Sarah Thomas to be first woman to officiate Super Bowl

[January 20, 2021]    Sarah Thomas will make history again next month as the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl.

The NFL on Tuesday announced the officiating crew for Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7 in Tampa, Fla.

NFL referee Sarah Thomas works the first quarter of a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Referee Carl Cheffers' crew includes Thomas as a down judge along with umpire Fred Bryan, line judge Rusty Baynes, field judge James Coleman, side judge Eugene Hall, back judge Dino Paganelli and replay official Mike Wimmer.

"Sarah Thomas has made history again as the first female Super Bowl official," NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement. "Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl. Congratulations to Sarah on this well-deserved honor."

Thomas, 47, was hired as the first full-time female official in NFL history in 2015. She made her regular-season debut when the Houston Texans hosted the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 13, 2015.

Coleman and Thomas are Super Bowl newcomers, while the others are working in the title game for the second time. Cheffers was the referee for Super Bowl LI when the New England Patriots rallied to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, 34-28, in Houston.

--Field Level Media

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