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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

Bryan Banks and Derek Anderson are the USFL playoff referees

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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NFL officiating crews for Week 15 games and which teams could benefit the most

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NFL officiating crews often play a large part in determining which teams win or lose each week. As on-the-field arbiters of the league’s rulebook, officials have the power to destroy an offense’s momentum, or hurt a defense’s chance of preventing a team from advancing within range of a game-winning field-goal attempt. All with the toss of a yellow flag.

There are 17 NFL officiating crews, and they are assigned to games each week, depending on how many games are played. With no more bye weeks, Week 15 will feature 16 games; Alex Kemp’s crew has the week off. In the Broncos-Lions game Saturday night, John Hussey will be officiating his 350th NFL game.

Below are Week 15 assignments for the NFL officiating crews, along with a detailed look at which teams might be helped or hurt by who will be calling penalties at their game this week.

Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (5-8), 8:15 p.m. ET

Head official: Ron Torbert

Torbert’s crew: 2023 stats

• Games officiated: 13
• Penalties: 13.5 called/game (1st out of 17)
• Home team win %: 76.9 (21.6 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 50.9 (7th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (3.9 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (5.0 calls/game)

Who benefits the most?

Las Vegas Raiders . While Torbert’s crew throws more flags than any crew in the league, the home team ends up winning most of the time, and the Raiders are the least penalized team in the league. Torbert’s crew is the league leader in false start calls.

Minnesota Vikings (7-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-6), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Bill Vinovich

Vinovich’s crew: 2023 stats

• Games officiated: 12
• Penalties: 11.9 called/game (out of 17)
• Home team win %: 41.7 (13.62 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 53.1 (3rd out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.4 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.4 calls/game)

Cincinnati Bengals . Vinovich’s crew appears to favor the home team in terms of the flags thrown, and the Vikings’ offensive line in particular will be susceptible on the road.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) at Indianapolis Colts (7-6), 4:30 p.m. ET

Head official: Adrian Hill

Hill’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.33 called/game (tied 8th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 58.33 (3.04 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 42.6 (17th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.58 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.33 calls/game)

Indianapolis Colts . In terms of penalties, Hill’s crew is the most home-friendly in the league, even if the home win percentage doesn’t quite show it.

Denver Broncos (7-6) at Detroit Lions (9-4), 8:15 p.m. ET

Head official: John Hussey

Hussey’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 13.92 called/game (1st out of 17)
• Home team win %: 75.0 (19.71 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 44.9 (15th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (3.83 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (2.58 calls/game)

Detroit Lions . Hussey’s crew tosses the most flags of all the NFL officiating crews and skews toward the home team more than most. The Lions, however, have been dinged 10 times for defensive pass interference, so that bears watching.

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) at Carolina Panthers (1-12), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Land Clark

Clark’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 13.0 called/game (3rd out of 17)
• Home team win %: 25.0 (30.29 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 45.3 (13th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.92 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (4.33 calls/game)

Atlanta Falcons . Clark’s crew throws the third-most flags overall among NFL officiating crews, ranks third in offensive holding calls, and is slightly friendlier toward road teams.

Chicago Bears (5-8) at Cleveland Browns (8-5), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Brad Allen

Allen’s crew: 2023 stats

• Games officiated: 11
• Penalties: 10.83 called/game (16th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 45.45 (9.84 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 46.2 (12th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.3 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (3.2 calls/game)

Cleveland Browns . This is nearly a push, but Allen’s crew is kinder to home teams than most of the NFL officiating crews, and the Bears’ offensive line is among the most penalized position groups in the league.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) at Green Bay Packers (6-7), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Tra Blake

Blake’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.75 called/game (5th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 50.0 (5.29 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 51.0 (6th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.7 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (4.0 calls/game)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers . None of the NFL officiating crews throws more defensive pass interference calls than Blake’s does, making the Packers more vulnerable, since their DBs are the team’s most penalized group.

Houston Texans (7-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-8), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Clete Blakeman

Blakeman’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.3 called/game (12th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 75.0 (19.7 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 47.4 (11th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.0 calls/game)

Tennessee Titans . The Texans lead the league in flags for defensive pass interference calls, and Blakeman’s crew ranks third in that category among the NFL officiating crews.

New York Jets (5-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-4), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Brad Rogers

Rogers’ crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.6 called/game (6th out of 17)
• % of penalties called on home team: 48.8 (9th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (3.2 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.5 calls/game)

Miami Dolphins . Just looking at the home-road splits shows this to be a favorable matchup for the Dolphins, even though Rogers’ crew ranks first among the NFL officiating crews in terms of offensive holding calls.

Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) at New England Patriots (3-10), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Shawn Hochuli

Hochuli’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.3 called/game (9th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 66.7 (11.38 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 44.6 (15th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.6 calls/game)

New England Patriots. The Patriots might get some officiating help due to Hochuli’s crew being more home-friendly and the Chiefs ranking No. 1 in offensive holding calls.

New York Giants (5-8) at New Orleans Saints (6-7), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Carl Cheffers

Cheffers’ crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.6 called/game (11th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 50.0 (5.3 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 49.6 (8th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.3 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (2.8 calls/game)

New Orleans Saints . Cheffers’ crew, which made the offsides call against the Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney last Sunday, might be the most neutral among the 17 NFL officiating crews. But its tendency to ding offensive lines favors the Saints, who tend to get flagged much less at home anyway.

