nfl divisional referee assignments

NFL Referee Trends for Divisional Round (How Referee's Impact Playoff Games)

By reed wallach | jan 20, 2024.

The third team on the field in every NFL game are the officials, and different groups have different tendencies.

With a rotating set of officiating crews, games are called differently and are unique every time two teams square off, and how referee's call contests can't be understated -- especially for bettors. There are some referee groups that call more penalties that can influence decision making from each team, and others that let players be more physical.

Here's a handy guide to get acquainted with each officiating crew for the four postseason games in the 2024 NFL Divisional Round.

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Texans vs. Ravens Referee Assignments

Head referee: john hussey.

Hussey's crew has a common theme, home team and unders.

Since becoming a head ref, home teams are 81-58-3 against the spread (ATS) while unders are cashing at a high rate, 82-62-2, per The Action Network when Hussey's teams are manning the whistle. The difference in the two numbers are a handful of neutral site games, but it's clear that Hussey's crew does tend to shade towards a particular side.

Packers vs. 49ers Referee Assignments

Head referee: alex kemp.

Kemp's groups were quick to throw flags this season, particularly on the road team.

Kemp and his officials called the second most penalties in the NFL this season, 214 for 1,678 yards, per NFLpenalties.com , calling nearly two more per game on the visitors.

However, there wasn't a tangible impact on the spread over the course of the season. In fact, road teams were 9-7 ATS in 2023 with Kemp's crew in charge.

Buccaneers vs. Lions Referee Assignments

Head referee: bill vinovich.

Vinovich is an under machine as a referee. In games called by his group, the under has cashed at an astronomical rate, going 100-67-1, including officiating an under in seven of his last eight playoff games.

While there's no glaring trend as to why, Vinovich doesn't call an alarmingly amount of penalties in either direction, Vinovich unders have been a cash cow for years.

Chiefs vs. Bills Referee Assignments

Head referee: shawn hochuli.

Hochuli is an under referee, the game has gone under at a 57% clip in games led by him, 52-39-3.

Further, road teams are 51-40-3 ATS in Hochuli officiated games, including 3-1 in the postseason as the Chiefs travel to Western New York to face the Buffalo Bills.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Nfl playoffs referees: who are the officials for divisional weekend 2024, share this article.

Happy NFL divisional round weekend to all who celebrate! It’s time for the playoffs to continue after the wild card weekend, and that means you want to know everything there is to know about the games you’re watching.

If you came here, you’re probably looking to see who the officials are for every playoff game this weekend in 2024. Fear not! We have answers.

With  four games on the schedule from Saturday to Sunday, there will be that many officiating crews, and we’ll give you the name of the referee for each of them who will announce penalties and such during the contests.

Here’s the full list:

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens: John Hussey

(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers: Alex Kemp

Oct 30, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) talks to side judge Alex Kemp (55) in the second half against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won, 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

(AP Photo/Doug Murray)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions: Bill Vinovich

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills: Shawn Hochuli

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NFL Referee Analysis: Shawn Hochuli’s Impact on Bills vs. Chiefs

The Chiefs take on the Bills Sunday night in the final Divisional Round matchup, the first road playoff game for Kansas City in the Patrick Mahomes era.

The game marks the second meeting in the 2023-24 season between these two AFC heavyweights.

Late drama in the form of an offensive offsides call overshadowed the first game back in Week 14. That penalty was the talking point in the NFL the following week

The Bills have a checkered history with Shawn Hochuli, but before we get into that, we saw some interesting changes to the way NFL officials called games in the Wild Card Round.

Offensive holding penalties declined by 52% in Wild Card Weekend compared to the season averages of the six assigned referees in this category.

False start penalties saw a 23% decline compared to the six referees’ regular season averages.

We touched on this subject in our Chiefs versus Dolphins preview last week, noting a decline in offensive holding penalties was a strong likelihood.

