NFL Officiating Observatory
CREW CHIEF PROFILE
Clay Martin: NFL referee penalty stats (2026)
Clay Martin is an NFL referee (crew chief). In 2026, games his crew has worked average 11.6 accepted penalties over 7 games, 21% below the league's 14.7. Across 2015–25 his crew averaged 12.0 per game (124 games), a few but costly style: fewer flags, bigger yardage per call.
Calling style
Career (2015–25): Few but costly, fewer flags, bigger yardage per call. 2026 so far: Let them play.
- Calls fewer delay of game: 21% below the league rate
- Calls fewer unnecessary roughness: 24% below the league rate
Calls most like: Ron Torbert, Craig Wrolstad.
Penalty types vs the league (2015–25, season-adjusted, per game)
| Penalty | Per game | vs league rate |
|---|---|---|
| Unnecessary Roughness | 0.52 | -24% |
| Delay of Game | 0.43 | -21% |
| Illegal Block Above the Waist | 0.33 | -15% |
| Roughing the Passer | 0.35 | -13% |
| Neutral Zone Infraction | 0.49 | +8% |
| Offensive Holding | 2.63 | +7% |
| Defensive Pass Interference | 0.96 | -6% |
| Defensive Offside | 0.54 | -6% |
| False Start | 2.19 | -1% |
| Defensive Holding | 0.75 | -1% |
Season by season
| Season | Games | Flags / game |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 15 | 13.7 |
| 2019 | 15 | 12.3 |
| 2020 | 14 | 11.1 |
| 2021 | 18 | 11.3 |
| 2022 | 17 | 11.6 |
| 2023 | 17 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 17 | 12.6 |
| 2025 | 17 | 12.1 |
| 2026 | 7 | 11.6 |
Recent games
| Date | Game | Score | Flags | By team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-25 | SF @ ATL | 20–29 | 12 | SF 7 · ATL 5 |
| 2026-10-18 | ARI @ LA | 18–16 | 9 | ARI 5 · LA 4 |
| 2026-10-11 | CHI @ GB | 7–31 | 7 | CHI 3 · GB 4 |
| 2026-10-04 | DET @ CAR | 26–32 | 17 | DET 9 · CAR 8 |
| 2026-09-27 | CIN @ PIT | 27–30 | 11 | CIN 6 · PIT 5 |
| 2026-09-20 | PHI @ TEN | 24–20 | 11 | PHI 4 · TEN 7 |
| 2026-09-14 | DEN @ KC | 10–31 | 14 | DEN 7 · KC 7 |
| 2026-01-25 | LA @ SEA | 27–31 | 10 | LA 4 · SEA 6 |
| 2026-01-04 | MIA @ NE | 10–38 | 11 | MIA 7 · NE 4 |
| 2025-12-28 | ARI @ CIN | 14–37 | 11 | ARI 6 · CIN 5 |
Questions
How many penalties does Clay Martin call per game?
In 2026 through Week 7, games Clay Martin's crew worked averaged 11.6 accepted penalties and 88.1 penalty yards per game (7 games). His 2015–25 average was 12.0; the 2026 league average is 14.7.
What penalties does Clay Martin call most?
Per game, 2015–25: offensive holding (2.63), false start (2.19), defensive pass interference (0.96). Compared with other crews: Calls fewer delay of game: 21% below the league rate; Calls fewer unnecessary roughness: 24% below the league rate.
Does Clay Martin 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.