Famous Referees

Bibiana Steinhaus is a German football referee. She became the first female referee in German professional football. She became a professional referee in 1999 by officiating matches in the Women's Bundesliga. After that, she officiated in the Regionalliga. In 2003, she refereed the 2002–03 Women's DFB-Pokal final between 1. FFC Frankfurt and FCR 2001 Duisburg. She was selected for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro 2009, and the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. On April 15, 2011, she was one of 16 referees for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Charles Shane Robinson, born July 2, 1964, is an American professional wrestling referee. He is a former professional wrestler currently signed to WWE on the SmackDown brand.

Joseph Scott James Jr., born May 4, 1959, is an American wrestling producer, referee, and retired professional wrestler known as Scott Armstrong. He currently has a contract with WWE. He is the oldest son of Bob Armstrong; he has three brothers who became wrestlers: Brad, Steve, and Brian.

Edward G. Hochuli, born December 25, 1950, is an American attorney and retired American football official. He served as an attorney at Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. since 1983. Hochuli officiated in the National Football League (NFL) from 1990 to 2017; his uniform number was 85. Before officiating, he played college football for four seasons at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Hochuli worked many playoff games, including two Super Bowls. People know him for his athletic/muscular build and how he explained on-field rulings.

Mills Bee Lane III (November 12, 1937 – December 6, 2022) was an American former boxing referee and professional boxer. He was a two-term Washoe County, Nevada District Court Judge and a television personality. Lane officiated several major heavyweight championship boxing matches in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He starred in the syndicated court show Judge Mills Lane. On June 9, 2013, Lane joined the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame inducted him on August 10 of that year.

Graham Poll, born July 29, 1963, is an English former football referee in the Premier League. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) lists him as the best English referee of the last 25 years. With 26 years of experience, Poll was one of the most prominent Premier League referees, often leading the highest-profile games. His last domestic game in a career of 1,544 matches was the Championship play-off final on May 28, 2007, between Derby County and West Bromwich Albion. He also refereed the 2005 UEFA

Ronald Joseph Corbett MacLean, born April 12, 1960, is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC and Rogers Media. He hosted Hockey Night in Canada from 1986 to 2014 and 2016 to the present. MacLean also serves as a hockey referee.

Charles William Alcock (December 2, 1842 – February 26, 1907) was an English sportsman and administrator. He pushed for the growth of international football and cricket. Alcock also created the FA Cup.

Robert J. Delaney, born November 1, 1951, was a New Jersey state trooper and NBA referee. He officiated from the 1987-88 NBA season until the 2010-11 NBA season. Starting the 2006-07 NBA season, Delaney officiated 1,182 regular season games, 120 playoff games, and seven NBA Finals games. Delaney worked the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. He wore uniform number 26. Delaney graduated from New Jersey City University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in criminology.

Walt Anderson, born around 1952, has been an NFL official since the 1996 NFL season. Anderson served seven seasons as a line judge in the NFL. He became a referee for the 2003 NFL season after Dick Hantak and Bob McElwee retired. Anderson officiated Super Bowl XXXV. Anderson also refereed Super Bowl XLV, played on February 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas, at Cowboys Stadium. He wears uniform number 66.

Anthony Joseph Corrente, born November 12, 1951, has been an NFL official since the 1995 NFL season. Corrente wears uniform number 99. He refereed Super Bowl XLI. Corrente served as the Coordinator of Football Officiating for the Pac-12 Conference starting in June 2011. He resigned that job in October 2014.

Peter Danie Morelli, born November 18, 1951, has been an NFL official since the 1997 NFL season. Morelli is the president of Saint Mary's High School in Stockton, California. He wore uniform number 135. As an NFL official, Morelli worked Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 as a field judge.

David Roland Elleray, born September 3, 1954, in Dover, Kent, is an English former football referee. Elleray officiated in the Football League, Premier League, and for FIFA. As of May 2016, Elleray held the position of Technical Director at the IFAB. Elleray officiated many notable matches in England, including the FA Cup Final, the highest domestic honor for an English referee. Elleray’s Oxbridge background and teaching job at a public school led the press to call him "schoolmasterly" and "posh". His teaching role included time

William F. "Bill" Carollo, born November 27, 1951, is a retired American football official. He officiated NFL games from 1989 to 2008. Carollo wore uniform number 63. He officiated two Super Bowls and eight conference championship games. After the 2008 season, he became the Director of Officiating for the Big Ten Conference.

Craig Alexander Thomson, born June 20, 1972, is a Scottish former football referee. Thomson served as a match official from 1988 to 2019. Thomson comes from Paisley, Renfrewshire.

Ahmet Çakar, born August 3, 1962, is a Turkish sportscaster and a former football referee.

