NFL Officiating Observatory
CREW CHIEF PROFILE
Clete Blakeman: NFL referee penalty stats (2026)
Clete Blakeman is an NFL referee (crew chief). In 2026, games his crew has worked average 15.2 accepted penalties over 6 games, 3% above the league's 14.7. Across 2015–25 his crew averaged 12.9 per game (171 games), a stop-and-start style: lots of flags, mostly small calls.
Calling style
Career (2015–25): Stop-and-start, lots of flags, mostly small calls. 2026 so far: Stop-and-start.
- Calls more delay of game: 17% above the league rate
Calls most like: Brad Allen, Carl Cheffers.
Penalty types vs the league (2015–25, season-adjusted, per game)
| Penalty | Per game | vs league rate |
|---|---|---|
| Delay of Game | 0.64 | +17% |
| Defensive Holding | 0.87 | +14% |
| Unnecessary Roughness | 0.76 | +12% |
| Roughing the Passer | 0.45 | +9% |
| Neutral Zone Infraction | 0.42 | -8% |
| Defensive Pass Interference | 0.97 | -6% |
| False Start | 2.28 | +3% |
| Illegal Block Above the Waist | 0.40 | +3% |
| Defensive Offside | 0.57 | -1% |
| Offensive Holding | 2.46 | -0% |
Season by season
| Season | Games | Flags / game |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 17 | 14.2 |
| 2016 | 16 | 14.2 |
| 2017 | 16 | 12.3 |
| 2018 | 17 | 13.6 |
| 2019 | 16 | 11.7 |
| 2020 | 16 | 10.9 |
| 2021 | 17 | 12.2 |
| 2022 | 17 | 11.9 |
| 2023 | 17 | 10.6 |
| 2024 | 17 | 15.4 |
| 2025 | 17 | 12.8 |
| 2026 | 6 | 15.2 |
Recent games
| Date | Game | Score | Flags | By team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-18 | NYJ @ NE | 19–26 | 10 | NYJ 5 · NE 5 |
| 2026-10-11 | NYG @ WAS | 27–27 | 16 | NYG 7 · WAS 9 |
| 2026-10-01 | PIT @ CLE | 24–27 | 22 | PIT 8 · CLE 14 |
| 2026-09-27 | LAC @ BUF | 16–24 | 17 | LAC 7 · BUF 10 |
| 2026-09-20 | NO @ BAL | 24–17 | 12 | NO 5 · BAL 7 |
| 2026-09-13 | MIA @ LV | 13–27 | 14 | MIA 8 · LV 6 |
| 2026-01-10 | LA @ CAR | 34–31 | 13 | LA 9 · CAR 4 |
| 2026-01-04 | LAC @ DEN | 3–19 | 6 | LAC 5 · DEN 1 |
| 2025-12-29 | LA @ ATL | 24–27 | 11 | LA 4 · ATL 7 |
| 2025-12-21 | KC @ TEN | 9–26 | 22 | KC 10 · TEN 12 |
Questions
How many penalties does Clete Blakeman call per game?
In 2026 through Week 7, games Clete Blakeman's crew worked averaged 15.2 accepted penalties and 105.2 penalty yards per game (6 games). His 2015–25 average was 12.9; the 2026 league average is 14.7.
What penalties does Clete Blakeman call most?
Per game, 2015–25: offensive holding (2.46), false start (2.28), defensive pass interference (0.97). Compared with other crews: Calls more delay of game: 17% above the league rate.
Does Clete Blakeman call more penalties on the home team?
In 2015–25, 48% 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.