Understandably, the NFL wants an aesthetically pleasing product in standalone games viewed by a larger-than-average audience.

The numbers from Wild Card Weekend point to more leeway being provided for offenses, something that should continue to some degree in the Divisional Round.

Now let’s assess the strengths and weaknesses of Buffalo and Kansas City from a penalty perspective and how the officiating of Shawn Hochuli will potentially impact this game.

Referee Assignments for the Divisional Round  

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Penalty Tendencies:

• Shawn Hochuli’s crew called the fewest defensive pass interference penalties and were tied for the fewest illegal contact penalties in 2023. These numbers contributed to Hochuli calling a below-average 21% of overall penalties on defensive backs this season. Only Brad Rogers and Carl Cheffers called a lower overall percentage on this position group in 2023
• The Bills defense has surrendered approximately 22% more automatic first downs via penalty this season than the Chiefs, but both are above-average penalized units on third down plays
• Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed is a top-three penalized defensive back in the NFL. The positive here is two-fold. The Chiefs use penalties by design on occasion. Intentionally holding an offensive player is often more beneficial than allowing that player to run free for a significant yardage gain. Secondly, in the three games Kansas City played that were officiated by the three crews mentioned above that call the lowest percentage of penalties on defensive backs, Sneed was not penalized once
• Defensive holding and illegal use of hands are the two penalty categories that make up a higher percentage of defensive penalties with Hochuli officiating. These infractions are not excessively called but outnumber the aforementioned pass interference and illegal contact penalties
• The Chiefs offense is an elite unit at generating defensive holding calls. They ranked No. 1 in 2022 and are co-ranked No. 1 overall in 2023. Of the two offenses taking the field on Sunday, it’s this one area that stands out from a penalty perspective in favor of the Chiefs
• Overall, the Chiefs offense is the superior unit in this game at generating automatic first down via penalty, with the primary driver being the aforementioned defensive holding calls
• The lower percentage of penalties assessed on defensive backs from Hochuli’s crew results in an above-average 11.5% percentage of penalties being called on linebackers. This is an area that potentially provides an advantage to the Chiefs
• The Buffalo linebackers account for a slightly above-average 10% of the team’s overall penalties. Conversely, the Chiefs linebackers are responsible for just 3% of the team’s penalties. That is the lowest percentage of any team in the AFC
• The Chiefs have been penalized just once for roughing the passer all season, in Week 6 versus the Broncos. Shawn Hochuli was the referee that night
• The Bills defense has committed four roughing the passer penalties in 2023. Conversely, the Bills offense, or more specifically Josh Allen , has been the number one beneficiary of roughing the passer penalties in the 2023 NFL season
• Shawn Hochuli led the NFL in calling roughing the passer penalties this season. This is one category that may be a factor on Sunday. The league wants the quarterbacks protected and to avoid negative publicity from highly publicized no calls, as we saw in the Lions versus Rams game after multiple hits on Mathew Stafford were not called
• Conversely, Shawn Hochuli called the fewest unnecessary roughness penalties this season
• The Buffalo Bills led the NFL in unnecessary roughness penalties in 2023
• The Chiefs and Bills are top-five penalized teams for offensive holding penalties
• The Bills defense has one of the biggest home versus road splits in generating offensive holding penalties on the opposing team. They rank in the bottom five on the road but are a top-10 unit at home
• Shawn Hochuli has consistently ranked at or near the top of the NFL for offensive holding penalties in his career. He ranks fifth overall in 2023. As we detailed during the introduction, there was a sizable reduction in offensive holding calls last weekend. If that trend continues in the Divisional Round, many of these numbers will be irrelevant. However, both teams are susceptible, and if Hochuli’s crew were to call this like a normal game, the volume of offensive holding calls would provide a strong edge for the game to stay under the total
• The Bills are co-leaders for taunting penalties in 2023
• No referee has called more taunting penalties than Shawn Hochuli since he arrived in 2018. The positive for Buffalo here is Hochuli has yet to call a taunting penalty in 2023
• The Chiefs lead the NFL for illegal block in the back penalties in 2023
• Shawn Hochuli ranks in the top three of all referees for illegal blocks in the back, dating back to his first season in 2018. In what may be a break for the Chiefs, Hochuli has scaled back in 2023, calling only one penalty in this category
• Offensive offside penalties were a talking point in the aftermath of the Chiefs versus Bills game in Week 14. Shawn Hochuli has never called an offensive offside penalty in his career. Each of these teams has committed one penalty apiece in this category in the 2023 season, with the Chiefs’ infraction being one of the most impactful penalties of the season to date

