nfl officials assignments week 12

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NFL Referee Assignments Week 12: Refs Assigned for NFL Thanksgiving Games

What are the Week 12 ref assignments for the three Thanksgiving games, and what can we expect from the three referees' crews in these games?

Three games in the national spotlight in one day always means there is more scrutiny on the NFL ref assignments and their performances. Let’s take a closer look at which referees and their crews have been assigned to which NFL Thanksgiving games and what we can expect from each of those crews based on what we have seen so far this season.

NFL Referee Assignments for Week 12 | Thanksgiving Games

The referees who have been assigned to which games for Thanksgiving are listed below. If you want to know which officials from the NFL’s officiating roster have been assigned to each crew, check out our comprehensive list of 2022 crew assignments .

Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions | 12:30 p.m. ET Clete Blakeman

Things could get off to somewhat of a messy start in terms of flags and penalties in the first game of the Thanksgiving slate. No crew has more penalties (15) per game than Clete Blakeman’s crew, with only one crew having thrown more flags per game (17.1). They have been reasonably balanced in terms of penalties on home and road teams. They average 7.33 penalties per game on home teams and 7.67 penalties per game on road teams.

Of their 135 total penalties, just over a third (46) are for offensive holding or false start penalties. Their 2.78 offensive holding penalties per game are tied for the second most in the league.

MORE: Thanksgiving Day Schedule

However, in terms of false starts, they rank closer to the middle of the pack, with 2.33 penalties per game. Another place that this crew has been hard on the offense is with illegal formations, throwing more than double the flags for that penalty than any other crew.

Defensive holding and defensive pass interference penalties are another pair to watch with Blakeman’s crew in this game. Their 1.11 defensive holding penalties per game are tied for third in the league. Equally, their one defensive pass interference penalty per game is also tied for the third most.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys | 4:30 p.m. ET Scott Novak

Of the three crews taking charge of Thanksgiving games, Scott Novak’s group has the fewest penalties (12.2) and flags (13.8) per game on average. Much like Blakeman’s crew, they are reasonably balanced in terms of home (6.0) and road (6.2) penalties this season.

Intriguingly, Novak’s crew is tied for the second most delay-of-game penalties per game on average (1.0). They also have the fifth-most false start penalties. However, when it comes to the more judgment-type call of offensive holding, they are in the bottom half of the crews, averaging 2.1 per game.

On the defensive side of the ball, they average two penalties per game for either defensive holding or defensive pass interference. Compared to other crews, Novak’s is one of the more balanced in terms of offensive and defensive penalties.

New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings | 8:20 p.m. ET Alex Kemp

The final game of our Thanksgiving triple-header could be a somewhat stop-start affair. Alex Kemp’s crew is one of four groups to average over 13 penalties per game.

Meanwhile, their 17.78 flags per game are the most in the NFL, so expect to potentially see plenty of yellow on the field to round out the day’s football action. This crew is completely balanced in terms of their home-road split, averaging 6.56 penalties per game on both.

There are two penalties that really stand out as ones that Kemp’s crew appears to focus on. Those are defensive offsides, of which they average 1.33 penalties per game, and unnecessary roughness, 1.22 per game.

They have the most penalties per game for both of those penalties of any crew so far this year. When it comes to defensive offsides, they average nearly twice as many penalties per game as the next-highest crew.

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NCAA and NFL Referee news

Thursday, Nov. 25

• Bears at Lions —  Adrian Hill
• Raiders at Cowboys —  Shawn Hochuli
• Bills at Saints —  Brad Allen

Sunday, Nov. 28

• Buccaneers at Colts  —  Shawn Smith
• Jets at Texans  —  Clete Blakeman
• Eagles at Giants  —  Ron Torbert
• Panthers at Dolphins  —  John Hussey
• Titans at Patriots  —  Alex Kemp
• Steelers at Bengals  —  Bill Vinovich
• Falcons at Jaguars  —  Carl Cheffers
• Chargers at Broncos  —  Land Clark
• Rams at Packers  —  Craig Wrolstad
• Vikings at 49ers  —  Brad Rogers
• Browns at Ravens —  Jerome Boger

Monday, Nov. 29

• Seahawks at Washington —  Clay Martin

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NFL referee assignments Week 12: Who are the officials for every game this week?

