Assignments
Bill Vinovich is the referee for Super Bowl LIV
Football Zebras has confirmed that Bill Vinovich will be the referee for Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
Football Zebras exclusive
Football Zebras has confirmed that Bill Vinovich will be the referee for Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
Vinovich, 58, is currently in his 14th season and 11th as referee. Super Bowl LIV will be Vinovich’s 14th postseason assignment, including 3 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 4 Conference Championships. This will also be Vinovich’s second Super Bowl assignment. Vinovich was the referee for Super Bowl XLIX following the 2014 season. Vinovich was the referee for the Titans-Ravens Divisional Playoff last Saturday.
The NFL has decided to forego traditional assignment procedures by assigning Vinovich to three postseason games. In addition to his Divisional Playoff assignment, Vinovich was the alternate referee for the Wild Card Playoff between the Titans and Patriots. Typically, officials are only assigned to a maximum of two postseason assignments per season, including alternate assignments. This coincides with the assignment of Tony Corrente to the AFC Championship Game, who was also assigned to two postseason games in the early rounds of the playoffs.
Vinovich is a certified public accountant from Lake Forest, Calif. Vinovich also served as a supervisor of NFL officials for 5 seasons; a position he held while sidelined from on-field officiating due to a near-fatal heart condition.
A referee must have at least 5 years of seniority, worked 3 years at the referee position, and worked a playoff game as a referee in a previous postseason. The other members of the Super Bowl crew must have a Conference Championship game on their résumé (or received on-field assignments in 3 of the last 5 postseasons) in addition to being at least a 5-year veteran.
This crew collectively has the most prior Super Bowl experience than any Super Bowl crew since Super Bowl XXXIV following the 1999 season.
Umpire Barry Anderson will be officiating in his first Super Bowl this season, while the other six officials have taken a trip to Super Bowl Sunday before. In addition to Vinovich, this will be the second Super Bowl for line judge Carl Johnson, field judge Michael Banks, and back judge Greg Steed. Down judge Kent Payne and side judge Boris Cheek will both be working their third Super Bowl this year.
| Yrs | 2019 crew | College | Occupation | Prev. Playoff | Prev. SB | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 52 | Bill Vinovich | 14 | San Diego | certified public accountant | 3 WC, 5 DIV, 4 CC | XLIX | |
| U | 20 | Barry Anderson | 13 | Allen | North Carolina State | builder developer | 3 WC, 5 DIV | |
| DJ | 79 | Kent Payne | 16 | Rogers | Nebraska Wesleyan | teacher | 3 WC, 5 DIV, 8 CC | XLV, LI |
| LJ | 101 | Carl Johnson | 16 | Hussey | Nicholls State | former full-time official | 3 WC, 7 DIV, 2 CC | XLII |
| FJ | 72 | Michael Banks | 18 | Cheffers | Illinois State | carpenter foreman | 4 WC, 5 DIV | XLIII |
| SJ | 41 | Boris Cheek | 24 | Corrente | Morgan State | director of operations and management | 6 WC, 5 DIV, 2 CC | XLII, 50 |
| BJ | 12 | Greg Steed | 17 | Rogers | Howard | computer systems analyst | 4 WC, 2 DIV, 2 CC | XLIV |
- Replay official: Mike Chase
- Replay assistant: Marv LeBlanc
- Alternates:
- Referee: John Hussey
- Umpire: Bryan Neale
- Short wing: Tom Stephan
- Deep wing: Jimmy Buchanan
- Back judge: Greg Wilson
