NFL referee assignments: Meet the crews working 2026 divisional playoff games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
NFL referees have been under fire throughout the 2025–26 season. It has often felt as though officials were deciding games, leaving fans around the league calling for reform this offseason.
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While a controversial call in the regular season can go viral, a missed or questionable call in the playoffs can result in a team being eliminated from contention. The importance of accuracy grows with each round, and the NFL strives to assign its best officiating crews to the biggest matchups.
With four games on the Divisional Round schedule, four different officiating crews have been assigned. None of those crews worked a game during the Wild Card round last weekend.
Here is more on the referees for the 2026 NFL Divisional Round games.
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MORE 2026 NFL PLAYOFFS:
Referees for NFL Divisional RoundBills-Broncos
Position
Referee
Referee/Crew Chief
Carl Cheffers
Umpire
Mark Pellis
Down Judge
Jerod Phillips
Line Judge
Rusty Baynes
Field Judge
Jabir Walker
Side Judge
Allen Baynes
Back Judge
Scott Helverson
49ers-Seahawks
Position
Referee
Referee/Crew Chief
John Hussey                         Â
Umpire
Roy Ellison
Down Judge
Danny Short
Line Judge
Tim Podraza
Field Judge
Nate Jones
Side Judge
Boris Cheek
Back Judge
Martin Hankins
Texans-Patriots
Position
Referee
Referee/Crew Chief
Shawn Smith
Umpire
Scott Walker.                         Â
Down Judge
Dana McKenzie
Line Judge
Julian Mapp
Field Judge
Jason Ledet
Side Judge
Eugene Hall
Back Judge
Grantis Bell
Rams-Bears
Position
Referee
Referee/Crew Chief
Shawn Hochuli                       Â
Umpire
Bryan Neale
Down Judge
Patrick Holt
Line Judge
Brian Perry
Field Judge
Anthony Flemming
Side Judge
Chad Hill
Back Judge
Greg Steed
NFL officials’ on-field responsibilities
Position
Primary Location & Focus
Referee
10-12 yards deep in the offensive backfield. Wears the distinctive white hat.
Umpire
10-12 yards deep in the offensive backfield, near the Referee.
Down Judge
On the sideline, directly on the LOS. Works opposite the Line Judge.
Line Judge
On the sideline, directly on the LOS. Works opposite the Down Judge.
Field Judge
20 yards deep in the defensive backfield, on the same side as the Line Judge.
Side Judge
20 yards deep in the defensive backfield, on the same side as the Down Judge.
Back Judge
25 yards deep in the defensive backfield, usually near the tight end side.
The Crew Chiefs:Â The Referee is the final authority on all rulings, acting as the crew chief and focusing primarily on the quarterback (monitoring for roughing the passer and intentional grounding). The Umpire is focused on the interior linemen, watching for offensive holding and illegal blocks at the line of scrimmage, in addition to checking player equipment and counting offensive players.
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The Sideline & Clock Monitors:Â The Down Judge and Line Judge patrol opposite sidelines, ensuring players are not offsides or encroaching and ruling on forward progress. The Down Judge also directs the chain crew. Deeper in the secondary, the Field Judge and Side Judge are positioned 20 yards off the line. They mirror each other, watching the widest receivers for pass interference and illegal contact, and marking plays that go out of bounds. The Field Judge is responsible for the 25-second play clock, while the Side Judge serves as the backup game clock operator.
The Deep Central Monitor:Â The Back Judge stands the deepest, typically focusing on the area between the safeties. Their central responsibilities include tracking the 40/25-second play clock, ruling on the validity of catches in the deep middle, and watching for action around the end zone and goalposts.