Who is the “White Hat”? Meet the head referee in charge of Super Bowl LX and his crew
Officiating the Super Bowl comes with a lot of scrutiny. Here is the head referee and his crew for Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks.
Every Super Bowl comes with its share of storylines - superstar performances, strategic battles, historic legacies. But there’s one group often overlooked until a crucial call changes the course of the game: the officiating crew. At the center of it all is the “White Hat”, the referee whose decisions help keep the game fair, timely, and within the NFL rulebook.
For Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, that White Hat belongs to Referee Shawn Smith, leading a hand-picked crew of some of the league’s most respected officials.
The White Hat for Super Bowl LX: Shawn Smith
When fans talk about the “White Hat,” they’re referring to the head referee, the on-field leader of the officiating crew. This official, distinguished by a white cap (all other officials wear black), is responsible for explaining penalties, maintaining game flow, and ultimately making sure every call follows the NFL’s rulebook.
For Super Bowl LX, that role goes to Shawn Smith, a veteran official in his 11th NFL season and eighth as a referee. He’s been a full-time NFL official since 2015, beginning as an umpire before being promoted to referee in 2018. Smith became only the sixth African-American referee in NFL history, joining a distinguished lineage of officials to wear the White Hat.
This assignment marks the first time Smith will officiate a Super Bowl on the field, although he served as an alternate referee in prior Super Bowls LV and LVIII. A Michigan native and Ferris State University alum, Smith has worked his way through the ranks, from Pop Warner and college football to the biggest stage in the sport, while also working as a corporate internal auditor off the field.
The White Hat sets the tone for the entire game. He announces penalties, manages player and coach interactions, and works with replay officials to ensure correct rulings. In the Super Bowl, where every decision will be scrutinized, that responsibility is even greater.
Smith’s officiating style
During the 2025 season, Smith’s regular season crew was known for throwing relatively few flags, averaging roughly 13.9 penalties per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL. However, statistical profiles show that this group also calls certain infractions, like defensive pass interference, at a notably higher rate than the league average.
Meet the Super Bowl LX Officiating Crew
Super Bowl officiating crews aren’t regular season squads. They’re all-star teams. Unlike standard NFL games where officials stay with their regular crews, the league scouts the highest-graded officials across all seven on-field positions after the Championship round and assembles a Super Bowl crew from that pool.
To be selected for this elite assignment, officials must meet experience criteria, including a minimum number of seasons in the NFL and prior postseason assignments. The head referee in particular must have significant tenure, with at least five years of league experience (three as referee) and postseason work.
Here’s the full on-field crew Smith will lead at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California:
- Referee: Shawn Smith (White Hat) - first Super Bowl on field
- Umpire: Roy Ellison - fourth Super Bowl assignment
- Down Judge: Dana McKenzie - second Super Bowl
- Line Judge: Julian Mapp - first Super Bowl
- Field Judge: Jason Ledet - first Super Bowl
- Side Judge: Eugene Hall - fourth Super Bowl
- Back Judge: Greg Steed - third Super Bowl
- Replay Official: Andrew Lambert - Super Bowl debut
Unlike during the regular season, none of this group worked together all year, a characteristic of Super Bowl crews that highlights league confidence in each official’s individual performance.
Several crew members have prior Super Bowl experience. Ellison and Hall are among the most seasoned, while McKenzie and Steed have been part of previous championship games involving the Patriots and Seahawks.
Looking ahead to Super Bowl LX
With the spotlight not just on the Patriots and Seahawks, but on every flag thrown or mark-off the field, understanding who the “White Hat” is and how his crew operates gives fans a richer view into the game’s flow. Shawn Smith and his officiating team will be integral to how Super Bowl LX unfolds, not as background figures, but as guardians of the rules on football’s biggest night.
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