How bad was Super Bowl LVII officiating? Referees engulfed in controversy after soft call

Super Bowl LVII was an amazing game, but the end was engulfed in controversy. NFL referees came under fire for a holding call on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, who supposedly held Kansas City Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was trying to get to the end zone after receiving a pass from Patrick Mahomes.

The call was controversial because replays gave the impression that, while Bradberry touched the receiver, he did not actually hold Smith-Schuster. The flag all but decided the result of the game, as it gave Kansas City a new set of downs, which they used to bleed off the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal.

But was Super Bowl LVII officiating that bad? There were some controversial plays in the game, but all in all, the referees had a very good game.

Super Bowl LVII referees were right on two controversial calls

Officiating might look like a problem based on what was said on social media, but going by the rules of the game, the referees got two controversial calls right.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

The first was a tough catch by Dallas Goedert on a crucial third down where it was not clear whether he maintained possession as he was leaving the field. The referees called it a catch at first glance and confirmed it with replay. Goedert was in a tough spot, but he did maintain control.

Andy Reid challenged the play, but the referees got it right.

And obviously, the holding call on Bradberry might look controversial, but the Eagles cornerback himself admitted after the game that the referees made the right call.

When the player involved defends the call on the field, fans shouldn't be throwing shade at the referees for doing their job.

The referees did a good job during the Super Bowl. The game wasn't affected by their calls, and although the anti-climactic end was because of a penalty, the fault lay with Bradberry and not the officials.

The Chiefs won the game fair and square. Kansas City deserves to hold the Lombardi Trophy once again.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

Discover the Eagles QB's family. All about Jalen Hurts's parents and Jalen Hurts's girlfriend.

Edited by Henrique Bulio