As always, the goal for NFL officials who are assigned to NFL games in Week 12 of the 2019 season is for observers not to care who's assigned to what game. If nobody's talking about the officiating, that generally means those calling the games are doing a good job.

Of course, in 2019, chatter around NFL officiating has been as loud as ever, leaving referees to explain questionable calls made by their crews after most games. With the addition of pass interference to the NFL's replay review system this year, senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron's performance is also under the microscope.

Each week, the NFL announces its referee assignments for its slate of games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday. Each referee is tied to his crew of six other officials, including the umpire, line judge, side judge, back judge, field judge and down judge.

MORE:  Lions-Packers fiasco illustrates NFL's officiating issues

NFL referee assignments Week 12

The NFL has released its roster of referees and officials for Week 12 of the 2019 NFL season. Here are the assignments for every game.

Colts at Texans referee, officials

Seahawks at Eagles referee, officials

Steelers at Bengals referee, officials

Broncos at Bills referee, officials

Dolphins at Browns referee, officials

Giants at Bears referee, officials

Panthers at Saints referee, officials

Buccaneers at Falcons referee, officials

Lions at Redskins referee, officials

Raiders at Jets referee, officials

Jaguars at Titans referee, officials

Cowboys at Patriots referee, officials

Packers at 49ers referee, officials

Ravens at Rams referee, officials

NFL officials assignments, responsibilities

Each of the seven NFL officials on the field in a given NFL game have specific roles, watching different areas of the field and looking out for different kinds of penalties on a given play.

Below are the responsibilities of each official, via NFL Operations .

Lining up 10-12 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the offensive backfield, the referee is the white-hat wearing leader of the crew who signals all penalties and is the final authority on all rulings. Below are the referee's assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.

Run plays: Watches nap; follows QB until action moves downfield; then follows runner to determine forward progress and position of the ball; determines first downs or if a measurement is necessary.

Pass plays: Shadows QB from drop to release; drops back as the play starts and monitors offensive tackles; turns attention solely to QB as defense approaches; watches for roughing the passer; rules on intentional grounding; makes the decision whether a loose ball is a fumble or incomplete pass.

Special teams: Watches for running into/roughing the kicker.

Lining up next to the referee 10-12 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the offensve backfield, the umpire primarily watches for holding and blocking fouls. He or she also reviews player equipment, counts offensive players on the field and marks off penalty yardage. Below are the umpire's assignments on run plays, pass plays and special teams-plays.

Run plays: Watches for false starts on offensive line; watches for illegal blocks by the offense or any defensive fouls at the line of scrimmage.

Pass plays: Watches for false stars on offensive line; on screens, turns attention to intended receiver to make sure he is able to run his route; watches for blocking penalties.

Special teams: Watches for any penalties.

Lining up on the sideline and looking directly down the line of scrimmage, the down judge directs the chain crew, informs the ref of the down and rules on sideline plays on the nearest half of the field. Below are the down judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.

Run plays: Watches for offside or encroachment; monitors sideline; determines when/if a runner is out of bounds; marks runner's forward progress.

Pass plays: Watches nearest receiver for first seven yards of his route until he is clear the point of legal contact for defensive backs; watches for pass interference.

Special teams: Watches for offside and encroachment; rules on penalties involving blockers and defenders on trick plays.

Lining up on the sideline opposite the down judge and looking directly down the line of scrimmage, the line judge has similar duties without the chain crew direction. Below are the line judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.

Run plays: Watches for offside and encroachment; watches blockers and defenders on nearest side for penalties.

Pass plays: Watches for offside and encroachment on nearest side of field; follows nearest receiver for seven yards downfield; moves into offensive backfield to determine if pass is forwards or backwards; makes sure passer is behind the line of scrimmage when he throws the ball.

