nfl officials assignments week 12

NFL Week 12 Officiating Angles: Finding Edges in Falcons-Saints, Panthers-Titans and Rams-Cardinals

We went 1-2 last week, dropping this column to 18-15 (+1.5 units) on the season. Now it's on to the Week 12 Sunday slate as we look to finish the season strong.

This season, Joe Gibbs (not the Hall of Fame coach, the NFL referee expert who tweets @NFLrefstats1) is collaborating with SportsLine to provide weekly, referee-based betting angles. He analyzes the NFL ref assignments from the moment they are released each Tuesday.

Before you make any Week 12  NFL picks  or NFL parlays, you need to see what Gibbs and SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein have to say about the officiating crews' tendencies.

We can tell you Hartstein and Gibbs are betting the Falcons +1.5 at home versus the Saints, in part because Brad Allen's crew will officiate.

Since 2016, home underdogs are 26-17-1 ATS (61 percent) with Allen officiating. Allen is calling a below-average 41% of his penalties on home teams, in line with a career trend. The Saints average the sixth-most penalties in road games, and they lead the NFL in defensive pass interference. 

Hartstein also is sharing key officiating angles in Panthers-Titans and you need to see this critical referee data before locking in your picks!

So which side of Panthers-Titans has the edge? And what other officiating edges can be found on the Week 12 slate ? ...  Join SportsLine right now to see Larry Hartstein's Week 12 NFL officiating trends, all from the expert who went 53-34-3 in the SuperContest last year !

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NFL Referee Assignment for Week 2 & Impact on NFL Betting

We tend to only focus on NFL referees after a controversial decision or bad no-call. Yet, each head NFL referee and his respective crew interprets the game differently.

Gaining insight into the way a game will be officiated can have immense value in the betting market.

A referee who calls more penalties for defensive holding and roughing the passer has a far different impact on game flow than a ref who focuses more on offensive holding and false starts.

Referee style one week may hide a team’s weakness (defensive backs), but a different official who leans heavily on calling pass interference will compound that weakness the next week.

Same team. Different outcomes.

Throughout this 2024 NFL season, we’ll help to identify important trends and tendencies by different NFL referees to help you gain an edge when placing a bet .

NFL Referee Assignment for Week 2

Brad Allen’s Impact on 49ers at Vikings

The 49ers head to Minneapolis for the second consecutive year versus a Vikings team off a big road win to open the 2024 season.

Let’s assess the strengths and weaknesses of both teams from a penalty perspective and how the officiating of Brad Allen will potentially impact this game.

Penalty Tendencies:

• The Vikings were the most penalized team for offensive holding after one week of the season. This is likely an aberration. The Vikings under Kevin O’Connell have been one of the least penalized units for offensive holding over the past two seasons.
• The 49ers defense ranked last at generating offensive holding on opponents in 2023 and generated no offensive holding penalties versus the Jets in their season opener.
• The Vikings offense has been a top-three beneficiary of automatic first downs via penalties in O’Connell’s first two seasons as head coach. That strength via penalties continued in their opening game at the Giants.
• On key third down plays, Brad Allen’s crew have called an NFL-low 37.5% of their penalties on the home team since the start of the 2021 season. That favorable home team trend continued last week in the Seahawks-Broncos game, with a disproportionate amount of third down penalties called on the visiting team.

The Bottom Line:

• H ome underdogs have performed at an above average rate with Brad Allen officiating, recording a 30-18-1 ATS (61%) record since 2016.

The 49ers find themselves playing in Minnesota for the second consecutive season, this time off a short week after their MNF win versus the Jets.

San Francisco is the superior team, but US Bank Stadium is one of the most difficult venues to operate in for opposing offenses.

The 49ers’ overall talent may get them a win here and help them start the season 2-0, but it will be close, making the Minnesota Vikings +6 points the play in this game.

Bet the Vikings +6

Carl Cheffers’ Impact on Seahawks at Patriots

The Seahawks travel east for their 2024 road opener, taking on the surprising Patriots.

