Latest news with #RonTorbert
Reuters
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Studying tape, practicing coin toss: how refs prepare for the Super Bowl
NEW ORLEANS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Preparing for the Super Bowl is a whirlwind for the players, studying game tape and strategic tendencies while managing the chaos of America's biggest sporting event - and the same holds true for the people in black-and-white stripes. The NFL selects the seven-member officiating crew based on their ratings from the regular season, when every single call is graded. Fifteen-year veteran Ron Torbert will serve as the lead official, or referee, his second Super Bowl assignment. Before taking the field, the crew will spend hours on Saturday watching plays, reviewing rules and studying film of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, retired officials said. "I want to look at down, distance and formation, and see what they do," Jeff Rice, a retired official who worked four Super Bowls, including one as an alternate, told Reuters. "Do they favor the strong side? Do they do counter plays? What are their blocking techniques?" Along the way, there will be armchair experts at home judging their every move. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Scott Green, the executive director of the referees' union, rejected the notion that the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs receive preferential treatment. Officials need to coordinate seamlessly during the game. On every play, each official is responsible for different players and areas of the field, and the assignments can switch depending on how the offense lines up – and how the play unfolds. Unlike during the regular season, when officiating crews work together all year, Sunday's officials are pulled from various groups and have a short time to learn each other's styles, from nonverbal signals to field positioning. "There are idiosyncrasies that become second nature when you work with the same crew every week," said retired official Mike Carey, who served as referee in Super Bowl XLII in 2008, when the New York Giants upset the undefeated New England Patriots. The officials also use film to focus in on individual players, though they need to be careful not to allow that to influence what they see on the field. "There's a big difference between anticipating what's going to happen and assuming what's going to happen," Carey said. Officials want to be ready for an exotic formation, or a trick play, that might be difficult to call. To that end, the referee will typically meet before the game with the head coaches, who may even diagram an unusual play to make sure they don't trigger a penalty flag in the moment. In 2010, the New Orleans Saints famously shocked the world – and their opponents, the Indianapolis Colts – by starting the second half with an unexpected onside kick that they recovered, turning the tide of the game. One person who was not entirely surprised? Green, the game's referee, who said he had heard from Saints coach Sean Payton beforehand that the team might use an onside kick at some point. Unlike in regular season matchups, the referee has to attend a dress rehearsal for the Super Bowl coin toss, a televised moment that usually includes luminaries on the field. There are around 120 balls ready for use, and the officials aim to replace the ball on every play if possible, building a pile of souvenirs for corporate donors and other VIPs, Rice said. The seven alternates help as well, retired officials said. For instance, one will be assigned to shadow each head coach, so that any questions – or, perhaps, profanity-laced complaints – can be relayed via headset to the referee without delay. Like the players, officials' goal every year is to make it to the Super Bowl. The crew receives Super Bowl rings to commemorate their inclusion. Rice, whose father officiated in two Super Bowls, recalled getting choked up when he called to tell him the news. "It's a completely life-changing event," Carey said. "It's a humbling experience – a thrilling experience – but you just start reflecting on all those things that helped you get there."
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What Super Bowl 2025 referee Ron Torbert does as a day job away from the NFL
Your Super Bowl 2025 referee for Super Bowl 59 is Ron Torbert, a seasoned veteran who has worked an NFL title game before — he was the referee for the Bengals and Rams Super Bowl a few years ago. And if you're here, you might know that NFL officials don't work for the league year round. They have day job. Years ago, I detailed some of those NFL referee day jobs, from dairy farmer to lawyer to founder of a sanitary supply company. DIVE DEEPER INTO FOR THE WIN: Start your day with The Morning Win newsletter for columns, insights and irreverent musings from the world of sports and pop culture So what does Torbert do when he's not throwing yellow hankies around and wearing zebra stripes on Sundays? Per Harvard Magazine in 2022, he's a lawyer who practiced 'as a business litigator for three decades.' There you have it!
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who are the Super Bowl referees? What to know about Chiefs vs. Eagles officiating crew
It's a super rematch in Super Bowl 59 as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in the biggest sporting event of the year. This will be Kansas City's fifth Super Bowl appearance in the last six years. The Chiefs are enjoying incredible playoff success behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes, coach Andy Reid and one of the top defenses in the NFL. Philadelphia rebounded from an early playoff exit last season to make its second trip to the big game in three years. New coordinators on offense (Kellen Moore) and defense (Vic Fangio) and an influx of talent through free agency and the NFL draft helped them get back. What time is Super Bowl 59?Kickoff for Chiefs-Eagles clash for Lombardi Trophy These teams faced off on this stage two years ago with the Chiefs winning 38-35. Kansas City won last year's Super Bowl as well, giving the Chiefs a chance to do something no team in NFL history has done: win three consecutive Super Bowls. Expert NFL playoff picks: Unique data and betting insights only at USA TODAY While both teams made their way to the Super Bowl, some calls by officials came under scrutiny by the public and media members alike. In a game featuring teams as talented as these two squads, some calls could have an outsized impact. Here's who will be officiating Super Bowl 59: Who are the Super Bowl referees? Ron Torbert will referee Super Bowl 59. This is his second time refereeing the title game after serving as referee in Super Bowl 56 between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. The only officials with prior Super Bowl experience refereeing this game are Torbert and side judge Boris Cheek. Here's the rest of the crew: Umpire Mike Morton Down judge Max Causey Line judge Mark Stewart Field judge Mearl Robinson Back judge Jonah Monroe Replay official Kevin Brown Torbert refereed 18 games this season and tallied the fourth-most flags per game in 2024, according to NFL penalties' database on referee crews, and tied for the third-most accepted penalties. In Super Bowl 56, Torbert's crew called seven penalties, six of which were accepted for 41 yards. Eagles record with Ron Torbert as referee Philadelphia has played eight games with Torbert as the referee, including their first and last games of the 2024 regular season. The Eagles are 5-3 as a team with Torbert as the referee, including 2-0 this season. Chiefs record with Ron Torbert as referee Torbert has called just four Chiefs games in his career as referee, the last coming in the AFC championship game two years ago. Kansas City is 3-1 in those games.