Special teams: Stays at line of scrimmage on punts to make sure only players on the ends of the line move downfield before the kick; rules on whether the kick crosses the line of scrimmage; watches kicking team for penalties.

• Field judge

Lining up on the same sideline as the line judge but 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield, the field judge counts defensive players and watches wide receivers/defensive backs on the nearest side of the field. Below are the field judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.

Run plays: Watches widest receiver's blocking and looks for illegal use of hands or holding; determines if/when a runner on nearest side of the field goes out of bounds.

Pass plays: Watches widest receiver on nearest side of the field and makes sure he is able to run his route without interference; rules on whether a pass to nearest side of the field is incomplete; rules on whether a receiver is in or out of bounds when he makes a catch; watches for pass interference.

Special teams: Rules on blocking during punts; lines up under goal posts to rule on whether field goals and extra points are good.

Lining up on the same sideline as the down judge but 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield, the side judge backs up the clock operator, signals to the ref when time expires for each quarter and counts defensive players. Below are the side judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.

Run plays: Watches widest receiver's blocking and looks for illegal use of hands or holding; determines if/when a runner on nearest side of the field goes out of bounds.

Pass plays: Watches widest receiver on nearest side of the field and makes sure he is able to run his route without interference; rules on whether a pass to nearest side of the field is incomplete; rules on whether a receiver is in or out of bounds when he makes a catch; watches for pass interference.

Special teams: Watches punt returner and any action around him; joins umpire in defensive backfield on field goal and PAT attampts; watches for penalties along the line of scrimmage.

Usually lining up on the tight end's side, the back judge is positioned 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage in the defensive backfield. The back judge keeps track of the play clock and all TV breaks, counts defensive players and focuses on tight ends and all the players on the end of the lines. Below are the back judge's assignments on run plays, pass plays and special-teams plays.

Run plays: Watches tight end for illegal blocking or defensive penalties.

Pass plays: Watches tight end for illegal use of hands or defensive interference; rules on whether a receiver made a legal catch; determines who recovered a fumble.

Special teams: Rules on fair catches; lines up under goal posts to rule on whether field goals and extra points are good.

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Referee brad allen assigned to saints-falcons matchup in week 12, share this article.

Here’s your Week 12 referee assignment: veteran referee Brad Allen and his crew will officiate the New Orleans Saints’ upcoming road game with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Saints are 5-3 in games with Allen at referee, while the Falcons are 5-6, dating back to his debut in 2014.

Allen’s crew is known for letting the teams play; they’re averaging the second-fewest penalty flags per game this season (10.6), with an emphasis on offensive holding fouls (16 in 9 games) and false start infractions (15), as well as defensive pass interference (9). But on the whole they’ve stayed off of cameras and let the two teams play ball.

And that’s good news for the Saints, who are averaging the fourth-most penalty yards per game (59.2) this season. The Falcons are averaging 49.3 penalty yards each week, which is close to the league average. The New Orleans defense is yielding more yards by penalty (33) than any other defense around the league, so they’ll need to watch their hands and play a clean game on Sunday.

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Week 12 NFL Referee Report: Betting Trends & Stats

Every single week we have profitable angles cashing as far as betting trends for a few NFL referees. I have highlighted this over the last several weeks. This week I thought I would highlight a few referees who have a streak going.

As always make sure to check the referee assignments that are correlated with a betting side or total. I will remind you DO NOT forget about Shawn Hochuli, Alex Kemp, Ron Torbert, and Clay Martin trends!

Let’s dive into these streaks and see below the Week 12 NFL Referee Assignments.

Week 12 NFL Referee Report: Betting Trends & Stats

Carl cheffers.

Road underdogs are cashing at an exponential rate in the games officiated by Carl Cheffers . In fact, over the last eight weeks, road underdogs are 7-1 against the spread. Furthermore, the Over is 5-1 in games officiated by Cheffers. Those six games are averaging 57.5 points per game including the Sunday Night Football shootout between the Steelers and Chargers where both teams combined for 78 points.

