Thomas to become first female Super Bowl official
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
NEW YORK CITY: Sarah Thomas will make history again next month as the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl.
Thomas, a down judge, is part of the officiating crew announced yesterday by the NFL.
‘‘Sarah Thomas has made history again as the first female Super Bowl official,’’ NFL executive vicepresident of football operations Troy Vincent sen said.
‘‘Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl.
‘‘Congratulations to Sarah on this welldeserved honour.’’
Thomas (47) was hired as the first fulltime female official in NFL history in 2015.
Referee Carl Cheffers will lead the sevenperson crew of onfield game officials for the Super Bowl LV on February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Cheffers has been a game official for 21 seasons in the NFL and was promoted to referee in 2008.
He has worked 17 playoff games, including the Super Bowl in 2017.
The crew — which has 88 years of NFL experience with 77 combined playoff games — includes umpire Fred Bryan, line judge Rusty Baynes, field judge James Coleman, side judge Eugene Hall, back judge Dino Paganelli and replay official Mike Wimmer.
This will be the first Super Bowl for Coleman as well as Thomas and second for Cheffers, Bryan, Baynes, Hall and Paganelli.