The Bottom Line:

• Shawn Hochuli is 10-6 under in 2023 and 54-40-2 (56%) under the total in his career
• Home teams are 43-50-3 ATS (46.%%) in Shawn Hochul’s career. They are 9-6 ATS in 2023, which is above Hochuli’s career average
• In four playoff games as a head referee, home teams are just 2-2 with Shawn Hochuli and 1-3 ATS. The two home team victories were the Kansas City Chiefs 
• The Chiefs have played an above-average amount of games with Hochuli since 2018 including the aforementioned playoff victories in 2021 and 2022.
• The Chiefs are 8-2 on the moneyline and 4-6 ATS in those contests. While the ATS record isn’t impressive, the Chiefs were favored in every game by an average of eight points per contest. Kansas City was favored by less than a touchdown in only three of the ten games. This will be the first game the Chiefs will be the underdog with Hochuli officiating
• Only three of the ten Chiefs games with Hochuli were on the road. They are 3-0 in those games
• Conversely, the Bills have a limited history with Shawn Hochuli. In four games, Buffalo is 1-3 on the moneyline and 1-2-1 ATS.
• The most recent game was a 37-34 loss in overtime at the Eagles in Week 12 of the season, the last loss for the Buffalo before their current six-game winning streak. There were some controversial calls and, more importantly, no calls that day. The officiating was a point of contention for Bills players and fans in the aftermath of the loss

The marquee game of the Divisional Round provides us with two teams that mirror each other in many key areas.

The Chiefs playing on the road is being framed as a negative. While playing at home is ideal, this provides Patrick Mahomes an opportunity to further his legacy with a playoff win in a hostile environment.

The Bills suffered some additional injuries to defensive players in their Wild Card victory over the Steelers. If they are unable to go against Kansas City, it compounds an already problematic situation for them on Sunday.

Based on the numbers we have covered, the defenses will be provided some leeway on Sunday night.

The Chiefs defense is the more rested and healthier unit going into this playoff game.

From an officiating standpoint, we’ve covered every conceivable angle. Hochuli has officiated his share of big regular season and playoff games, many of them with controversial calls.

Hochuli called the only unsportsmanlike conduct penalty ever assessed on Tom Brady in the Buccaneers’ 30-27 loss to the Rams in the Divisional Round of the 2021 season. So anything is possible in this game.

There is a familiarity angle for the Chiefs with Hochuli officiating this contest. The volume of games, often big games, that the Chiefs have played with him can’t be dismissed. That is an advantage.

Buffalo won late at Arrowhead Stadium in the regular season matchup.

This game will be close, but Kansas City grinds out a win and turns the tables on Buffalo this week, advancing to the AFC Championship Game.

That makes the Chiefs +2.5 points the play in the Divisional Round.

» Bet the Bills vs. Chiefs Now

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2023 Conference Championships Assignments

2023 Conference Championships Follow-up

2023 Conference Championships

Smith and blakeman are conference championship referees.

Shawn Smith and Clete Blakeman are the referees for the 2023 Conference Championships.

Football Zebras exclusive

Football Zebras has confirmed the assignment of referees Shawn Smith and Clete Blakeman to the Conference Championship games on Sunday. Smith will be in Baltimore for the AFC matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens; Blakeman will be in San Francisco for the clash between the Lions and 49ers.