Land Clark is an NFL referee I have highlighted over the season. However, over the last five weeks of the season, Clark officiated games are 4-1 to the Under. In fact, in those five the average combined total points is 32.5. Furthermore, since the league has cracked down on taunting calls this season, Land Clark’s crew has called seven taunting penalties thus far this season. The next closest crew have called no more than three.

Since the NFL has doubled down on taunting this season, it's good to note that one crew (Land Clark's) has called seven taunting penalties this season, no other crew has called more than three, and three crews have called none. Nice consistency, guys. — Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) November 21, 2021

NFL Referee Stats

Tony Corrente

Oh good ol’ Tony Corrente! I am shocked he is still being allowed to officiate games and is still an NFL referee. But are we surprised? In Week 11, Corrente officiated the Texans’ upset win over the Titans in Nashville. Additionally, over the last five games, road underdogs are a perfect 5-0 against the spread. Case in point, the Texans, YES THE TEXANS winning outright as a double-digit underdog.

John Hussey

If your hometown team is in desperate need of a win for the sake of getting a win or need to make a playoff push, John Hussey is the man so far. Home teams are a perfect 7-0 straight up over the last seven weeks of the season. Furthermore, home favorites are 4-0 in that span in games officiated by Hussey. Perhaps the Lions should request Hussey to officiate a home game for them? Make sure to check below for Week 12 NFL referee assignments!

Shawn Smith

Over the last eight games officiated by Shawn Smith , the Under is 7-1 with an average total final score of 39.1! Additionally, road underdogs are 4-1 in Smith officiated games. Check out the Week 12 NFL Referee Assignments below!

NFL Referee Assignments

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NFL Week 12 Officiating Angles: Finding Edges in Falcons-Saints, Panthers-Titans and Rams-Cardinals

We went 1-2 last week, dropping this column to 18-15 (+1.5 units) on the season. Now it's on to the Week 12 Sunday slate as we look to finish the season strong.

This season, Joe Gibbs (not the Hall of Fame coach, the NFL referee expert who tweets @NFLrefstats1) is collaborating with SportsLine to provide weekly, referee-based betting angles. He analyzes the NFL ref assignments from the moment they are released each Tuesday.

Before you make any Week 12  NFL picks  or NFL parlays, you need to see what Gibbs and SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein have to say about the officiating crews' tendencies.

We can tell you Hartstein and Gibbs are betting the Falcons +1.5 at home versus the Saints, in part because Brad Allen's crew will officiate.

Since 2016, home underdogs are 26-17-1 ATS (61 percent) with Allen officiating. Allen is calling a below-average 41% of his penalties on home teams, in line with a career trend. The Saints average the sixth-most penalties in road games, and they lead the NFL in defensive pass interference. 

Hartstein also is sharing key officiating angles in Panthers-Titans and you need to see this critical referee data before locking in your picks!

So which side of Panthers-Titans has the edge? And what other officiating edges can be found on the Week 12 slate ? ...  Join SportsLine right now to see Larry Hartstein's Week 12 NFL officiating trends, all from the expert who went 53-34-3 in the SuperContest last year !

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2017 Week 12 Referee Assignments

NFL Referee Assignment for Super Bowl 58 & Impact on NFL Betting

We tend to only focus on NFL referees after a controversial decision or bad no-call. Yet each head NFL referee and his respective crew interprets the game differently.

Gaining insight into the way a game will be officiated can have immense value in the betting market.

A referee who calls more penalties for defensive holding and roughing the passer has a far different impact on game flow than a ref who focuses more on offensive holding and false starts.

Referee style one week may hide a team’s weakness (defensive backs), but a different official who leans heavily on calling pass interference will compound that weakness the next week.

Same team. Different outcomes.

Throughout this 2023 NFL season, we’ll help to identify important trends and tendencies by different NFL referees to help you gain an edge when placing a bet .

Sharp Football Analysis has every angle of Chiefs vs. 49ers covered in our Super Bowl 58 Hub .

NFL Referee Assignment for Super Bowl 58

Don’t miss out on our Super Bowl recommendations

As a THANK YOU for following us throughout the season, we wanted to offer you an option to save and get on board for our Super Bowl betting recommendations:

• Use coupon code  SB58 for 50% off our Super Bowl Package .

