Sarah Thomas (American football official) facts for kids

Sarah Thomas (born Sarah Bailey on September 21, 1973) is a groundbreaking American football official. She currently works for the National Football League (NFL).

Sarah Thomas made history many times. She was the first woman to officiate a major college football game. She was also the first to work a bowl game. In 2015, she became the first full-time female official in NFL history. She wears uniform number 53. In January 2021, she was the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game. Then, in February 2021, she became the first woman to officiate in a Super Bowl.

About Sarah Thomas

Sarah Thomas was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi. She went to Pascagoula High School. There, she was a talented athlete. She earned five letters in softball, which was a first for any student.

College Life and Sports

Sarah attended the University of Mobile on a basketball scholarship. She was an academic All-American. During her three seasons on the basketball team, she scored 779 points. She also had 441 rebounds, 108 assists, and 192 steals. This impressive record ranks her fifth in the school’s history.

Before becoming a football official, Sarah worked as a pharmaceutical representative. She is married to Brian Thomas. They have three children together. Sarah and her family live in Brandon, Mississippi.

Sarah Thomas's Officiating Journey

Sarah Thomas started her career as an official in 1996. She joined a meeting of the Gulf Coast Football Officials Association. Her first high school varsity game was in 1999.

Officiating in College Football

In 2006, Gerry Austin, a top official for Conference USA, invited Sarah to an officials' camp. He was very impressed with her skills. In 2007, Sarah became the first woman to officiate a major college football game. This game was between Memphis and Jacksonville State.

Gerry Austin said that Sarah was highly recommended by NFL scouts. He noted her strong presence and calm attitude. He believed she had the courage to make tough calls.

Breaking Barriers in Bowl Games

By 2009, Sarah Thomas was one of only five female officials in major college football. She was the only one at the highest level, the Football Bowl Subdivision. She was given a full schedule of 11 games. At the end of that season, she was chosen to work the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. This made her the first woman to officiate a bowl game.

A player named Martin Ward said he noticed her before the game. But once the game started, she was just doing her job like any other official. He said it didn't matter that she was a woman.

On November 12, 2011, Sarah Thomas made history again. She became the first woman to officiate in a Big Ten stadium. She worked as a line judge for a game where Northwestern played Rice.

Sarah has said that being a woman in football has not been a challenge. She feels that everyone has been very professional. They treat her like any other official.

Working in the United Football League

Sarah Thomas also officiated games in the United Football League. In 2010, she worked the league championship game.

Becoming an NFL Official

In 2013, Sarah Thomas was one of 21 finalists for a permanent NFL officiating job. She worked during New Orleans Saints scrimmages. She also joined the NFL officiating development program. This included spending time at the Indianapolis Colts minicamp.

On April 8, 2015, the NFL announced that Sarah Thomas would be the first permanent female official in NFL history. Her first regular season NFL game was on September 13, 2015. It was a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans. She worked as a line judge on Pete Morelli's crew.

On December 24, 2016, Sarah broke her wrist during a game. It happened in a collision on the sideline of a Vikings-Packers game. After a quick check for a concussion, she returned to the game. She finished the game even with a broken wrist.

In 2017, Sarah Thomas moved to the down judge position. The name of this position was changed from "head linesman" to "down judge." This was done to use a gender-neutral term.

Playoff and Super Bowl History

Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game. She was part of the crew for the game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers on January 13, 2019. She was also an alternate official for a Wild Card game in 2018.

In 2019, she appeared in a Super Bowl LIII commercial for the NFL. She was with referee Ron Torbert.

Sarah Thomas was chosen for the Super Bowl LV officiating crew. This made her the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. She worked in the down judge position for that historic game.

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Thomas (árbitra) para niños