The Super Bowl LX is presenting an absolute battle between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. However, a sometimes forgotten aspect of the game is centered on the refereeing crew. The crew today has plenty of stuff to disect from both teams.
The head referee will be Shawn Smith. Historically, the Seahawks have a 7-6 record with Smith. The last playoff game where the Seahawks played with Smith as head official was in the 2020 Wild Card Round, when Seattle defeated the Eagles 17-9.
As for the Patriots, their record with Smith as referee is 7-4 and the last playoff game with the head referee was just three weeks ago, in the 2026 Divisional Round when the Patriots won 28-16 against the Texans.
Smith could complicate things
Shawn Smith’s crew is third in the NFL with most defensive pass interferences called this season. The Patriots have 12 DPIs this year, while the Seahawks only six. However, the Seahawks have received 12 DPIs in contrast to only 10 for the Pats. Given how controversial these calls are in recent times, it will be interesting how defensive backs cover wideouts during Super Bowl LX.
Smith’s crew has the lowest number of offensive holdings called in the NFL, with only 1.71 per game. Both the Seahawks and Patriots have 21 offensive holdings this year. As for the false starts, Smith and company called 2.12 per game, which is the sixth-lowest in the NFL. Seattle has 18 false starts, while New England has 21. All signs point to the Patriots needing to do more adjustments.
see also
When did the Super Bowl first use Roman numerals? How the NFL rebranded the Big Game
Who is Shawn Smith?
A Detroit native, Smith graduated from Ferris State University after getting an accountancy bachelor’s degree. He joined the NFL in 2015 as an umpire after years in College Football. In 2018, he became a referee. This will be his 11th playoff assignment, but his first Super Bowl as lead referee.
However, Smith appeared in two previous Super Bowls as an alternate referee. He did it in Super Bowl LV and Super Bowl LVIII. This is the full officiating crew:
- Shawn Smith – Referee
- Roy Ellison – Umpire
- Dana McKenzie – Down Judge
- Eugene Hall – Side Judge
- Julian Mapp – Line Judge
- Jason Ledet – Field Judge
- Back Judge – Greg Steed
- Replay Official – Andrew Lambert
- Replay Assistant – Julie Johnson