Hurry! This sale ends soon, AND EVEN SOONER we’ll be releasing written game previews, Super Bowl bets, and props.

This year has been another outstanding time to be a betting client at Sharp Football Analysis, with  Warren Sharp ‘s betting recommendations running extremely hot late in the season:

• Final 11 weeks in NFL: 58-32 (64%)
• Final 2023 Profits: $100 Bettors finished up $8,148
• Final 2023 Elevated Plays Record: 102-64 (61%)
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Historically, we’ve been outstanding in the Super Bowl:

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Bill Vinovich’s Impact on Chiefs vs. 49ers in Super Bowl 58

The Chiefs and 49ers meet in Super Bowl 58. The game will officiated by Bill Vinovich, his third Super Bowl as a head referee.

Bill Vnovich was in charge of proceedings in the Chiefs’ 31-20 victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl 54 to conclude the 2019 NFL season. This game marks the first time the same referee has officiated a Super Bowl rematch.

Vinovich is the epitome of a “let ‘em play” referee, especially in postseason games.

We have detailed the decline in offensive holding penalties throughout these playoffs versus regular season averages. Expect that to continue in Super Bowl 58.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa brought the issue to the media’s and hopefully the officiating crew’s attention in the lead-up to the big game.

The Chiefs have been the number one beneficiary of the reduction in offensive holding in the playoffs. It would be an ideal scenario for the 49ers to see more offensive holding calls in Super Bowl 58, but that is unlikely.

The all-star officiating crew is a topic of conversation when assessing the Super Bowl. How can we preview a game if the referee in charge doesn’t have the entirety of his regular season crew on the field?

It’s a valid point, and we did an in-depth look at this last week.

If there is one surefire playoff trend, regardless of the crew makeup and the head referee, it’s the emphasis on reducing overall penalties.

Look for the Vinovich-led crew in Super Bowl 58 to follow that script.

Now, let’s assess the strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the Super Bowl from a penalty perspective and how the officiating of the Bill Vinovich-led crew will potentially impact these games

Penalty Tendencies:

• Since Bill Vinovich’s first Super Bowl as a head referee between the Patriots and Seahawks in 2015, his games are averaging 9.5 penalties for 78.4 yards. Keep these numbers in mind for any penalty props that may be available for this Super Bowl
• The Chiefs overall offense and offensive line issues were well-documented throughout the 2023 season. The penalty issues for the Kansas City offense have seen a sharp decline in their playoff run
• The Chiefs averaged 5.3 penalties per game in the 2023 regular season, with 63% committed by their offense. That averages out to around 3.5 offensive penalties per game
• The Chiefs are averaging just 2.6 penalties per game on their current playoff run, with the offense responsible for 70% of penalties. That amounts to around 1.8 offensive penalties per game, a significant drop from the regular season average. Since the drop in offensive penalties is primarily via offensive holding, it’s a huge boon to a Kansas City offense that struggled at times in 2023
• The decline in offensive holding is standard operating procedure every season in the playoffs. The NFL wants an aesthetically pleasing product in highly viewed postseason games. It just so happens Kansas City is the biggest beneficiary of this in 2023
• The 49ers offense is responsible for just 46% of the team’s overall penalties in 2023, with their offensive line responsible for just 24% of the team’s overall penalties
• The 49ers were a below-average penalized team for offensive holding in 2023
• In their Super Bowl 54 matchup in 2020, there was one offensive holding penalty called by Vinovich’s crew. More notable in that game were the non-calls, particularly in situations involving the aforementioned Nick Bosa 
• The 49ers and Chiefs defensive units are the two least impactful at generating offensive holding penalties on the opposing offenses in 2023, ranking 31st and 32nd respectively. In their five combined playoff games in the 2023-24 playoffs, these defenses have generated one accepted offensive holding penalty and have had one additional call declined
• Vinovich ranks second for false start penalties per game
• The 49ers and Chiefs share a common trait in penalties surrendered via passing plays. Defensive pass interference makes up the bulk of penalties surrendered in this category, with 61% of the Chiefs’ infractions and 58% of the 49ers’
• The back judge in Super Bowl 58 is from the Land Clark crew. One of the more controversial no-calls in 2023 came in Chiefs at Vikings in Week 5. It was a late-game defensive pass interference by L’Jarius Sneed on Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison . The flag was thrown by the side judge but picked up after a discussion with the back judge and head referee Land Clark.
• The 49ers and Chiefs offenses are top five beneficiaries of defensive holding infractions
• The Vinovich-led crew has members from the Clark, Shawn Hochuli, and Tra Blake crews. All three were above average calling defensive holding.
• Vinovich is co-ranked number one for illegal use of hands penalties and second overall for illegal block in the back penalties in 2023. These are two categories the Chiefs are highly penalized in versus league average. These infractions are more likely to get called in Super Bowl 58 with the Vinovich and Hochuli crews heavily represented in this game
• No referee has called fewer roughing the passer penalties than Vinovich since the start of the 2018 NFL season, averaging one approximately every seventh game officiated. This is far fewer than other referees over that same stretch. Across the board, the average is one roughing the passer penalty approximately every 2.5 games officiated. Keep these roughing the passer numbers in mind for penalty-specific prop bets in Super Bowl 58
• In playoff games, Vinovich-led crews have called just one roughing the passer penalty in 14 contests officiated since the 2012 season. The inclusion of two Hochuli crew members is the only cause for concern about roughing the passer, as they led the NFL in this category. However, at the end of the day, Vinovich runs this outfit and his numbers override everything else.
• Conversely, Vinovich-led crews in those 14 playoff games have called 13 unnecessary roughness penalties
• Pre-snap penalties are to be avoided at all costs. The Chiefs were one of the best in the NFL this season, ranking 30th overall. It’s worth noting, four of the five teams with the fewest pre-snap penalties in 2023 made the playoffs

