Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Who Are The Officials For The Super Bowl 59 Game? Chiefs Vs. Eagles Super Bowl 59 Officiating Crew Members

Super Bowl 59 referee crew led by Ron Torbert.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Super Bowl 59 will feature a showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. For the Chiefs, it’s their fifth Super Bowl in six years. Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and a dominant defense have kept Kansas City on top. The Eagles, led by Jalen Hurts, returned to the big stage after an early playoff exit last year, aided by new coordinators and key offseason additions.

Controversial calls have stirred debates all season. And with two powerhouse teams facing off, every whistle could tip the game’s balance. So, who’s in charge of making these calls?

Ron Torbert leads the Super Bowl 59 officiating crew

Ron Torbert will referee the game. This is his second Super Bowl assignment. He last officiated Super Bowl 56 between the Rams and Bengals. The only other official with prior Super Bowl experience on this crew is side judge Boris Cheek. Here’s the full list:

Umpire: Mike Morton
Down judge: Max Causey
Line judge: Mark Stewart
Field judge: Mearl Robinson
Back judge: Jonah Monroe
Replay official: Kevin Brown

Torbert’s officiating stats this season hint at a game with frequent flags. His crew ranked third in accepted penalties, with 235 calls totaling 1,958 yards. They favored home teams slightly, calling 121 penalties on home squads versus 114 on visiting teams. That won’t matter here since the Super Bowl is played at a neutral venue.

Expect a lot of eyes on roughing the passer and delay-of-game calls. Torbert’s crew called 0.47 roughing penalties per game, above the league average of 0.35. Delay of game penalties were called at 0.76 per game, also above the NFL average of 0.61.

Eagles and Chiefs records under Torbert

Philadelphia has an 8-game history under Torbert, going 5-3 overall and 2-0 this season. Kansas City, on the other hand, has played just four games under him, winning three. His last Chiefs assignment was in the AFC Championship game two years ago.

Some fans and critics have accused the NFL of favoritism towards Kansas City, but league officials and the NFL Referees Association have strongly pushed back. Executive director Scott Green called these claims “insulting and preposterous.”

The Chiefs 12th man Ron Torbert will be officiating the Super Bowl this year.

If you don’t remember the name #Bengals fans, you certainly remember this play ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6JpQMeB34q
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) January 21, 2025

“It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team,” Green said in a statement. He thanked Commissioner Roger Goodell for dismissing these allegations as “ridiculous.”

Controversial calls from Torbert’s past games

Torbert has been at the center of key Super Bowl and playoff moments. In the AFC Championship two years ago, Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai was penalized for pushing Mahomes after he stepped out of bounds, setting up a game-winning field goal. While the call was correct, it sparked a firestorm of debate.

His Super Bowl 56 crew faced criticism for a crucial late-game call. Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson was flagged for holding Rams receiver Cooper Kupp on a third-and-goal play. This gave the Rams a first down and led to Kupp’s game-winning touchdown. Wilson defended his play:

“Cooper came up to me and tried to push off me, and I thought I made a good play on the ball,” he said. “The refs saw otherwise. Just a tough call.”

Torbert will want to avoid another headline-making call, but it’s a near certainty that something will test his crew in this high-stakes matchup.

(Image: Imagn Images)

Chiefs refs

Super bowl officiating crew

Super bowl refs

Who are the referees for the Super Bowl 59 game?

Natasha Bose

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