Outside his part-time work in professional football, Green works as a Washington, D.C. contractor for public safety and criminal justice agencies as part of a firm he co-founded in 1994.[2] Green announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2013 football season.
Green started in the NFL as a field judge with the start of the 1991 NFL season before switching to back judge after the league swapped position titles at the start of the 1998 NFL season. Green worked Super Bowl XXXVI on February 3, 2002, as a back judge, Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004, also as a back judge, and Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010, as referee. His last assignment was the Pro Bowl on January 26, 2014, in Honolulu as referee.
Green wore uniform number 19, now worn by Clay Martin.[6]
Back judge
Green was considered by some to be the top back judge in the league.[7] He was however involved in a situation described by commissioner Paul Tagliabue as the most disappointing officiating blunder he'd seen in his years as NFL commissioner.[8] During a New York Giants and San Francisco 49ersWild Card playoff game in January 2003. Green did not realize that New York's Rich Seubert had lined up legally in a receiver's spot and failed to award a penalty when he was interfered with following an attempted field goal, instead penalizing him. It was later announced that officiating mechanics surrounding field-goal attempts and last plays of games would be changed.[7]
Promotion to referee
He became a referee on a part-time basis during the 2004 NFL season when referee Johnny Grier was injured. Green became a full-time referee at the start of the 2005 NFL season after Grier was forced to retire due to a leg injury. Green's first experience as an NFL referee came on October 3, 2004, during a game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.
Green's 2013 NFL officiating crew consisted of umpire Bruce Stritesky, head linesman Tom Stabile, line judge Mike Spanier, field judge Boris Cheek, side judge Larry Rose, and back judge Scott Helverson.[9]
During an NFL game he was officiating between the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers in 2008, Green ruled a lateral play by the Steelers as illegal, a decision he later conceded was wrong.[10] The incident has prompted the NFL to discuss "potential administrative improvements for replay that would help to prevent this type of mistake in the future."[11]