Super Bowl LIX officiating crew by the numbers

As kickoff draws closer, here is a breakdown of the Super Bowl LIX officiating crew.

I. Crew experience

In Super Bowl XXXIV, Bob McElwee’s crew had a combined 14 assignments to a prior Super Bowl. It is highly doubtful that there will be a more experienced crew call the game. This year’s crew only has 4 combined Super Bowl assignments entering the game.

Last year was the first time since Super Bowl LI that a majority of the crew worked their first Super Bowl. That is the case again this year, with 5 officials working their first Super Bowl, the most since Super Bowl XLVII when all but one official was in their first.

II. Assignment rules repealed

In the past, there was a rule that Super Bowl officials had to have five years of experience before getting the big game. Vice president of officiating Ramon George, responsible for making Super Bowl assignments, disregarded this policy before the season began. There appears to be no set “first year eligible for the Super Bowl” under George. Two officials with three years of experience have been assigned to the game — umpire Mike Morton and line judge Max Causey. This is not the first time officials in their third year have gotten a Super Bowl, but it is the first time in 44 years that it has happened.

III. Streaks and runs

Last year was the eighth straight Super Bowl where a line judge was assigned who had a previous Super Bowl assignment. That streak is broken. Now the only streak is the referee position. This is the third straight Super Bowl where the referee has been assigned who has prior Super Bowl experience. The six other positions are sitting on one.

Boris Cheek is only the second official to work two Super Bowls at two different positions. Cheek was field judge in Super Bowls XLII and 50; and side judge in Super Bowls LIV and LIX. The retired Tom Hill also accomplished that feat, working the side judge in Super Bowls XL and XLIX; and field judge in Super Bowls LII and LVIII.

Also, three referees have a near-lock on the Super bowl in the past decade. This year’s referee Ron Torbert, along with Carl Cheffers and Bill Vinovich have been the Super Bowl referee in eight of the last 11 games.

IV. Truly a mixed crew

This is the first time since Super Bowl LV that the crew is an all-mixed crew. All seven officials come from different crews. There are no regular season crewmates working the big game. This is the 10th time since Super Bowl XIII (the first game with crews of seven) that there are no regular season crewmates teaming up for the big game.

V. For all you number fans

For Super Bowls I and II, the mixed AFL and NFL officials had a special uniform and special numbers. The referee wore 10, the umpire 20, head linesman 30, line judge 40, field judge 50 and back judge 60. For Super Bowl II, the crew was numbered 12, 22, 32, etc. (Alternates were one number away from their counterpart in those game.) From 1979-1981 the NFL tried a different numbering system which is a whole other article of information.

Here are the number of times the Super Bowl LIX crew uniform numbers were worn in prior Super Bowls by other officials.

Back judge and field judge position names were swapped prior to 1998, and a prime symbol (′) indicates the former designation. *Special numbering system was in place. Numbers 21, 31, and 41 were also assigned to alternate officials in the first Super Bowl.

One official on the Super Bowl crew (Jonah Monroe) has a triple digit uniform number this year. The last Super Bowl that didn’t have at least one on-field official with a triple-digit jersey number was Super Bowl XLIV. The crew with most triple-digit jerseys was Super Bowl XLVI which had five officials sporting a number over 100.

The first officials to call a Super Bowl with triple-digit jerseys were head linesman Dale Hamer (104), and back (now field) judge Dick Hantak (105), both in Super Bowl XVII.

Hantak was the first official at the referee position with a three digit jersey to call at Super Bowl (XXVII). Joining Hantak as the only referees with triple-digit jerseys to call a Super Bowl are Bill Leavy, John Parry and Gene Steratore.

Discounting the special numbers in Super Bowls I and II, and the 1979-81 numbering system, the numbers worn the most times in the Super Bowl are:

• 9 — nine times
• 34 — eight times
• 25, 32, 51, 77 and 106 — seven times
• 41, 59 — six times

And, the following numbers have never been worn by an official in a Super Bowl:

• 1
• 2
• 13
• 37
• 65
• 68
• 69 (never been issued to an official)
• 102
• 119
• 123
• 130
• 131

Once again, yes, we are that much of number nerds.

Have a great time zebra-watching the final game of the year!