NFL nominates first female referee for Super Bowl

This year’s NFL Super Bowl will feature a woman referee for the first time, as Sarah Thomas joins head referee Carl Cheffers, the league announced on Tuesday.

“Sarah Thomas has made history again as the first female Super Bowl official,” NFL EVP of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement.

“Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl. Congratulations to Sarah on this well-deserved honour.”

Thomas is at the end of her sixth season in the league and will be one of seven officials for the championship game on Feb. 7 in Tampa Bay.

On Sunday it will be determined which two teams will face off.

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The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) in the U.S. and has always been played on the first Sunday in February.