Sarah Thomas Breaks NFL Barriers: First Female Referee in the Super Bowl

At the 55th Super Bowl, a blond ponytail stood out on the field. This ponytail belonged to Sarah Thomas, making history in her black and white striped uniform. Forty-seven-year-old Thomas made history, as she was the first woman to referee in the Super Bowl.

This was not the first triumphant occasion where Thomas broke stereotypes. In 2015, she was the first woman to be a full-time referee in the NFL. Thomas was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and attended her local high school. She was an excellent athlete, as she was awarded to be a quality varsity member of her softball team five times, and ranked the fifth-best basketball player in her high school’s history. While she was a gifted athlete herself, she enjoyed officiating grade school football games in Mississippi. Before becoming a referee, Thomas was a pharmaceutical representative.

After officiating high school football games in 1999, Thomas moved up. In 2011, she became the first woman to be the referee in a major college football game, at the Big Ten Stadiums, officiating a game between Rice and Northwestern. In 2009, Thomas refereed the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl game between Marshall and Ohio. As years continued, Thomas moved up in her position. She started as a full-time referee for the NFL on April 8, 2015. While her position has been dominated by males in the past, Thomas said, “I don’t feel that it’s been harder for me because I’m female.” Although Thomas did not feel that her gender gave her a disadvantage, other female referees have felt the sexist side of sports. In 2015, after Laura Holtkamp-Sterling, a referee for the NBA called a technical foul on Los Angeles Clippers player, Chris Paul, he responded in an interview that referring “might not be for her.” It is especially difficult to be the authority in a masculine environment, where players feel that they can diminish you because of your gender. Thomas says, “I think just based on our credentials, just as officials, I think that’s what moves us along, not because of our gender or our race.” Thomas looks beyond her gender and encourages others to do the same.

Thomas was a part of the seven-person crew who officiated the Superbowl, however, she was the head referee. While she was alongside Carl Cherrers, Fred Bryan, Rusty Baynes, James Coleman, Eugen Hall, Din Paganelli, and Mike Wimmer; Thomas held the most power. Thomas states that she never had her heart set on being a football official, however, she “ended up falling in love with it.” As a former athlete, Thomas had her feeling of referees when she was playing in her games. She says, “I often joke about how I hated the officials when I was playing, and they hated me.” While she had these feelings in the past, Thomas knows that she chose the profession that she loved. After being the first female to officiate the Superbowl, Thomas says that she had “never dream[ed] that this would really come true.” She not only has broken barriers in the officiating profession, but she has also inspired women and girls across the country. She says about her profession; “...to be a part of such a strong fraternity and they let a little sister in, and I know there's going to be some more women following me.”