Let’s assess the strengths and weaknesses of both teams from a penalty perspective and how the officiating of Carl Cheffers will potentially impact this game.

• Carl Cheffers’ crew called an above average 61.5% of their penalties on the offense in 2023. That focus on offense continued in their opening game of 2024, with 60% of their penalties assessed on the offensive side of the ball.
• The Patriots offense was responsible for 60% of the team’s penalties in Week 1.
• The Seahawks’ six penalties committed in their opener were all via the offense.
• The Seahawks have been a heavily penalized road team in recent seasons. They have one of the largest negative home versus road penalty discrepancies in the NFL.
• Cheffers’ crew has called above average penalties on both wide receivers and tight ends since the start of 2021.
• Furthermore, Cheffers’ crew has called a below average percentage of their overall penalties on defensive backs since 2021.
• Home teams are 80-52 on the moneyline (61%) since the start of the 2016 season with Carl Cheffers officiating.
• Home underdogs like the Patriots are 22-12-2 ATS (65%) with Cheffers since 2016.

We have two defensive-minded head coaches in this game with a crew inclined to disproportionately penalize the offenses.

Points will be at a premium, and the offensive-challenged Patriots will be more than happy to play a game in the teens. The Cheffers’ crew may be the ideal group to make that a reality.

The Seahawks have the overall talent edge, but it’s a long trip for a team that’s been heavily penalized on the road in recent seasons.

This contest may well be decided on a late field goal, making the New England Patriots +3.5 points the play.

Bet the Patriots +3.5

Clete Blakeman’s Impact on Steelers at Broncos

The Steelers play their second consecutive road game to start the season in one of the NFL’s most difficult environments.

The assigned referee is one that Pittsburgh has not fared well with in recent seasons.

Let’s assess the strengths and weaknesses of both teams from a penalty perspective and how the officiating of Clete Blakeman’s crew will potentially impact this game.

• The Broncos defense was heavily penalized in Week 1 at the Seahawks, including twice for defensive pass interference. 
• The Steelers offense generated zero beneficial penalties via passing plays in their opener in Atlanta.
• The Steelers offense was responsible for five of the team’s nine penalties in their season opener. That percentage is above average for Pittsburgh based on recent seasons. What’s interesting is the penalty numbers were similar to the Bears offensive penalty numbers of 2023 with Justin Fields at quarterback.
• The Broncos’ homefield advantage and crowd noise have consistently generated above average offensive pre-snap penalties on visiting teams. Expect the crowd to be a major factor on Sunday and the Steelers to be playing from behind the chains due to pre-snap infractions.
• Home teams have performed well with Blakeman officiating in recent years, going 28-22-1 ATS (57%) since the start of the 2021 NFL season.
• The Steelers have struggled with Blakeman officiating over the past decade. Pittsburgh is 3-10 on the moneyline and 4-9 ATS. As favorites, the Steelers are just 2-5 ATS with Blakeman.

The Broncos performed well in a difficult road environment with a rookie quarterback in their season opener at Seattle.

They benefit from a significant home crowd advantage in this contest versus a less than dynamic Steelers offense.

Points will be at a premium in a matchup with both head coaches looking to play risk-averse football.

An outright win by the home underdogs is a strong possibility in a 17-16 type contest, making the Broncos +2.5 points the play.

Bet the Broncos +2.5

2024 NFL Referees Stats & Their Historical Betting Trends

A comprehensive breakdown for every NFL Referee working games for the 2024 season, plus a deeper look at their penalty-calling historical trends, statistics, and how it may impact betting opportunity plus the pace of gameplay.

