Refereeing a football game seems easy enough to those of us who sit in our La-Z-Boys gesturing and yelling “holding!” at the TV screen. But it takes many years of work and studying to be able to don the black-and-white striped uniform of an NFL Official.

Most officials garner experience at the high school level, after learning the ropes in Pop Warner or Boys’ Club leagues. To be eligible for an NFL Official slot, you must have a minimum of 10 years officiating experience, including five years at the college level. That’s why it pays off to start early. Once you have enough seniority under your belt, you can fill out an application with the NFL, with which you’ll also include your current officiating schedule. Much like teams scout for potential players, NFL reps show up at games unannounced to watch the officials. These days, if you make that cut, you’ll likely start out by heading overseas to officiate at NFL Europe games in Spain, Germany and Great Britain. Those who make the final cut there are interviewed and evaluated, both by psychologists and the NFL Security Department.

When all is said and done, from a pool of approximately 200 candidates, only six will ultimately be hired as NFL Officials.