact on games and, sometimes, the final outcome, it’s become imperative that fans understand the rules and how they’re applied. But often, they need help. Mike Pereira, hired by Fox Sports in 2010 as the rules expert for both the NFL and college football, was not only the first to rise to prominence in the role, but he is consistently lauded as being the best by his peers and even rival media networks. Viewers have come to rely on Pereira, the former vice president of NFL officiating, to provide entertaining, informative, and reliable explanations of the league’s often baffling and controversial rulings during games. Now, Pereira digs a little deeper and gives NFL fans and casual viewers alike insight into NFL rules, their applications, and some of the most controversial calls in recent memory, in terms both can understand. In this book, Pereira draws on professional experience and his personal life, both his years of work at the pinnacle of the officiating world and his upbringing as the child of longtime official, Al Pereira. Mike Pereira is the former vice president of officiating for the National Football League and spent a total of 14 years officiating for the league. He is currently a rules expert for Fox Sports for professional and college football games. He was named Sports Illustrated ’s Sports Media Person of the Year in 2010 for his groundbreaking impact on sports television. He lives in Sacramento, California. Rick Jaffe was the senior vice president for news for 16 years at Fox Sports in Los Angeles and the former executive sports editor of the Los Angeles Times . He lives in Los Angeles . After Further Review My Life Including the Infamous, Controversial, and Unforgettable Calls That Changed the NFL By Mike Pereira, Rick Jaffe Triumph Books LLC Copyright © 2016 Mike Pereira and Rick Jaffe All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62937-161-0 Contents Foreword by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, 1. The Value of a Quarter, 2. The Scare of My Life, 3. This College Experience Was an Education, 4. The Process of Reaching the Pinnacle, 5. Leaving the Field for Greener Pastures, 6. Breaking It Down: Finances and the CBA, 7. As Good as It Gets ... or Is It?, 8. The Blame Game, 9. Plays That Changed NFL History, 10. Finally, "Instant" Gratification, 11. The Golden Rules ... and How to Change Them, 12. A New Sheriff — and New Rules — in Town, 13. The NFL's Cast of Characters, 14. The Lockouts and Impact of 9/11, 15. Pressures of the NFL and Why I Almost Left ... Twice, 16. The Move to TV: Lights, Camera, Satisfaction, 17. The Future of Officiating, 18. The Brotherhood and the Battle with My Old Nemesis, Photo Gallery, CHAPTER 1 The Value of a Quarter "You're not worth the quarter it takes to buy a Coke." Remember those words, folks. Because while it might sound like the lyrics to a country song, that phrase became the driving, motivational force in my life and just might be the key reason for many of the successes I've had. However, you might be a little surprised to find out that the source of those words came from a most unlikely place — my dad. Before you judge, you have to know a little about my dad, one Amaro Louis (Al) Pereira. I doubt that there has ever been a father that has had more influence on a son than my dad. Why? Maybe it was because he was never afforded the opportunities that he was able to provide me with when I was growing up. He came to America on a boat from the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal at the age of two. He grew up on a real dairy farm, where he would milk cows both in the morning before school and in the evening when he got home. But my dad was quite an athlete, too. He could really play, but because of his daily chores, he never really had time to pursue playing high school sports. He and his family went through the Great Depression, and they lost everything. I mean everything. All they ended up with was their car, their belongings, and $10,000 in debt. It was interesting in those days; my dad's father had to work off all the debt. There was no way this immigrant from Portugal was going to declare bankruptcy, so he learned valuable lessons from his father when he was young. I truly believe that he wanted to give me the chances that he'd never had. But my dad did get to go away to college, to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, better known as Cal Poly SLO. There, he played baseball, and I remember people saying he was a very good player. He continued playing baseball and softball afterward in Stockton, California. That's where I grew up as a child, and I recall watching his every move as a third bas