Adrian Hill: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 43-39 ATS in true home games with Adrian Hill, including a career best 12-5 ATS in 2023
• Adrian Hill is 45-36-1 Under in his career
• In Divisional games, Hill is 14-8-1 Under in his career

Alex Kemp: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 47-50-1 ATS in Kemp’s career
• Divisional home teams are 14-18 on the moneyline and 13-19 ATS in Alex Kemp’s career
• Kemp is 16-16i in Divisional game totals for his career, including 2-2 in 2023

Alan Eck: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams were 13-3 on the moneyline and 11-5 ATS in 2023, Alan Eck’s first season as a head referee
• Alan Eck was 10-6 Under in 2023

Bill Vinovich: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• True home teams are 42-54-4 ATS with Vinovich since 2018 went just 5-10-2 ATS with Vinovich in 2023 
• Bill Vinovich is 61-38-2 Under since 2018, including 11-7 Under in 2023 

Brad Allen: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 74-53-1 on the moneyline with Brad Allen since 2016
• Home teams are 69-56-3 ATS in those same games since 2016
• Brad Allen is 73-55 Under since 2016

Brad Rogers: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 39-37 on the moneyline and 38-38 ATS in Brad Rogers’ career 
• Brad Rogers is 43-33 Over the total in his career
• Brad Rogers is 18-10 Over in career Divisional games

Carl Cheffers: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 79-52 on the moneyline since 2016 with Cheffers officiating
• Home teams are 67-62-2  ATS with Cheffers since the start of the 2016 NFL season
• Divisional home teams are 29-18 ATS with Carl Chaffers since 2016

Clay Martin: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Clay Martin is 46-43-3 Under in his career. Martin was 11-4-2 Over in 2023
• True home teams in Clay Martin’s career are 47-44 on the moneyline & 37-52-2 ATS  
• Divisional home teams are 13-15 on the moneyline & 9-19 ATS.with Clay Martin officiating

Clete Blakeman: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 61-67-3 ATS with Blakeman since the start of 2016
• Divisional home teams are 24-22 on the moneyline since 2016
• Blakeman is 23-23 on divisional totals including 4-3 under in 2023

Craig Wrolstad: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 63-63 on the moneyline and 51-73-2 ATS since 2016
• Home underdogs are 20-36–1 ATS since 2016, including a 3-3-1 ATS in 2023

John Hussey: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 90-41 on the moneyline with John Hussey since 2016
• Home teams are 79-47-5 ATS with Hussey since 2016
• Home teams were 14-3 on the moneyline and 13-3-1 ATS with John Hussey in 2023 

Land Clark: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 25-37-1 ATS in Land Clark’s career
• Clark is 36-26-1 Under the total in his career, although he was 9-7 Over in 2023

Scott Novak: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 27-49-3 ATS (36%) in Scott Novak’s career, the lowest  ATS percentage of any referee since his debut in 2019
• Divisional home teams are 9-20-1 ATS (31%) in Scott Novak’s career

Shawn Hochuli: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams are 43-51-3 ATS in Shawn Hochuli’s career, including a 9-7-1 ATS record in 2023
• Shawn Hochuli was 10-7 Under in 2023 and is 54-41-2 Under the total in his career
• In Divisional games, Shawn Hochuli is 26-11-1 Under the total in his career

Shawn Smith: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams were 3-13 on the moneyline and 4-11-1 ATS with Shawn Smith in 2023
• Home teams are 42-53-1 on the moneyline and 39-54-3 ATS in Smith’s career
• Shawn Smith was 11-6 Under in 2023 and is 49-47-1 Under the total in his career

Tra Blake: Referee Penalty Trends & How it may impact betting

• Home teams 18-13 on the moneyline and 16-15 ATS in Tra Blake’s career
• Divisional home teams are 7-1 on the moneyline & 6-2 ATS in Tra Blake’s career

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NFL referees for AFC, NFC championship: Full list of assignments for 2024 conference title games

Crissy Froyd

There are just two games to go between now and the Super Bowl to decide which teams will have a chance to win the title of best team in the NFL for the 2023-24 season.

As with all big games like this, there has been a lot of talk surrounding officiating and how it could affect things. Shawn Smith has been named the head referee of the AFC championship matchup between the Chiefs and the Ravens, which has caused some chatter because of his penchant for favoring road teams, but the majority of the talk has been surrounding Clete Blakeman.

Blakeman has a controversial history with the Lions and will lead the NFC championship officiating crew. That's something that has several Detroit fans a bit unhappy, as he was involved in a controversial -- but ultimately correct -- call in a 2019 Lions loss against the Packers.

