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 Chiefs, 4:30 p.m. ESPN ESPN2 ABC ESPN+
Clay Martin will be the referee for Texans-Chiefs, who is in his 10th season and 7th as referee. This is Martin’s 6th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs and 2 Divisional Playoffs.
| R | 19 | Clay Martin | 10 | Oklahoma Baptist | retired high school administrator and basketball coach | |
| U | 127 | Scott Campbell | 2 | Blakeman | California-Davis | firefighter |
| DJ | 79 | Kent Payne | 21 | Rogers | Nebraska Wesleyan | agribusinessman |
| LJ | 32 | Walter Flowers | 2 | Allen | ||
| FJ | 72 | Jason Ledet | 2 | Hochuli | Nicholls State | physical therapy and rehabilitation |
| SJ | 95 | James Coleman | 20 | Blakeman | Arkansas | electrical engineer |
| BJ | 38 | Greg Yette | 15 | Rogers | Howard | defense contractor |
| RO | Matt Sumstine | 7 | Novak | Phoenix | real estate | |
| RA | Tim England | 3 | Novak | |||
| ALT | R | Craig Wrolstad | 22 | Washington | athletic director | |
| ALT | U | Tab Slaughter | 5 | Eck | Arkansas State | chief operating officer |
| ALT | LOS | Sarah Thomas | 10 | Allen | Mobile | sales representative |
| ALT | DEEP | Dominique Pender | 5 | Clark | Howard | trade support, finance and banking |
| ALT | BJ | Jim Quirk | 14 | Hochuli | Middlebury | financial advisor |
Commanders at Lions, 8:15 p.m. Fox
Ron Torbert will head the crew as the Commanders take on the Lions, who is in his 15th season and 11th as referee. This is Torbert’s 13th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 7 Divisional Playoffs, 1 Conference Championship, and Super Bowl LVI. His Super Bowl assignment was as a referee.
| R | 62 | Ron Torbert | 15 | Michigan State | attorney | |
| U | 42 | Duane Heydt | 3 | Allen | South Carolina | statistician and real-estate investor |
| DJ | 21 | Max Causey | 3 | Hussey | Louisiana Tech | financial advisor |
| LJ | 47 | Tim Podraza | 17 | Hochuli | Nebraska | business performance consultant |
| FJ | 31 | Mearl Robinson | 8 | Blake | Air Force | retired U.S. Air Force instructor |
| SJ | 41 | Boris Cheek | 29 | Smith | Morgan State | retired director of operations and management |
| BJ | 120 | Jonah Monroe | 10 | Blakeman | Arkansas | engineer |
| RO | Kevin Brown | 6 | Allen | Purdue | retired air traffic controller | |
| RA | Durwood Manley | 6 | Allen | Lubbock Christian | sales territory manager | |
| ALT | R | Alex Kemp | 11 | Central Michigan | insurance agent | |
| ALT | U | Barry Anderson | 18 | Torbert | North Carolina State | builder/developer |
| ALT | LOS | Frank LeBlanc | 5 | Torbert | Lamar Institute of Technology | neighborhood services manager |
| ALT | DEEP | Allen Baynes | 17 | Hussey | Auburn | realtor |
| ALT | BJ | Matt Edwards | 7 | Hussey | Western Michigan | real estate investment specialist |
Rams at Eagles, 3 p.m. NBC Peacock
The crew in Philadelphia will be headed by referee Shawn Smith, who is in his 10th season and 7th as referee. This is Smith’s 9th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, 2 Divisional Playoffs, and 2 Conference Championships.
| R | 14 | Shawn Smith | 10 | Ferris State | finance | |
| U | 92 | Bryan Neale | 11 | Rogers | Indiana | sales consultant |
| DJ | 84 | Jay Bilbo | 2 | Smith | Ottawa (KS) | information technology |
| LJ | 75 | Mark Stewart | 7 | Novak | Pittsburg State | rancher |
| FJ | 107 | Dave Hawkshaw | 6 | Martin | Justice Institute of British Columbia | firefighter, former CFL official |
| SJ | 80 | Alonzo Ramsey | 3 | Martin | Howard | banking |
| BJ | 105 | Dino Paganelli | 19 | Smith | Aquinas College | educator |
| RO | Tyler Cerimeli | 7 | Blake | Arizona State | high school officials coordinator | |
| RA | Brian Davies | 2 | Cheffers | |||
| ALT | R | Bill Vinovich | 19 | San Diego | certified public accountant | |
| ALT | U | Roy Ellison | 22 | Hill | Savannah State | IT engineer |
| ALT | LOS | Jerod Phillips | 9 | Martin | Northeastern State | real estate agent |
| ALT | DEEP | John Jenkins | 11 | Eck | St. Mary’s | sales executive |
| ALT | BJ | Brad Freeman | 11 | Clark | Mississippi State | sports park director |
Ravens at Bills, 6:30 p.m. CBS Paramount+
The final officiating crew of the weekend will be headed by Carl Cheffers, who is in his 25th season and 17th as referee. This is Cheffers’s 20th postseason assignment, including 6 Wild Card Playoffs, 8 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls LI, LV, and LVII. All three of his Super Bowl assignments were as a referee.
| R | 51 | Carl Cheffers | 25 | California-Irvine | sales manager | |
| U | 22 | Brandon Cruse | 3 | Cheffers | South Dakota School of Mines & Technology | management consultant |
| DJ | 63 | Mike Carr | 8 | Cheffers | Wisconsin | athletic director |
| LJ | 98 | Greg Bradley | 16 | Hill | Tennessee | chemical engineer |
| FJ | 57 | Joe Blubaugh | 5 | Rogers | Pittsburg State | regional sales manager |
| SJ | 33 | Nate Jones | 6 | Cheffers | Rutgers | firefighter/EMT FORMER NFL PLAYER |
| BJ | 133 | Martin Hankins | 2 | Cheffers | Memphis | court clerk |
| RO | Chad Adams | 7 | Blakeman | Cincinnati | operations | |
| RA | Ken Hall | 4 | Wrolstad | |||
| ALT | R | Land Clark | 7 | Sevier Valley Tech | chief building official | |
| ALT | U | Paul King | 16 | Clark | Nichols College | teacher |
| ALT | LOS | Patrick Turner | 11 | Blake | Cal State-Long Beach | plant manager |
| ALT | DEEP | Dale Shaw | 12 | Eck | Allegheny | pharmaceutical sales |
| ALT | BJ | John Hussey | 23 | Hussey | Idaho State | nonprofit founder and CEO |
Football Zebras have announced the referees for the upcoming Divisional Playoff games. The officiating crew will be led by veteran referees Martin, Torbert, Smith, and Cheffers, who are some of the most experienced and respected officials in the league.
Fans can expect these referees to uphold the highest standards of fairness and accuracy as they oversee the pivotal matchups that will determine which teams advance to the Conference Championships. With their proven track records of excellence, Martin, Torbert, Smith, and Cheffers are sure to provide a steady hand in ensuring a smooth and competitive playoff experience for all teams involved.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Divisional Playoff games and the crucial role that these referees will play in determining the outcomes. Let’s give a round of applause to Martin, Torbert, Smith, and Cheffers for their dedication to the game and their commitment to upholding the integrity of the sport.
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- Divisional Playoff referees
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- NFL Divisional Playoffs
- Football Zebras
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- Martin, Torbert, Smith, Cheffers officiating crew
- NFL playoff referees
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