Sarah Thomas (American football official)

Sarah Thomas (née Bailey; born September 21, 1973) is an American football official, currently for the National Football League (NFL).

Thomas was the first woman to officiate a major college football game, the first to officiate a bowl game, and the first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium. On April 8, 2015, Thomas was hired as the first full-time female official in NFL history, and for the 2020 NFL season, she was on the officiating crew headed by referee Shawn Hochuli. She wears uniform number 53. In January 2021, she became the first woman to earn an on-field assignment for an NFL playoff game. In February 2021, she became the first woman to officiate in a Super Bowl.