Referee CLETE BLAKEMAN will lead the seven-person crew of game officials selected to work Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, February 7 at Levi's Stadium, the NFL announced today.
The other members of the Super Bowl 50 officiating crew are JEFF RICE(umpire), WAYNE MACKIE(head linesman), RUSTY BAYNES(line judge), BORIS CHEEK(field judge), SCOTT EDWARDS(side judge), and KEITH FERGUSON(back judge). Collectively, the Super Bowl 50 officiating crew has 97 years of NFL officiating experience and 62 combined playoff game assignments.
Blakeman, in his eighth season as an NFL game official, entered the league in 2008 as a field judge and was promoted to referee in 2010. He has officiated five playoff games, including two divisional playoffs. He was the alternate referee for Super Bowl XLVIII.
Under the NFL officiating program's evaluation system, officials must be rated in the top tier at their position to be eligible for the Super Bowl. They must have at least five years of NFL experience and previous playoff assignments.
CHARLES STEWARTis the replay official. The replay assistant is JIMMY OLDHAM.
Blakeman, Mackie, Baynes, and Edwards are officiating in their first Super Bowl. This will be Rice's third Super Bowl. He previously worked Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII. Cheek worked Super Bowl XLII and Ferguson officiated Super Bowl XLIII.
