2022 Wild Card Playoffs
NFL assigns officiating crews for the Wild Card Playoffs
The six referees for Wild Card Weekend have been announced.
Football Zebras has confirmed the officiating crews for the Wild Card Playoffs. This is the third year of the expanded playoff system that now features six Wild Card Playoff games.
In 2020, the NFL moved to five alternates for the early postseason rounds, which will continue this season. The alternate officials are a referee, an umpire, a line of scrimmage official (down judge or line judge), a deep wing official (field judge or side judge), and a back judge. Officials who have alternate assignments are still eligible for an on-field assignment in the Divisional Playoffs.
All times are Eastern. The prior playoff experience that is listed for the crew chief includes his service as an NFL official, including as referee and any other crew position (excluding alternate assignments).
Scheduled assignments are subject to change.
Saturday, Jan. 14
NFC Wild Card: Seahawks at 49ers, 4:30 p.m. Fox
Alex Kemp is the referee, who is in his 9th season and 5th as referee. This is Kemp’s 5th postseason assignment; all 5 have been Wild Card Playoff games.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 55 | Alex Kemp | 9 | Central Michigan | insurance agent | |
| U | 131 | Mark Pellis | 9 | Torbert | Allegheny | financial advisor |
| DJ | 44 | Frank LeBlanc | 3 | Boger | Lamar Institute of Technology | neighborhood services manager |
| LJ | 10 | Julian Mapp | 14 | Blakeman | Grambling State | software quality assurance tester |
| FJ | 109 | Dyrol Prioleau | 16 | Smith | Johnson C Smith | manager, law firm |
| SJ | 104 | Dale Shaw | 10 | Kemp | Allegheny | pharmaceutical sales |
| BJ | 93 | Scott Helverson | 20 | Kemp | Iowa | sales, printing and promotions |
| RO | Mike Chase | 6 | Kemp | Arizona State | senior portfolio manager | |
| RA | Durwood Manley | 4 | Rogers | Lubbock Christian | sales territory manager | |
| ALT | R | Brad Rogers | 6 | Lubbock Christian | college professor | |
| ALT | U | Carl Paganelli | 23 | Rogers | Michigan State | retired federal probation officer |
| ALT | LJ | Brian Bolinger | 6 | Clark | Indiana State | corporate safety director |
| ALT | FJ | Michael Banks | 21 | Clark | Illinois State | carpenter foreman |
| ALT | BJ | Keith Ferguson | 23 | Hill | San Jose State | sales |
AFC Wild Card: Chargers at Jaguars, 8:15 p.m. NBC Peacock
Shawn Smith is the referee, who is in his 8th season and 5th as referee. This is Smith’s 7th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, a Divisional Playoff, and a Conference Championship.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 14 | Shawn Smith | 8 | Ferris State | finance | |
| U | 20 | Barry Anderson | 16 | Boger | North Carolina State | builder/developer |
| DJ | 68 | Tom Stephan | 24 | Clark | Pittsburg State | retired business broker |
| LJ | 123 | Mike Dolce | 3 | Smith | Grand Valley State | wealth management advisor |
| FJ | 57 | Joe Blubaugh | 3 | Vinovich | Pittsburg State | regional sales manager |
| SJ | 118 | David Meslow | 12 | Novak | Augsburg College | sales executive |
| BJ | 67 | Tony Josselyn | 5 | Torbert | Eastern Kentucky | probation officer |
| RO | Mike Wimmer | 20 | Smith | NYU | producer | |
| RA | Sebrina Brunson | 3 | Smith | Florida Atlantic | case specialist | |
| ALT | R | Clete Blakeman | 15 | Nebraska | attorney | |
| ALT | U | Alan Eck | 7 | Hussey | Bloomsburg State | tax manager |
| ALT | LJ | Daniel Gallagher | 3 | Allen | Kent State | athletic programs manager |
| ALT | SJ | Clay Reynard | 3 | Smith | California-Davis | customer service representative |
| ALT | BJ | Brad Freeman | 9 | Hussey | Mississippi State | sports park director |
Sunday, Jan. 15
AFC Wild Card: Dolphins at Bills, 1:00 p.m. CBS Para+
Brad Allen is the referee, who is in his 9th season. This is Allen’s 5th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs and a Divisional Playoff. Allen was hired directly to the referee position from the ACC in 2014.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 122 | Brad Allen | 9 | Pembroke State | non-profit CEO | |
| U | 77 | Terry Killens | 4 | Hochuli | Penn State | campus security specialist |
| DJ | 53 | Sarah Thomas | 8 | Allen | Mobile | sales representative |
| LJ | 9 | Mark Perlman | 22 | Vinovich | Salem | teacher |
| FJ | 90 | Anthony Flemming | 3 | Hochuli | Texas A&M-Commerce | senior auditor |
| SJ | 7 | Keith Washington | 15 | Torbert | Virginia Military Institute | program financial analyst |
| BJ | 38 | Greg Yette | 13 | Allen | Howard | defense contractor |
| RO | Andrew Lambert | 5 | Blake | Central Virginia Community College | business development | |
| RA | Kirt Shay | 4 | Blake | Xavier | teacher | |
| ALT | R | Land Clark | 5 | Sevier Valley Tech | chief building official | |
| ALT | U | Tony Michalek | 21 | Blake | Indiana | chief executive officer |
| ALT | LJ | Greg Bradley | 14 | Hochuli | Tennessee | chemical engineer |
| ALT | FJ | James Coleman | 18 | Martin | Arkansas | electrical engineer |
| ALT | BJ | Jimmy Russell | 4 | Vinovich | Pasco Hernando State | insurance agent |
NFC Wild Card: Giants at Vikings, 4:30 p.m. Fox
Adrian Hill is the referee, who is in his 13th season and 4th as referee. This is Hill’s 4th postseason assignment, and his first as referee. His first three assignments, 2 Wild Card Playoffs and a Divisional Playoff, were at deep wing positions (field judge and side judge).
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 29 | Adrian Hill | 13 | Buffalo | aerospace software engineer | |
| U | 110 | Tab Slaughter | 3 | Blakeman | Arkansas State | chief operating officer |
| DJ | 63 | Mike Carr | 6 | Cheffers | Wisconsin | athletic director |
| LJ | 75 | Mark Stewart | 5 | Blake | Pittsburg State | rancher |
| FJ | 25 | Ryan Dickson | 6 | Torbert | Utah | commercial real estate developer |
| SJ | 114 | Dominique Pender | 3 | Clark | Howard | trade support, finance and banking |
| BJ | 96 | Matt Edwards | 5 | Cheffers | Western Michigan | healthcare sales |
| RO | Matt Sumstine | 5 | Novak | Phoenix | real estate | |
| RA | Tim England | 1 | Novak | |||
| ALT | R | Scott Novak | 9 | Phoenix | sales manager | |
| ALT | U | Paul King | 14 | Clark | Nichols College | teacher |
| ALT | DJ | Kent Payne | 19 | Rogers | Nebraska Wesleyan | agribusinessman |
| ALT | SJ | Jeff Lamberth | 21 | Wrolstad | Texas A&M | attorney |
| ALT | BJ | Todd Prukop | 14 | Blake | Cal State-Fullerton | medical sales representative |
AFC Wild Card: Ravens at Bengals, 8:15 p.m. NBC Peacock
Clay Martin is the referee, who is in his 8th season and 5th as referee. This is Martin’s 4th postseason assignment, including 3 Wild Card Playoffs and a Divisional Playoff.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 19 | Clay Martin | 8 | Oklahoma Baptist | high school administrator | |
| U | 11 | Fred Bryan | 14 | Martin | Northern Iowa | superintendent, juvenile correctional facility |
| DJ | 106 | Patrick Holt | 4 | Hochuli | North Carolina State | IT manager |
| LJ | 87 | Tom Eaton | 3 | Rogers | Central Florida | fiscal manager |
| FJ | 50 | Aaron Santi | 8 | Rogers | Southern Oregon | middle school principal |
| SJ | 120 | Jonah Monroe | 8 | Boger | Arkansas | engineer |
| BJ | 119 | Greg Wilson | 15 | Martin | USC | retired police officer |
| RO | Brian Matoren | 18 | Martin | Florida | writer/producer | |
| RA | Rick Loumiet | 1 | Martin | Loyola (La.) | financial solutions manager | |
| ALT | R | Shawn Hochuli | 9 | Claremont | financial advisor | |
| ALT | U | Bryan Neale | 9 | Smith | Indiana | sales consultant |
| ALT | DJ | Dana McKenzie | 15 | Blakeman | Toledo | claims adjuster |
| ALT | SJ | Jimmy Buchanan | 14 | Vinovich | South Carolina State | food service director |
| ALT | BJ | Rich Martinez | 9 | Hochuli | Canisius | sales manager |
Monday, Jan. 16
NFC Wild Card: Cowboys at Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+
Craig Wrolstad is the referee, who is in his 20th season and 9th as referee. This is his 13th postseason assignment, including 6 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs, 2 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLVII. His Super Bowl assignment was as a field judge.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 4 | Craig Wrolstad | 20 | Washington | athletic director | |
| U | 54 | Steve Woods | 6 | Wrolstad | Wabash | financial advisor |
| DJ | 74 | Derick Bowers | 20 | Novak | East Central | sales representative |
| LJ | 16 | Kevin Codey | 8 | Hill | Western New England | middle school physical education teacher |
| FJ | 31 | Mearl Robinson | 6 | Hill | Air Force | retired U.S. Air Force instructor |
| SJ | 107 | Dave Hawkshaw | 4 | Martin | Justice Institute of British Columbia | firefighter |
| BJ | 27 | Grantis Bell | 3 | Wrolstad | West Virginia | school counselor |
| RO | Kevin Stine | 5 | Wrolstad | Alabama-Birmingham | regional sales manager | |
| RA | Gavin Anderson | 4 | Wrolstad | Green River | police officer | |
| ALT | R | Ron Torbert | 13 | Michigan State | attorney | |
| ALT | U | Barry Anderson | 16 | Boger | North Carolina State | builder/developer |
| ALT | LJ | Tripp Sutter | 4 | Wrolstad | Nebraska | biopharmaceutical rep |
| ALT | SJ | Jim Quirk | 12 | Hill | Middlebury | financial advisor |
| ALT | BJ | Greg Steed | 20 | Rogers | Howard | computer systems analyst |
Of note, Barry Anderson will be the umpire on the field in Jacksonville on Saturday, then will be an alternate in Tampa on Monday night. This appears to be out of necessity, because there are 3 umpires in their first season, and thus ineligible for a postseason assignment. There are 3 eligible umpires that have not yet been assigned, and one did not work a full season as a swing official.
