NFL Officiating Observatory
CREW CHIEF PROFILE
Shawn Smith: NFL referee penalty stats (2026)
Shawn Smith is an NFL referee (crew chief). In 2026, games his crew has worked average 12.9 accepted penalties over 7 games, 12% below the league's 14.7. Across 2015–25 his crew averaged 12.3 per game (125 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.
- Calls more unnecessary roughness: 40% above the league rate
- Calls more defensive pass interference: 19% above the league rate
- Calls fewer defensive offside: 15% below the league rate
- Calls fewer offensive holding: 15% below the league rate
Calls most like: Brad Rogers, Adrian Hill.
Penalty types vs the league (2015–25, season-adjusted, per game)
| Penalty | Per game | vs league rate |
|---|---|---|
| Unnecessary Roughness | 0.95 | +40% |
| Illegal Block Above the Waist | 0.47 | +22% |
| Defensive Pass Interference | 1.22 | +19% |
| Offensive Holding | 2.09 | -15% |
| Defensive Offside | 0.49 | -15% |
| Delay of Game | 0.49 | -10% |
| Roughing the Passer | 0.45 | +9% |
| Neutral Zone Infraction | 0.49 | +8% |
| Defensive Holding | 0.72 | -5% |
| False Start | 2.27 | +3% |
Season by season
| Season | Games | Flags / game |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 15 | 15.2 |
| 2019 | 16 | 14.2 |
| 2020 | 17 | 10.1 |
| 2021 | 17 | 10.8 |
| 2022 | 16 | 10.9 |
| 2023 | 17 | 12.1 |
| 2024 | 17 | 12.5 |
| 2025 | 18 | 11.6 |
| 2026 | 7 | 12.9 |
Recent games
| Date | Game | Score | Flags | By team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-25 | CIN @ BAL | 35–13 | 11 | CIN 1 · BAL 10 |
| 2026-10-18 | BUF @ LV | 33–30 | 14 | BUF 7 · LV 7 |
| 2026-10-11 | IND @ PIT | 22–34 | 15 | IND 9 · PIT 6 |
| 2026-10-04 | ARI @ NYG | 24–36 | 13 | ARI 7 · NYG 6 |
| 2026-09-24 | ATL @ GB | 35–14 | 12 | ATL 6 · GB 6 |
| 2026-09-20 | MIA @ SF | 13–35 | 14 | MIA 7 · SF 7 |
| 2026-09-13 | WAS @ PHI | 22–24 | 11 | WAS 6 · PHI 5 |
| 2026-02-08 | SEA @ NE | 29–13 | 7 | SEA 4 · NE 3 |
| 2026-01-18 | HOU @ NE | 16–28 | 7 | HOU 4 · NE 3 |
| 2026-01-04 | BAL @ PIT | 24–26 | 14 | BAL 9 · PIT 5 |
Questions
How many penalties does Shawn Smith call per game?
In 2026 through Week 7, games Shawn Smith's crew worked averaged 12.9 accepted penalties and 107.9 penalty yards per game (7 games). His 2015–25 average was 12.3; the 2026 league average is 14.7.
What penalties does Shawn Smith call most?
Per game, 2015–25: false start (2.27), offensive holding (2.09), defensive pass interference (1.22). Compared with other crews: Calls more unnecessary roughness: 40% above the league rate; Calls more defensive pass interference: 19% above the league rate.
Does Shawn Smith 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.