All times are Eastern.

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).

Sunday, Jan. 29

Afc championship game: chiefs at ravens, 3:00 p.m. cbs paramount+.

Shawn Smith is the referee, who is in his 9th season and 6th as referee. This is Smith’s 8th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, a Divisional Playoff, and 2 Conference Championships.

He got started as a flag football official at Eastern Michigan University. Smith was recruited to run track and play football at EMU before transferring to Ferris State University.

At the collegiate level, Smith officiated in Conference USA in 2009, the Mid-American Conference from 2009 to 2012 and the Big Ten Conference from 2012 to 2014. He worked at the back judge position during this time, and completed his first full season as a Big Ten referee in 2014, when the NFL came calling for the 2015 season . Smith worked the 2011 Armed Forces Bowl and the 2015 Senior Bowl while a college football official.

The NFL promoted him to the referee position in 2018 after referee Terry McAulay left the NFL to join NBC.

Smith, 50, is a corporate manager for a major health insurer in the Detroit metro area.

NFC Championship Game: Lions at 49ers, 6:30 p.m. Fox

Clete Blakeman is the referee, who is in his 16th season and 14th as referee. This is Blakeman’s 14th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 4 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl 50 . His Super Bowl assignment was as a referee.

Before becoming an official, Blakeman was a second-string quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1984 to 1987. He started a handful of games, most notably a 70-0 shutout of the Kansas Jayhawks in 1986.

Blakeman, 59, came to the NFL from the Big 12 Conference in 2008. After a couple of seasons at field judge, he was promoted to referee in 2010.

Blakeman is a personal-injury attorney in Omaha, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Bill Vinovich is the referee for Super Bowl LVIII

Hochuli and Vinovich lead the pack for Super Bowl LVIII referee assignment

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No, NFL referees weren't given okay to eject players who kneel | Fact check

The claim: nfl referees given authority to disqualify players for anthem kneeling.

An Aug. 19 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) shows a picture of a Buffalo Bills player appearing to argue with referees.

“NFL Referees were given the authority to disqualify players for anthem kneeling," reads the post's caption. "So far they've tossed five of them. ‘The league isn't tolerating it anymore.’"

The post, which includes a link to an article about the supposed change, was shared more than 60 times in one day. Other Facebook posts also shared the claim.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

A spokesperson from the NFL refuted the claim. It originated on a satirical website but has since been reposted without a satire disclaimer.

Referees claim is stolen satire

Since 2016 , kneeling during the national anthem at sporting events has been a common way for athletes to protest against racial inequality. In 2018, the NFL instituted a policy that prohibited players from kneeling during the national anthem, but the league reversed that decision in 2020.

The Facebook post's linked article – shared ahead of Week 3 of the NFL preseason – contends that referees ejected a player in Buffalo for kneeling.

But Tim Schlittner , spokesperson for the NFL, told USA TODAY that the claim is false. There is likewise no credible news reporting about NFL referees being granted new powers to eject players for kneeling or of any players being ejected from games for kneeling.

The claim was first shared by America's Last Line of Defense , a satirical network of social media accounts and websites, in November 2023 . Its satirical article includes the same image as the one shared in the Facebook post.

Fact check : No, Andy Reid didn't criticize Olympic athletes over anthem kneeling

But the Aug. 19 Facebook post does not contain a satire disclaimer like those from America's Last Line of Defense.

It's an example of what could be called "stolen satire," where claims written as satire and presented that way originally are reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here.

USA TODAY has debunked several false claims related to professional athletes kneeling, including that Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told his team to kneel during the national anthem, that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin banned his team from kneeling and that NFL coaches unanimously voted to ban kneeling in the league.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Tim Schlittner , Aug. 19, Email exchange with USA TODAY
• America's Last Line of Defense, Nov. 14, 2023, Facebook post

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here .

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .