Who Is The Female Nfl Referee?
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The NFL has had female referees in the past, but the current crop of officials is all male. Who is the female NFL referee?
Sarah Thomas
Sarah Thomas is the first full-time female NFL referee. She joined the NFL in 2015, and has been officiating games ever since. Thomas has been a referees for both college and high school football games prior to joining the NFL.
First female NFL referee
Sarah Thomas became the first female NFL referee in 2015, when she was hired by the league. She had previously been a college football referee for Conference USA.
Thomas made history in 2019 when she became the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game. She was also the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, when she served as a line judge for Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.
First full-time female NFL official
Sarah Thomas became the first full-time female NFL official in 2015, and is currently the only one. She previously worked as a high school and college football referee. In 2007, she became the first woman to officiate a major college football game.
First woman to officiate a major college football game
In 2007, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a major college football game when she worked as a line judge in the Mississippi Bowl. Thomas had been a high school official for seven years before she was hired by Conference USA in 2007. In 2015, she made history again when she become the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game.
Shannon Eastin
Shannon Eastin will make history Thursday night. She will be the first woman to officiate an NFL game. Shannon Eastin has been a referee for 16 years. She has officiated games in the NFL’s preseason, but Thursday night will be her first regular season game.
First woman to officiate an NFL game
In 2006, Shannon Eastin became the first woman to officiate an NFL game when she served as a line judge during a preseason game between the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers.
Eastin broke another barrier in 2012 when she officiated the first regular season NFL game. She was the head linesman for the St. Louis Rams- Detroit Lions game.
First woman to officiate a regular season NFL game
Shannon Eastin made history on Thursday night when she became the first woman to officiate a regular season NFL game. Eastin is a 16-year veteran of officiating football games, and has previous experience in the NFL’s preseason.
Eastin, who will be working as a line judge, is one of the most qualified officials in the NFL. She has worked as a official for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) since 1999, and has officiated games in the Arena Football League and United Football League.
This historic event comes at a time when the NFL is facing criticism for its treatment of women. In March, the league was sued by former players for allegedly discriminating against women in hiring practices. Earlier this year, the league also came under fire for its handling of domestic violence cases involving players.
Maia Chaka
Maia Chaka is the first full-time female NFL referee. Prior to becoming an NFL referee, Maia was a college football referee for 12 years. She has also worked as a high school football referee and a line judge.
First African-American woman to officiate an NFL game
Maia Chaka made history in October 2019 when she became the first African-American woman to officiate an NFL game. She was also the first woman of color to officiate a major college football game when she worked the 2018 Sun Bowl.
A native of Canton, Ohio, Chaka began her officiating career in high school and has worked her way up through the ranks of collegiate and professional football. She is a member of the NFL Officiating Development Program and has officiated preseason games for the league.
In addition to her work on the football field, Chaka is also an advocate for women in sports. She is a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Commission on Getting Girls in the Game and has spoken at events around the country about increasing opportunities for women in male-dominated fields like officiating.