NFL-Veteran referee Vinovich to lead Super Bowl officiating crew

Vinovich's first stint as a Super Bowl referee came in February 2015 when the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Glendale, Arizona. He also served as the referee in February 2020 when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

In a season where officiating has once again been a hot-button issue, the National Football League (NFL) announced on Tuesday that veteran referee Bill Vinovich will lead the officiating crew for this year's Super Bowl. This will mark the third time Vinovich, who has been an official in the NFL since 2001, has served as the referee for the championship game.

Officiating comes under scrutiny and criticism just about every NFL season and the 2023 season has been no different with controversies involving both called penalties and non-calls. In one of the more high-profile incidents this season, a two-point conversion by the Detroit Lions was overturned as officials flagged a Lions offensive lineman for an illegal touching penalty for not reporting as eligible.

Vinovich is no stranger to controversy as he was the referee of the NFC Championship game in January 2019 when a missed call on an obvious pass interference penalty late in the game likely cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl. Vinovich's first stint as a Super Bowl referee came in February 2015 when the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Glendale, Arizona.

He also served as the referee in February 2020 when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Miami Gardens, Florida. This year's Super Bowl will be played Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

The Super Bowl matchup will be set following Sunday's AFC Championship clash between Baltimore and Kansas City and the NFC Championship game between Detroit and San Francisco. The Super Bowl officiating crew that Vinovich will lead are umpire Terry Killens, down judge Patrick Holt, line judge Mark Perlman, field judge Tom Hill, side judge Allen Baynes, back judge Brad Freeman and replay official Mike Chase.