Here's what to know about these two officiating crews:

NFC championship referees 2024

Referee Clete Blakeman will lead the officiating crew for Lions vs. 49ers on Sunday: 

AFC championship referees 2024

The Ravens vs. Chiefs crew will be led by Shawn Smith. Here is the full list of officials for Chiefs vs. Ravens on Sunday: 

NFL officials on-field responsibilities 

There are multiple different types of officials with different responsibilities when it comes to game day, and it can be confusing as to what those are by individual.

Below is the description of what each on-field official handles, via  NFL Operations : 

Lining up 10-12 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the offensive backfield, the referee is the white-hat wearing leader of the crew who signals all penalties and is the final authority on all rulings. Below are the referee's assignments on run plays, pass plays, and special-teams plays.

• Run plays : Watches snap; follows QB until action moves downfield; then follows runner to determine forward progress and position of the ball; determines first downs or if a measurement is necessary.
• Pass plays : Shadows QB from drop to release; drops back as the play starts and monitors offensive tackles; turns attention solely to QB as defense approaches; watches for roughing the passer; rules on intentional grounding; makes the decision whether a loose ball is a fumble or incomplete pass.
• Special teams : Watches for running into/roughing the kicker.

Lining up next to the referee 10-12 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the offensive backfield, the umpire primarily watches for holding and blocking fouls. He or she also reviews player equipment, counts offensive players on the field, and marks off penalty yardage. Below are the umpire's assignments on run plays, pass plays, and special-teams plays.

• Run plays : Watches for false starts on offensive line; watches for illegal blocks by the offense or any defensive fouls at the line of scrimmage.
• Pass plays : Watches for false stars on offensive line; on screens, turns attention to intended receiver to make sure he is able to run his route; watches for blocking penalties.
• Special teams : Watches for any penalties.

Lining up on the sideline and looking directly down the line of scrimmage, the down judge directs the chain crew, informs the ref of the down, and rules on sideline plays on the nearest half of the field. Below are the down judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays, and special-teams plays.

• Run plays : Watches for offside or encroachment; monitors sideline; determines when/if a runner is out of bounds; marks runner's forward progress.
• Pass plays : Watches nearest receiver for first seven yards of his route until he is clear the point of legal contact for defensive backs; watches for pass interference.
• Special teams : Watches for offside and encroachment; rules on penalties involving blockers and defenders on trick plays.

Lining up on the sideline opposite the down judge and looking directly down the line of scrimmage, the line judge has similar duties without the chain crew direction. Below are the line judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays, and special-teams plays.

• Run plays : Watches for offside and encroachment; watches blockers and defenders on nearest side for penalties.
• Pass plays : Watches for offside and encroachment on nearest side of field; follows nearest receiver for seven yards downfield; moves into offensive backfield to determine if pass is forwards or backwards; makes sure passer is behind the line of scrimmage when he throws the ball.
• Special teams : Stays at line of scrimmage on punts to make sure only players on the ends of the line move downfield before the kick; rules on whether the kick crosses the line of scrimmage; watches kicking team for penalties.

Field judge

Lining up on the same sideline as the line judge but 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield, the field judge counts defensive players and watches wide receivers/defensive backs on the nearest side of the field. Below are the field judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays, and special-teams plays.

• Run plays : Watches widest receiver's blocking and looks for illegal use of hands or holding; determines if/when a runner on nearest side of the field goes out of bounds.
• Pass plays : Watches widest receiver on nearest side of the field and makes sure he is able to run his route without interference; rules on whether a pass to nearest side of the field is incomplete; rules on whether a receiver is in or out of bounds when he makes a catch; watches for pass interference.
• Special teams : Rules on blocking during punts; lines up under goal posts to rule on whether field goals and extra points are good.

Lining up on the same sideline as the down judge but 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield, the side judge backs up the clock operator, signals to the ref when time expires for each quarter and counts defensive players. Below are the side judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays, and special-teams plays.

