2023 Divisional Playoffs
Hussey, Kemp, Vinovich, and Hochuli are the Divisional Playoff referees
The 4 referees for the Divisional Playoffs have been announced
Football Zebras has confirmed the officiating crews for the Divisional Playoffs. Officials are listed with their uniform number, years of NFL experience (including this season), the crew each official worked with in the regular season (by the referee’s name), college, and outside occupation.
Five alternates are assigned to each game: 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.
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). Also of note, the eventual Super Bowl officials are on the field for this weekend’s games, but not all are from the same crew.
All times are Eastern.
Texans at Ravens, 4:30 p.m. ESPN ESPN2 ABC ESPN+
John Hussey is the referee, who is in his 22nd season and 9th as referee. This is Hussey’s 17th postseason assignment, including 6 Wild Card Playoffs, 6 Divisional Playoffs, 4 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLV. His Super Bowl assignment was as a line judge.
| Yrs | 2023 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 35 | John Hussey | 22 | Idaho State | sales representative | |
| U | 124 | Carl Paganelli | 24 | Hussey | Michigan State | retired federal probation officer |
| DJ | 44 | Frank LeBlanc | 4 | Hussey | Lamar Institute of Technology | neighborhood services manager |
| LJ | 101 | Carl Johnson | 20 | Hussey | Nicholls State | retired sales manager, former full-time official |
| FJ | 97 | Tom Hill | 25 | Blake | Carson Newman | retired teacher/coach |
| SJ | 56 | Allen Baynes | 16 | Hussey | Auburn | realtor |
| BJ | 96 | Matt Edwards | 6 | Hussey | Western Michigan | healthcare sales |
| RO | Andrew Lambert | 6 | Blake | Central Virginia Community College | business development | |
| RA | Larry Hanson | 4 | Blake | California-San Diego | health and safety | |
| ALT | R | Ron Torbert | 14 | Michigan State | attorney | |
| ALT | U | Duane Heydt | 2 | Allen | South Carolina | statistician and real-estate investor |
| ALT | LJ | Jeff Seeman | 22 | Smith | Minnesota | brokerage sales |
| ALT | FJ | Ryan Dickson | 7 | Torbert | Utah | commercial real estate developer |
| ALT | BJ | Dino Paganelli | 18 | Smith | Aquinas College | educator |
Packers at 49ers, 8:15 p.m. Fox
Alex Kemp is the referee, who is in his 10th season and 6th as referee. This is Kemp’s 6th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs and a Divisional Playoff.
| Yrs | 2023 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 55 | Alex Kemp | 10 | Central Michigan | insurance agent | |
| U | 89 | Mike Morton | 2 | Kemp | North Carolina | dentist FORMER NFL PLAYER |
| DJ | 113 | Danny Short | 7 | Kemp | North Carolina-Charlotte | executive director, global sales operations |
| LJ | 85 | Daniel Gallagher | 4 | Blake | Kent State | athletic programs manager |
| FJ | 117 | John Jenkins | 10 | Eck | St. Mary’s | sales executive |
| SJ | 95 | James Coleman | 19 | Kemp | Arkansas | electrical engineer |
| BJ | 93 | Scott Helverson | 21 | Kemp | Iowa | sales, printing and promotions |
| RO | Mike Chase | 7 | Kemp | Arizona State | senior portfolio manager | |
| RA | Jamie Alferi Tuss | 2 | Kemp | Oregon State | sports management | |
| ALT | R | Carl Cheffers | 24 | California-Irvine | sales manager | |
| ALT | U | Brandon Cruse | 2 | Cheffers | South Dakota School of Mines & Technology | management consultant |
| ALT | DJ | David Oliver | 7 | Hill | Baker | information systems manager |
| ALT | SJ | Clay Reynard | 4 | Smith | California-Davis | customer service representative |
| ALT | BJ | Jonah Monroe | 9 | Blakeman | Arkansas | engineer |
Buccaneers at Lions, 3 p.m. NBC Peacock
Bill Vinovich is the referee, who is in his 18th season and 15th as referee. This is his 18th postseason assignment, including 3 Wild Card Playoffs, 7 Divisional Playoffs, 6 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls XLIX and LIV. Both of his Super Bowl assignments were as a referee.
| Yrs | 2023 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 52 | Bill Vinovich | 18 | San Diego | certified public accountant | |
| U | 49 | Alex Moore | 2 | Vinovich | St. Petersburg | compliance manager |
| DJ | 68 | Tom Stephan | 25 | Clark | Pittsburg State | retired business broker |
| LJ | 9 | Mark Perlman | 23 | Vinovich | Salem | teacher |
| FJ | 57 | Joe Blubaugh | 4 | Vinovich | Pittsburg State | regional sales manager |
| SJ | 86 | Jimmy Buchanan | 15 | Vinovich | South Carolina State | food service director |
| BJ | 88 | Brad Freeman | 10 | Clark | Mississippi State | sports park director |
| RO | Mark Butterworth | 7 | Vinovich | Walsh | non-profit COO | |
| RA | Julie Johnson | 1 | Vinovich | |||
| ALT | R | Brad Rogers | 7 | Lubbock Christian | college professor | |
| ALT | U | Mark Pellis | 10 | Novak | Allegheny | financial advisor |
| ALT | LJ | Kevin Codey | 9 | Rogers | Western New England | middle school physical education teacher |
| ALT | FJ | Jeff Shears | 2 | Wrolstad | Denver | professor |
| ALT | BJ | Grantis Bell | 4 | Wrolstad | West Virginia | school counselor |
Chiefs at Bills, 6:30 p.m. CBS Paramount+
Shawn Hochuli is the referee, who is in his 10th season and 6th as referee. This is Hochuli’s 8th postseason assignment, including a Wild Card Playoff and 7 Divisional Playoffs.
| Yrs | 2023 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 83 | Shawn Hochuli | 10 | Claremont | financial advisor | |
| U | 77 | Terry Killens | 5 | Hochuli | Penn State | campus security specialist FORMER NFL PLAYER |
| DJ | 106 | Patrick Holt | 5 | Hochuli | North Carolina State | IT manager |
| LJ | 47 | Tim Podraza | 16 | Hochuli | Nebraska | business performance consultant |
| FJ | 90 | Anthony Flemming | 4 | Hussey | Texas A&M-Commerce | senior auditor |
| SJ | 103 | Eugene Hall | 10 | Cheffers | North Texas | federal agent |
| BJ | 78 | Greg Meyer | 22 | Eck | Texas Christian | banker |
| RO | Tyler Cerimeli | 6 | Hochuli | Arizona State | high school officials coordinator | |
| RA | Tim Robinson | 1 | Hochuli | |||
| ALT | R | Craig Wrolstad | 21 | Washington | athletic director | |
| ALT | U | Ramon George | 8 | Rogers | Lenoir-Rhyne | financial underwriter |
| ALT | LJ | Rusty Baynes | 14 | Kemp | Auburn-Montgomery | general manager, safety services |
| ALT | SJ | Chad Hill | 6 | Hochuli | Mississippi | medical sales |
| ALT | BJ | Jimmy Russell | 5 | Vinovich | Pasco Hernando State | insurance agent |
