With Carl Cheffers being named the Super Bowl 57 referee, he will become the seventh person to referee three Super Bowls. Cheffers is being joined by a mix of experienced and new Super Bowl officials for the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Let’s take a look at the group, how much NFL refs and officials are paid for the big game, and who else has taken charge of three Super Bowls before Cheffers.
Super Bowl 57 Referee and Officials
The officiating crew for Super Bowl LVII has a combined experience of 10 previous Super Bowls. There are two “rookie” Super Bowl officials on the field, joining five officials with two Super Bowl experiences each. Two of those experienced officials worked alongside Cheffers in Super Bowl LV. Previous Super Bowl experience is listed in parentheses.
- Referee: Carl Cheffers (LI, LV)
- Umpire: Roy Ellison (XLIII, LII)
- Down Judge: Jerod Phillips
- Line Judge: Jeff Bergman (XXXI, LIII)
- Field Judge: John Jenkins
- Side Judge: Eugene Hall (LIII, LV)
- Back Judge: Dino Paganelli (XLVII, LV)
- Replay Official: Mark Butterworth
- Replay Assistant: Frank Szczepanik (LV)
Alternate officials: R John Hussey (XLV), U Ramon George, DJ David Oliver, LJ Tim Podraza, FJ Terry Brown, SJ Boris Cheek (XLII, 50, LIV), BJ Perry Paganelli (XLI, LII), RO Tyler Cerimeli.
In order to be selected to work a Super Bowl, an official much have at least five years of NFL experience. They must also have three years of experience as a ref and worked at least one previous playoff game as a ref. When it comes to the other officials, they must have either worked a Conference Championship game previously or qualified for three of the past five postseasons.
How Much Do Super Bowl Refs and Officials Earn?
While the exact salary for NFL officials in the Super Bowl is not known, reports indicate that officials earn around $10,000 for working the big game. Referees are reported to earn more, in the region of $40,000 to $50,000, for taking charge of a Super Bowl. That is significantly more than referees and officials are reported to earn during the season.
Which Other Referees Have Worked 3 Super Bowls?
In the history of Super Bowl officials, Cheffers will become the seventh referee to take charge of three games. The other referees to have worked at least three Super Bowls in the referee role are Jerry Markbreit, Terry McAulay, Bob McElwee, Pat Haggerty, Jim Tunney, and Norm Schachter. Of that list, Markbreit is the only ref to have worked four Super Bowls in the role of referee.
MORE: Super Bowl Records by Team
Additionally, Cheffers becomes the first referee to take charge of two Super Bowls in three seasons since Jerry Seeman took charge of Super Bowl XXIII and XXV in 1989 and 1991. Just three officials have had the honor of being selected twice in a three-year period. The other is Tunney, who is the only referee to take charge of back-to-back Super Bowls (XI and XII in 1977 and 1978).