• Special teams : Watches punt returner and any action around him; joins umpire in defensive backfield on field goal and PAT attempts; watches for penalties along the line of scrimmage.

Usually lining up on the tight end's side, the back judge is positioned 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield. The back judge keeps track of the play clock and all TV breaks, counts defensive players, and focuses on tight ends and all the players on the end of the lines. Below are the back judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays, and special-teams plays.

• Run plays : Watches tight end for illegal blocking or defensive penalties.
• Pass plays : Watches tight end for illegal use of hands or defensive interference; rules on whether a receiver made a legal catch; determines who recovered a fumble.
• Special teams : Rules on fair catches; lines up under goal posts to rule on whether field goals and extra points are good.

Crissy Froyd is a content producer at The Sporting News covering college football, the NFL and other sports. A graduate of LSU in 2021, she has nine years' experience writing about football across all levels, specializing in quarterback analysis and the NFL Draft. Her work previously appeared in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, among other outlets.

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Nfl assigns scott novak to referee week 3's saints-eagles game, share this article.

The New Orleans Saints’ Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles has been assigned its head referee, which will be Scott Novak per Football Zebras . The Saints did see Novak last season as well, when they went up against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, where he called only three penalties on them for 32 total yards.

Throughout the past few seasons the Saints have seen Novak a couple times, and they are now 3-2 all-time with him as the referee. His crew is tied for the 7th-fewest penalty flags thrown this season (28 flags, 4 of which were dismissed) with 17 on the home teams and only 7 on visiting teams. Additionally, his crews rank 4th-lowest in total penalty yards per game (77) this season as well. They’ve been vigilant for false starts which have accounted for 10 of those infractions.

Philadelphia has been fouled 16 times across two games, losing 53 yards to penalty in Week 1 and 57 yards in Week 2. Strangely, their biggest issue has been ineligible men downfield. The Eagles have been penalized three times for that while the rest of the NFL has combined for six fouls.

Penalties were not much of a concern for the Saints in Week 2 under Shawn Smith, as they only received five penalties for 40 yards. However, their Week 1 counts were significantly worse, as they took 10 penalties for 95 yards. Hopefully that improvement continues and Novak will lean more towards the more recent total and let the teams play, as he has been doing so far this season.

More 2024 season

Alvin kamara voted as fedex ground player of the week, dennis allen shares brief update on taysom hill's chest injury, marshon lattimore (hamstring) returns to practice on wednesday, greg olsen, joe davis on the call for saints vs. eagles in week 3, week 3 nfl broadcast maps: will your station carry saints vs. eagles.

Alvin Kamara honored as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week

Rashid Shaheed leads the league in 50-plus yard catches since 2023

Alvin Kamara excelling despite facing second-most loaded boxes

Derek Carr has a chance to place himself among the elite vs. Eagles

Alontae Taylor grateful for the Saints’ offensive explosion: 'They bailed us out at times'

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NFL Referee Assignments Week 15: Refs Assigned for Each NFL Game This Week

What is the full list of NFL ref assignments for Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season, and what can we expect from the refs calling primetime games?

The NFL referee assignments for Week 15 of the 2022 season see 16 of the 17 crews in action. This week, with three games on Saturday, there are, in effect, six refs and their crews that will be in the spotlight of prime-time this week. Let’s take a look at the full list of ref assignments for Week 15, and take a closer look at the five “prime-time” games across Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

NFL Referee Assignments for Week 15

The full list of NFL referee assignments for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of Week 15 is below. Before the season began, the 2022 officiating crews were assigned from the official NFL officiating roster .

• Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings | 1 p.m. Tra Blake
• Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns | 4:30 p.m. Brad Allen
• Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills | 8:15 p.m. Bill Vinovich

NFL Refs Assignments for Sunday

• Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers | 1 p.m. Scott Novak
• Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears | 1 p.m. Jerome Boger
• Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans | 1 p.m. Carl Cheffers
• Dallas Cowboys at Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 p.m. Shawn Smith
• Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints | 1 p.m. Clete Blakeman
• Detroit Lions at New York Jets | 1 p.m. Craig Wrolstad
• Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos | 4:05 p.m. Jerome Boger
• New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders | 4:05 p.m. Ron Torbert
• Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Chargers | 4:25 p.m. Land Clark
• Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4:25 p.m. Adrian Hill
• New York Giants at Washington Commanders | 8:20 p.m. John Hussey

Monday Night Football Referee Assignment

Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers | 8:15 p.m. Shawn Hochuli

What Can We Expect From the NFL Officiating Crews on Saturday and in Prime Time in Week 15?

