What to Know About Bill Vinovich’s Officiating Crew for Giants vs. Eagles

Bill Vinovich’s crew has thrown the NFL’s fewest flags this season (89) but has penalized road teams more often, which could matter for the Giants in Philly.

Referee Bill Vinovich and his crew have been assigned to officiate the Giants-Eagles Week 9 game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bill Vinovich, the NFL’s second-longest tenured referee behind Carl Cheffers, has been assigned to officiate the New York Giants’ Week 9 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vinovich has been an NFL official for 21 years and a referee for 18, second in tenure behind Cheffers, who has 27 years of NFL officiating experience, 19 of them as a referee.

Vinovich brings with him a mostly experienced crew, with members having at least 10 years of experience. Those members include line judge Brian Bolinger (10 years), field judge Aaron Santi (12 years), side judge Jimmy Buchanan (18 years) and back judge Rodd Prukop (18 years).

Bolinger, like down judge Frank LeBlanc, joins Vinovich’s crew for the first time after serving on Ronald Torbet’s crew last year.

Vinovich also has a new umpire this year: Scott Campbell, who was on Clete Blakeman’s crew last season.

The rest of his crew includes replay official Chad Wakefield and replay assistant Patrick Kepp.

Kepp is in his first season as an NFL official after serving in a CIP consisting of three FCS-level conferences: the Coastal Athletic Conference, the Ivy League and the Patriot League.

Through six games this season, Vinovich’s crew has thrown the fewest penalty flags (89), with six of those dismissed. However, his crew has thrown more flags against the road team (45) than the home team (38), averaging 13.83 flags per game.

Last season, Vinovich’s crew worked two Giants games: Week 2 against Dallas and Week 15 against Washington. In Week 2, the crew threw a whopping 26 flags, 12 against Dallas (the home team) and 14 against the visiting Giants.

In Week 15, the crew threw 17 flags: six against the Giants, the home team, and 11 against the Commanders.

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