NFL Officiating Observatory
CREW CHIEF PROFILE
Carl Cheffers: NFL referee penalty stats (2026)
Carl Cheffers is an NFL referee (crew chief). In 2026, games his crew has worked average 13.4 accepted penalties over 7 games, 8% below the league's 14.7. Across 2015–25 his crew averaged 13.3 per game (170 games), a game-changers style: lots of flags, and big ones.
Calling style
Career (2015–25): Game-changers, lots of flags, and big ones. 2026 so far: Let them play.
- Calls more illegal block above the waist: 20% above the league rate
Calls most like: Adrian Hill, Shawn Hochuli.
Penalty types vs the league (2015–25, season-adjusted, per game)
| Penalty | Per game | vs league rate |
|---|---|---|
| Illegal Block Above the Waist | 0.46 | +20% |
| Offensive Holding | 2.81 | +14% |
| Defensive Offside | 0.66 | +14% |
| Roughing the Passer | 0.45 | +11% |
| Unnecessary Roughness | 0.64 | -7% |
| Neutral Zone Infraction | 0.42 | -7% |
| False Start | 2.27 | +3% |
| Defensive Holding | 0.78 | +2% |
| Defensive Pass Interference | 1.04 | +1% |
| Delay of Game | 0.55 | +1% |
Season by season
| Season | Games | Flags / game |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 15 | 16.3 |
| 2016 | 17 | 12.7 |
| 2017 | 15 | 14.7 |
| 2018 | 16 | 14.4 |
| 2019 | 16 | 13.3 |
| 2020 | 17 | 12.2 |
| 2021 | 17 | 13.9 |
| 2022 | 18 | 12.4 |
| 2023 | 17 | 10.1 |
| 2024 | 17 | 10.9 |
| 2025 | 17 | 14.2 |
| 2026 | 7 | 13.4 |
Recent games
| Date | Game | Score | Flags | By team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-25 | TB @ CAR | 43–13 | 10 | TB 6 · CAR 4 |
| 2026-10-18 | BAL @ CLE | 10–13 | 12 | BAL 6 · CLE 6 |
| 2026-10-11 | DET @ ARI | 45–21 | 9 | DET 4 · ARI 5 |
| 2026-10-04 | NYJ @ CHI | 12–23 | 16 | NYJ 12 · CHI 4 |
| 2026-09-27 | SEA @ WAS | 31–33 | 17 | SEA 8 · WAS 9 |
| 2026-09-20 | PIT @ NE | 3–20 | 11 | PIT 5 · NE 6 |
| 2026-09-13 | DAL @ NYG | 20–28 | 19 | DAL 9 · NYG 10 |
| 2026-01-17 | BUF @ DEN | 30–33 | 8 | BUF 5 · DEN 3 |
| 2026-01-04 | ARI @ LA | 20–37 | 10 | ARI 6 · LA 4 |
| 2025-12-28 | SEA @ CAR | 27–10 | 7 | SEA 4 · CAR 3 |
Questions
How many penalties does Carl Cheffers call per game?
In 2026 through Week 7, games Carl Cheffers's crew worked averaged 13.4 accepted penalties and 107.1 penalty yards per game (7 games). His 2015–25 average was 13.3; the 2026 league average is 14.7.
What penalties does Carl Cheffers call most?
Per game, 2015–25: offensive holding (2.81), false start (2.27), defensive pass interference (1.04). Compared with other crews: Calls more illegal block above the waist: 20% above the league rate.
Does Carl Cheffers call more penalties on the home team?
In 2015–25, 49% of the flags in his games were on the home team (league: 49%). Small differences like this are normal and are not evidence of bias.
Statistics reflect the crew chief's assignment; crews change around the chief each year. Patterns, not motives.