The officiating assignments for Super Bowl LVIII have officially been handed out, and the NFL will be going with veteran Bill Vinovich to serve as referee.
This will mark the third time Vinovich has been the referee for a Super Bowl. In a twist, Vinovich was also the referee the last time the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers played in the Super Bowl back in February 2020. Vinovich's crew did a solid job during the game, which the Chiefs won, 31-20. There were a total of nine penalties called in Super Bowl LIV, with five going against the 49ers (for 45 yards) and four going against the Chiefs (for 24 yards).
The most controversial play of that game was an offensive pass interference against George Kittle that negated a 42-yard gain just before halftime.
The receiver extends his arm and creates separation while the ball is in the air, therefore it is offensive pass interference. – AL#SBLIV pic.twitter.com/hxAvggDqhS
— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) February 3, 2020
You can read more about the officiating from the game here.
The Chiefs-49ers game was Vinovich's second stint as a Super Bowl ref. His first one came in Super Bowl XLIX, when the Patriots beat the Seahawks, 28-24, in a game that wasn't sealed until Russell Wilson threw an interception at the goal line in the final 30 seconds.
If you're wondering how the 49ers and Chiefs have fared with Vinovich, here's a look at their record with him over the past five years (stats via Pro Football Reference).
- 49ers: 2-4 (0-1 in 2023)
- Chiefs: 5-2 (0-0 in 2023)
This is the second time this season that Vinovich has seen the 49ers. The veteran official was the referee when San Francisco lost to Baltimore, 33-19, back on Christmas Day. As for the Chiefs, they didn't have Vinovich as a ref for a single game this year.
Vinovich has already worked one postseason game this season, and that came in the divisional round when he served as the referee in the Lions' 31-23 win over the Buccaneers.
The 63-year-old Vinovich just finished up his 18th season as an NFL official with 15 of those coming as a referee. Vinovich has actually been an official since 2001, but he had to take a few years off starting in 2007 after experiencing a serious heart condition.
According to the NFL, the rest of Vinovich's crew for the game will be umpire Terry Killens, down judge Patrick Holt, field judge Tom Hill, line judge Mark Perlman, side judge Allen Baynes and back judge Brad Freeman. Mike Chase will serve as the replay official.
This will be the fourth Super Bowl for Perlman and Hill, who also worked with Vinovich in Super Bowl XLIX. On the other hand, Killens, Holt, Baynes and Freeman will be officiating in the Super Bowl for the first time.
Super Bowl LVIII will be kicking off from Allegiant in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 in a game that will be televised on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