Saturday could see a big difference in officiating performance. In Tra Blake and Brad Allen, we will see two of the four refs whose crews average the most flags per game. In contrast, no crew has fewer penalties per game than Bill Vinovich’s. The crews of Blake and Allen both average over 12.5 penalties per game and 14.5 flags per game. Meanwhile, Vinovich’s crew averages 7.92 penalties per game and 10.42 flags.

When it comes to Blake’s crew, they are reasonably balanced in their home-road split. They average 6.08 penalties per game on home teams and 6.58 penalties per game on road teams. Meanwhile, Allen’s crew has one of the biggest differences in the league. They average 5.25 penalties per game on home teams and 7.33 penalties per game on road teams. Vinovich’s crew averages 3.67 penalties per game on the home team and 4.25 penalties per game on road teams.

Switching the focus to Sunday Night Football, John Hussey’s crew averages the second-fewest penalties per game (8.69). As a group, they slightly favor home teams, averaging 3.92 penalties per game on home teams compared to 4.77 per game on road teams.

Rounding out the week on Monday Night Football, and we end up in the middle of the pack when it comes to penalties per game. Shawn Hochuli’s crew averages 12 penalties per game, which ranks as the ninth-most of the 17 crews in the rotation. They have the smallest home-road differential of the five crews we have spotlighted here. Hochuli’s group averages 5.83 penalties per game on home teams, compared to 6.17 penalties per game on road teams.

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Officiating crews for the 2023 season

The list of the 17 crews and swing officials for the 2023 NFL season.

Football Zebras exclusive

Football Zebras has obtained the officiating crew rosters for the 2023 NFL season. This season, there are 12 new officials to replace 12 that retired or quit or were otherwise not retained . There are also 2 veterans designated as swing officials, both at the umpire position, who will move between crews through the season.

There is also a new referee this season, Alan Eck , who becomes the 9th new referee in the past 6 years. He is replacing 19-year veteran referee Jerome Boger, who retired during the offseason . Boger’s crew was disbanded, and Eck does not have any of those officials on his crew this season.

Crew members are listed with their years of NFL experience, including the upcoming season, the crew they were on last season, the college attended, and occupation. A replay official and replay assistant are assigned to each crew.

* indicates an official who is on the same crew as last season. Veteran officials who have changed positions from last season are noted on each crew. Information for first-year officials will be updated when available.

• Position change: Shay (replay assistant→replay official).

• Position change: Monroe (SJ→BJ).

• Position changes: Eck (U→R), Bryan (U→DJ), DeLorenzo (DJ→LJ).
• Substitution: Bowers injured in Week 1 and replaced by Bryan, who was originally a swing official.

Substitution: Following Week 1, Bergman is out for the season and a line judge from a crew that is off substitutes for him each week.

• Position change: Coleman (FJ→SJ).

• Number change: Boger (2→23).

• Position change: Manley (replay assistant→replay official).

• Number change: Causey (84→21).

• Swing officials can be assigned to any crew during the season.
• Substitution: ‡Bryan switched to down judge and moved permanently to Alan Eck’s crew.

Senior staff

• Walt Anderson, senior vice president of officiating training and development —  centralized replay representative
• Perry Fewell, senior vice president of officiating administration —  centralized replay representative
• Bret Ayers, director of video technology

Regional officiating coordinators

• Garth DeFelice
• Doug Rosenbaum
• Gary Slaughter
• Rob Vernatchi

Larry Smith is the referee for the 2023 USFL Championship Game

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Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref's Guide to the Official Rules ( on sale now )

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