Overview
- Shawn Smith will make his first on-field Super Bowl appearance as referee for the Feb. 8 game in Santa Clara, California.
- The NFL’s crew includes umpire Roy Ellison, side judge Eugene Hall, back judge Greg Steed, down judge Dana McKenzie, line judge Julian Mapp, field judge Jason Ledet, and replay official Andrew Lambert.
- Ellison and Hall bring multiple Super Bowl assignments, Steed has two prior appearances, McKenzie has one, and Mapp, Ledet, Lambert, and Smith are debuting.
- Smith most recently refereed the New England Patriots’ 28-16 Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans, marking his 11th postseason assignment.
- Recent seasons show Smith’s crews have tended to call fewer penalties than most, a tendency observers note when assessing potential game flow.