NFL Officiating Observatory
CREW CHIEF PROFILE
Land Clark: NFL referee penalty stats (2026)
Land Clark 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 11.9 per game (95 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: Few but costly.
- More flags on offenses: 58% (league 54%)
- Calls fewer neutral zone infraction: 20% below the league rate
- Calls more illegal block above the waist: 25% above the league rate
- Calls fewer delay of game: 15% below the league rate
Calls most like: Ron Torbert, Carl Cheffers.
Penalty types vs the league (2015–25, season-adjusted, per game)
| Penalty | Per game | vs league rate |
|---|---|---|
| Roughing the Passer | 0.54 | +33% |
| Illegal Block Above the Waist | 0.48 | +25% |
| Neutral Zone Infraction | 0.36 | -20% |
| Defensive Holding | 0.64 | -17% |
| Delay of Game | 0.46 | -15% |
| Defensive Pass Interference | 0.88 | -14% |
| Defensive Offside | 0.51 | -12% |
| Unnecessary Roughness | 0.70 | +3% |
| Offensive Holding | 2.51 | +2% |
| False Start | 2.20 | -0% |
Season by season
| Season | Games | Flags / game |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 15 | 12.6 |
| 2021 | 16 | 13.7 |
| 2022 | 16 | 10.9 |
| 2023 | 16 | 12.2 |
| 2024 | 17 | 11.2 |
| 2025 | 16 | 10.9 |
| 2026 | 7 | 13.4 |
Recent games
| Date | Game | Score | Flags | By team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-25 | NYG @ HOU | 27–21 | 14 | NYG 4 · HOU 10 |
| 2026-10-18 | PIT @ TB | 26–19 | 9 | PIT 5 · TB 4 |
| 2026-10-11 | SF @ SEA | 32–29 | 13 | SF 8 · SEA 5 |
| 2026-10-05 | ATL @ NO | 45–24 | 16 | ATL 8 · NO 8 |
| 2026-09-27 | CAR @ CLE | 18–21 | 19 | CAR 7 · CLE 12 |
| 2026-09-20 | MIN @ CHI | 9–3 | 11 | MIN 3 · CHI 8 |
| 2026-09-13 | NYJ @ TEN | 23–10 | 12 | NYJ 8 · TEN 4 |
| 2026-01-04 | IND @ HOU | 30–38 | 14 | IND 7 · HOU 7 |
| 2025-12-28 | NYG @ LV | 34–10 | 13 | NYG 8 · LV 5 |
| 2025-12-21 | ATL @ ARI | 26–19 | 9 | ATL 4 · ARI 5 |
Questions
How many penalties does Land Clark call per game?
In 2026 through Week 7, games Land Clark's crew worked averaged 13.4 accepted penalties and 109.7 penalty yards per game (7 games). His 2015–25 average was 11.9; the 2026 league average is 14.7.
What penalties does Land Clark call most?
Per game, 2015–25: offensive holding (2.51), false start (2.20), defensive pass interference (0.88). Compared with other crews: More flags on offenses: 58% (league 54%); Calls fewer neutral zone infraction: 20% below the league rate.
Does Land Clark call more penalties on the home team?
In 2015–25, 50% 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.