Bottom Line:

• Vinovich-led crews are 60-39-2 (60%) to the under since the start of the 2018 NFL season, including 10-7 (60%) to the under in 2023
• In playoff games dating back to 2012, Vinovich is 9-8 to the under. The Chiefs’ 31-20 victory in Super Bowl 54 stayed under the closing total of 52.5 points. We are dealing with a far lower number in this contest
• A little-mentioned factor in the lead-up to this game is the new grass field surface at Allegiant Stadium. Last year’s surface in Arizona was a debacle, and it favored the offenses. From an in-game wagering perspective, the focus on offensive holding, or the probable lack thereof, is issue No. 1. The second piece to the puzzle is field conditions. Those two factors alone will impact the total as much as anything else

If the 49ers bring their “A” game, they can win Super Bowl 58. At their best, San Francisco looked near unbeatable in the 2023 season.

However, it’s been a while since we’ve seen that form, and frankly, they were fortunate to win their first two playoff games.

We thought the Ravens would be a tough out in the AFC Championship, but the moment proved to be too big for them.

The positive for the 49ers is that they have a loaded roster with high-IQ players who shouldn’t make the same discipline-related errors that contributed to the Ravens’ downfall. The team needs to play its best game from the get-go in Super Bowl 58.

Conversely, the Chiefs’ fast starts have had them largely control games during their playoff run. Its coaching staff and its core group of players provide them with an edge in this matchup. This is especially true at the quarterback position.

The bottom line is they won’t beat themselves, making the Kansas City Chiefs the play in this game and the winner of Super Bowl 58.

Bet 49ers vs. Chiefs Now!

Super Bowl 58 Referee Crew & Penalty Trend

Heading into the 2023 NFL playoffs, the three referees most likely to officiate the Super Bowl were Bill Vinovich, John Hussey, and Shawn Hochuli. It’s no surprise five of the seven Super Bowl officials are members are from these crews.

Two members apiece are from the Bill Vinovich and Shawn Hochuli crews.

The remaining three officials are from the John Hussey, Tra Blake, and Land Clark officiating crews.

These five crews represent 30% of all officiating crews in the NFL, which is a key number when detailing the following penalty categories.

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