Jerome Leonard Boger, born 1955, has been an NFL official since the 2004 season. Boger wears uniform number 23 since 2006; before that, he wore 109. He began as a line judge, promoted to referee in 2006 after two seasons. Boger joined Gene Steratore as one of two new referees for 2006, replacing Bernie Kukar and Tom White. Boger became the third African-American referee in the NFL after Johnny Grier (1988) and Mike Carey (1995), who wore uniform number 23.

Steve Javie, born January 17, 1955, is a retired professional basketball referee. Javie refereed NBA games from the 1986–87 season through 2010–11. By the start of the 2006–07 NBA season, Javie officiated 1,264 regular season, 190 playoff, and 18 NBA Finals games. Referee magazine called Javie a highly regarded NBA referee for his game management skills. Javie also earned respect from the officiating community for his quickness in calling technical fouls.

Danny Crawford, born November 23, 1953, is a retired NBA referee. Crawford played in Game 1 of the 2017 Finals, marking his 23rd straight NBA Finals appearance. Crawford has been an NBA referee since 1985 and officiated at least one NBA Finals game every season since 1995. Crawford grew up in East Garfield Park on the West Side of Chicago. He attended Ryerson Elementary School and was a basketball star at Cregier High School. Crawford graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 1976. As a guard, Crawford played.

Scott H. Green served as an NFL official from the 1991 season through the 2013 season. Green officiated Super Bowls XXXVI in 2002, XXXVIII in 2004, and referee XLIV in 2010. Green headed the NFL Referees Association and led talks during the 2012 NFL referee lockout. Outside football, Green works as a Washington, D.C. contractor for public safety and criminal justice agencies with a firm he co-founded in 1994. Green announced his retirement after the [missing information].

John Thomas was a professional boxer, referee, and actor.

Dr. Norm Schachter (April 30, 1914 – October 5, 2004) was an NFL official for 22 years, from 1954 to 1975, in the National Football League (NFL). Schachter worked three Super Bowls (I, V, X), eleven conference championship games, and refereed the first Monday Night Football game in 1970. He wore uniform number 56.

Ken Mauer Jr. (born April 23, 1955 in St. Paul, Minnesota) has been an NBA official since the 1986–87 season. As of the start of the 2017–18 NBA season, Mauer officiated 1,717 regular season and 199 playoff games. Mauer wears uniform number 41.

Matthew David Messias (born May 7, 1964) is an English former football referee. He officiated in the Football League, the Premier League, UEFA, and FIFA. Messias first worked in York, then moved to Barnsley, also in Yorkshire. He also taught physical education.

Earl William Hebner (born May 17, 1949) is an American professional wrestling referee now working in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hebner is known for his time as the senior referee for the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E). As senior referee, Hebner officiated most main events from 1988–2005. Hebner and his twin brother, Dave, played a role in the 1988 Main Event card, where André the Giant beat Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, and the "Mo".

Kenneth George Aston, MBE (September 1, 1915 – October 23, 2001) was an English teacher, soldier, and football referee. Aston caused important changes in football refereeing, including the yellow and red penalty card system.

Jeffrey John Crowe (born September 14, 1958) is a former New Zealand cricketer. Crowe played Test and One Day International cricket for New Zealand from 1983 to 1990, and first-class cricket for South Australia and Auckland. Crowe has been an ICC match referee since 2004.

Brian Christopher Broad, born September 29, 1957, is an English cricketer and broadcaster now a cricket official. As an opening batsman, he played 26 Test matches for England, scoring six centuries and 34 One Day International matches with an average over 40. Broad gained fame during the 1986/87 Ashes series when he hit three centuries in consecutive Tests, and he had a fiery manner at the crease. Broad's son Stuart is a fast bowler who plays for both England and New Zealand.

Pierluigi Collina, born February 13, 1960, is an Italian former football referee. FIFA named him 'Best Referee of the Year' six times, and people see him as the greatest football referee ever. Collina still works in football; he consults unpaid for the Italian Football Referees Association (AIA), serves as the Head of Referees for the Football Federation of Ukraine since 2010, and is on the UEFA Referees Committee.

Tim Donaghy, born January 7, 1967, was a former NBA referee. He worked in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 13 seasons, from 1994 to 2007. Donaghy officiated 772 regular season games and 20 playoff games in the NBA. Donaghy resigned from the league on July 9, 2007. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated allegations that Donaghy bet on games he officiated during his last two seasons and made calls affecting the point spread. On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges.

Michael "Mike" Carey, born around 1949, is a retired American football official in the National Football League (NFL). His uniform number was 94. Before officiating, Carey played college football as a running back for Santa Clara University. Carey earned respect in the NFL for his thorough pre-game preparation, professional manner, and fair play. An ESPN poll in 2008 showed Carey tied with referee Ed Hochuli for the most "best referee" votes from NFL head coaches. As of 2002, Carey ejected the most players in the league among current referees, including incidents

Mark Clattenburg, born March 13, 1975, is an English professional football referee. Clattenburg was a former member of the Premier League and the Durham County Football Association, and he was also a former FIFA referee. He refereed many important games, including the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final and the UEFA Euro 2016 Final.

