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NFL referee Bill Leavy retiring after 20 years

By Russell Johnson

Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; NFL referee Bill Leavy (127) in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; NFL referee Bill Leavy (127) in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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NFL referee Bill Leavy, best known for his officiating in Super Bowl XL, retires after 20 years

Bill Leavy, an NFL official since 1995, is retiring after 20 years to take the Northeastern regional supervisor position for the officiating department. His job will be to observe officials and grade their performance. Leavy previously worked in the Big West Conference prior to his hiring in 1995 to meet the increased demands after the addition of the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Leavy worked as a back judge in Super Bowl XXXIV and was promoted to referee in 2001.

Leavy’s first game as a referee was in Week 2 of the 2001 season where he officiated the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers. Leavy wore a San Francisco Fire Department hat during the coin toss in recognition of the work firefighters had been doing after the attacks on 9/11 had occurred the week before. Leavy had served as a police officer and firefighter in San Jose in his earlier years.

Leavy led the officiating crew in Super Bowl XL, which was the first major black mark on his record. The contest featured the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers and most notably, horrific officiating. It is considered by many to be the worst officiated Super Bowl in NFL history. You can see a list of some of the questionable calls at NFL.com and judge for yourself.

Leavy later admitted his poor performance saying:

"It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly. I’ll go to my grave wishing that I’d been better … I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn’t good enough … When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It’s something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it’s difficult."

Leavy continued to officiate and found himself making other controversial calls. In 2013, during a matchup between the Green Bay Packers and 49ers, Clay Matthews was involved in a late hit on quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The shot resulted in a brawl with both teams being flagged for unnecessary roughness. Since both occurred after the ball was dead, the penalties should have offset and the result of the original play should have counted. Instead, Leavy had the down replayed which ultimately allowed the 49ers to score a touchdown, instead of settling for a 4th down field goal attempt.

Leavy’s last game officiated was the Divisional Round playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos.

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