Washington Commanders (4-9) at Los Angeles Rams (6-7), 4:05 p.m. ET

Head official: Alan Eck

Eck’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.0 called/game (15th out of 17)
• % of penalties called on home team: 48.5 (10th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (1.8 calls/game)

Los Angeles Rams . Almost a push. Along with skewing toward the home team, Eck’s crew throws the second-least number of flags for defensive pass interference and is among the most defensive-friendly overall of the 17 NFL officiating crews.

San Francisco 49ers (10-3) at Arizona Cardinals (3-10), 4:05 p.m. ET

Head official: Scott Novak

Novak’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.0 called/game (14th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 61.5 (6.2 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 51.0 (5th out of 17)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.2 calls/game)

San Francisco 49ers . The Cardinals draw the third-most offensive holding calls, and that’s what Novak’s crew calls more often than most.

Dallas Cowboys (10-3) at Buffalo Bills (7-6), 4:25 p.m. ET

Head official: Craig Wrolstad

Wrolstad’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.1 called/game (13th out of 17)
• % of penalties called on home team: 54.1 (2nd out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.1 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (2.9 calls/game)

Buffalo Bills . The Cowboys are the most penalized team in the league, so they will rarely gain an advantage from the officiating. It could be a long day for Dallas’ defensive backs.

Baltimore Ravens (10-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5), 8:20 p.m. ET

Head official: Shawn Smith

Smith’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.4 called/game (7th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 16.7 (38.6 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 53.0 (4th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding & false start (1.8 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.3 calls/game)

Baltimore Ravens . Of all the NFL officiating crews, Smith’s crew heavily skews toward the road team, and the Jaguars rank fourth in false start calls.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) at Seattle Seahawks (6-7), 8:15 p.m. ET

Head official: Clay Martin

Martin’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 10.6 called/game (17th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 41.7 (13.7 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 55.1 (1st out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.8 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.1 calls/game)

Philadelphia Eagles . The Seahawks rank second in terms of penalties called, and Martin’s crew likes to throw flags at offensive linemen, especially for offensive holding.

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'It's about the kids': Central Ohio high school football officiating crew honored by NFL

High school officials don’t work events to earn recognition, but for one central Ohio football crew that is what it recently received for its performance during the 2023 season .

Thanks to a partnership between the NFL and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the crew was named as the first NFL High School Football Officials Crew of the Year. Seven crews were nominated for the honor by NFL teams, with the six-man central Ohio crew being nominated by the Cleveland Browns.

The NFL-NFHS partnership was started to increase recognition and participation of high school football officials and honor crews for “objectivity, fairness in rules implementation and commitment as high school officials,” according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association . An NFL-selected panel judged the nominees.

“We love football and we’re there for the kids,” said line judge John Clay of Gahanna, who completed his 35th season. “We all have the same philosophy – it’s not about us, it’s about the kids. We look for people for our crew that have the same philosophy, that’s important. We also have a commitment to excellence. We’re always trying to get better and we want people who are receptive to constructive criticism, and we’re pushing each other to be the best.” 

Other crew members are referee Mark Riley (Westerville), head linesman Nate Filkins (New Albany), back judge Trevor Lotz (Columbus), center judge Kurt Schooley (Hilliard) and umpire Jake Smith (Centerburg). 

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As part of their recognition, the six officials attended the NFL Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida. 

Schooley completed his 16th year of officiating football. He also is a basketball official. 

“It definitely helps to have continuity,” he said. “It helps because you know where your crew is looking (in terms of) how they’re going to call the game and how they communicate verbally and non-verbally. You hang out with them a lot. You’re with them every Friday night. If it’s people that you’re working with that you don’t enjoy working with, it can make for a long Friday night. It’s definitely enjoyable to have people that you know and enjoy working with.” 

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The youngest member of the crew at 25, Lotz has enjoyed his brief tenure. He completed his third year with the crew and sixth overall as an official.

“I’ve really been blessed with the guys that I’ve worked with,” he said. “These guys push me, and I can’t be more thankful for it. I know the expectations, but just being able to do it for the kids on Friday nights, that really is the most rewarding during the fall for me.”

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NCAA announces officiating assignments for Final Four, national championship

T he NCAA has announced the officiating assignments for this weekend’s Final Four and national championship games. Each game will have a different crew.

The crew of Keith Kimble , Kipp Kissinger and Michael Reed will work the first game of the night between Purdue and NC State , with Marques Pettigrew serving as the standby referee. The nightcap between UConn and Alabama will see Ron Groover , Patrick Adams and Paul Szelc on the floor while Courtney Green will be the standby.

Finally, Monday’s title game will be officiated by Jeffrey Anderson , Terry Oglesby and Roger Ayers . The standby official is still yet to be determined.

You can watch the tournament live on Prime Video, add on your favorite channels and watch at home or on your phone and laptop at work!

Saturday’s slate of games gets underway at 6:09 p.m. ET as No. 1 seed Purdue goes up against No. 11 seed and tournament darling NC State. Immediately after that, No. 1 overall seed UConn and No. 3 seed Alabama will battle it out in what could be an offensive display.

Then, it all comes down to Monday night with an 8:20 p.m. ET tip-off.

This story will be updated.

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