Pieter Vink ([ˈpitər ˈvɪŋk]), born March 13, 1967 in Noordwijkerhout, South Holland, was a former Dutch football referee. He officiated for FIFA and UEFA. Vink took charge of a match at the "New Wembley Stadium" in 2007. He worked as a police officer before becoming a full-time referee. Golf remains his main hobby.

Michael Riley (born December 17, 1964) is an ex-professional football referee from Leeds, West Yorkshire. Riley refereed matches in the Football League, the FA Premier League, and for FIFA. Riley now serves as the general manager for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited.

Markus Merk, born March 15, 1962 in Kaiserslautern, was a top-level German football referee. Merk won the German Referee of the Year Award six times. He holds the record for games refereed in the Bundesliga. In 2005, Germany awarded Merk the German Bundesverdienstkreuz for his football service and charity work in India. Merk finished his career refereeing the Bayern Munich versus Hertha BSC Berlin match on May 17, 2008, the final day of the 2007–08 Bundesliga season. The International Federation of Foot ranked him the best referee.

Andrew Jarrett (born January 9, 1958) was a former professional tennis player from the United Kingdom. Jarrett won one doubles title during his career. He reached a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 85 in 1983. Jarrett became the Tournament Referee at Wimbledon in 2006, succeeding Alan Mills. He held this role until the 2019 Wimbledon Finals, serving for 14 years.

Matthew Christopher Breeze (born June 10, 1972) is an Australian association football referee. Breeze also works as a barrister and a former police prosecutor.

Ben Dreith (born February 1, 1925) was an American professional football official. Dreith worked in the American Football League (AFL) from 1960 to 1969 and in the NFL from 1970 to 1990. Dreith was a three-sport athlete at the University of Northern Colorado before starting his teaching and officiating career. Dreith built a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense official. Over his thirty-year career, he officiated two Super Bowls and received a playoff assignment for twenty-eight straight years.

Peter O'Leary may be: Peter O'Leary (referee), born 1972; New Zealand association football referee Peter O'Leary (Kerry Gaelic footballer); Gaelic football goalkeeper from County Kerry Peter O'Leary (Laois Gaelic footballer), born 1985; Gaelic football player from Laois in Ireland Peter O'Leary (sailor), born 1983; Irish sailor Peadar Ua Laoghaire (1839–1920); Irish-language author.

Keith Cooper, born March 21, 1948, was a Welsh former football referee. He officiated in the English Football League and Premier League. Cooper also served on the Welsh FIFA list. During his time on the list, he based himself in Pontypridd.

Walt Coleman III, born around 1952, served as an American football official in the NFL from the 1989 season through the 2018 season. He wore uniform number 65. As of 2018, Coleman held the NFL's longest tenure as a current referee.

Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh, born November 17, 1966, is a Malaysian retired football referee. He lives in Parit Buntar. Salleh refereed in the Super League Malaysia starting in 1995. He served as a full international referee for FIFA since 2000. In 2008, Subkhiddin became an AFC Elite referee. He remains the only referee in Malaysia to be an AFC Elite Referee.

Uriah Rennie, born October 23, 1959 in Sheffield, England, is a retired top-level English football referee.

Anders Frisk, born February 18, 1963, is a Swedish insurance agent and former football referee. Frisk retired from refereeing early because death threats targeted him and his family. He speaks several languages, including Swedish, English, and German.

Mitchell Howard Halpern officiated some of the sport's biggest matches as an American boxing referee. Halpern worked from July 14, 1967, to August 20, 2000.

Terry McAulay, born around 1959, worked in the NFL from 1998 to 2017. McAulay refereed six conference championship games and three Super Bowls: XXXIX, XLIII, and XLVIII. Since 2008, he has been the Coordinator of Football Officials for the American Athletic Conference, which was then called the Big East.

Bill Leavy, pronounced LEE-vee, retired as an American football official after officiating in the NFL from 1995 to 2014. Leavy wore uniform number 127. He also retired as a San Jose, California police officer and firefighter, serving 27 years. During his twenty years officiating in the NFL, Leavy was assigned to fifteen playoff games, including two Super Bowls. Leavy served as a back judge on the Super Bowl XXXIV officiating crew in 2000 and led the Super Bowl XL officiating crew as a referee in 2006.

Lorenzo Clemons, born November 13, 1946, is an American actor.

Aaron Elton Pointer, born April 19, 1942, is a retired American baseball player. Pointer played in the major leagues for the Houston Colt .45's/Astros in 1963 and again in 1966–67. After baseball, Pointer became an NFL referee. He is also the brother of the four sisters who form the Pointer Sisters singing group.

Randy Neumann, born July 21, 1948, grew up in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. He became a referee for the New York State Athletic Commission in 1982. Neumann served as the "third man" in many championship boxing matches held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.