Bill Leavy Bill Leavy ( pronounced LEE - vee ) is an American football official in the National Football League ( NFL ) since 1995 and is a retired San Jose , California Police Officer and Firefighter , serving for 27 years . As of the 2006 NFL season , Leavy has been assigned to nine playoff games and two Super Bowls in his NFL officiating career . He was selected as a back judge on the Super Bowl XXXIV officiating crew in 2000 and most recently headed up the Super Bowl XL officiating crew as referee in 2006 . He wears uniform number 127 . Leavy ' s 2011 NFL officiating crew consists of umpire Darrell Jenkins , head linesman George Hayward , line judge Mark Perlman , field judge Jim Quirk , side judge Keith Parham and back judge Keith Ferguson . Personal . Early years . Leavy is a 1965 graduate of Santa Barbara High School in Santa Barbara , California and a 1970 graduate of San Jose State University in San Jose , California where he earned a degree in law enforcement . Just before earning his degree , he joined the San Jose Police Department in September 1969 . During his high school and college years , Leavy ' s athletic interests included swimming and football . As a member of the San Jose Police Athletic League ( PAL ) , he was introduced to football officiating by a fellow PAL officer , who was a high school football official . Between the 1970s and 1984 , Leavy worked several all - star , playoff , championship games at the high school and junior college levels . Family . Bill lives in San Jose , California . Officiating career . Early years . Leavy joined the Big West Conference , a Division I college conference , in 1984 . During his 11 seasons in Division I football , he worked four college bowl game s ( Independence , Freedom , California and Las Vegas ) . NFL career . In December 1994 , Leavy received a call from then NFL Supervisor of Officials , Jerry Seeman , that he was selected as one of 12 finalists for open positions beginning with the 1995 NFL season . On March 27 , 1995 , Leavy was hired by the league as a field judge . Leavy ' s first game was a pre - season matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills at Texas Stadium . For seven seasons , Leavy worked as a field judge and later as a back judge , when the league swapped position names in 1998 , before being promoted to referee for the 2001 NFL season . This opportunity at the referee position became available as a result of Phil Luckett returning to his original back judge position due to the time commitment that is involved to be a successful crew chief . Outside of the NFL , Leavy was hired in 1998 as the " Coordinator of Football Officials " for the Western Athletic Conference and was appointed " Coordinator of Football Officials " for the Mountain West Conference in 1999 . Memorable games . Super Bowl XL . Leavy ' s first Super Bowl as referee did not go unnoticed by the media and fans as several controversial calls were made throughout the game . Seattle coach , Mike Holmgren , at a team rally on February 6 at Qwest Field , criticized the officials as he felt they assisted the Pittsburgh Steelers in winning the Super Bowl saying , " We knew it was going to be tough going against the Pittsburgh Steelers . I didn ' t know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well . " The NFL did not fine Holmgren for the remarks . In response to the criticisms leveled at the officials , the NFL , just two days after the game , released a statement defending the officials ' performance . " The game was properly officiated , including , as in most NFL games , some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials , " NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement . Mike Pereira , Supervisor of Officials , appeared on the NFL Network show , " Total Access " , stating that the calls were correct with the exception of the penalty called against Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for an illegal low block in the fourth quarter . On August 6 , 2010 , while visiting the Seahawks ' preseason training camp for an annual rules interpretation session with the Seattle media , Leavy brought up Super Bowl XL without being asked : He never mentioned specifically on which calls he made mistakes . 2011 Divisional Playoff Game ( Giants at Packers ) . Leavy once again drew controversy during the first quarter of the 2011 NFC Divisional Playoff game against the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers . Packers receiver Greg Jennings caught a pass and appeared to fumble just before he was tackled . It was initially ruled it as a fumble , but after a conference , officials ultimately ruled that Jennings was down by contact . The Giants challenged the call , but after reviewing the play , Leavy announced that the down - by - contact call would stand . Former NFL head of officiating and current Fox Sports analyst Mike Pereira was perplexed with Leavy ' s ruling , and said on the air that he would have reversed it back to a fumble . The league would later issue a statement suggesting that the reason why Leavy did not overturn the down - by - contact rule was primarily because there was no indisputable visual evidence as to whether Jennings ' " calf " touched the ground before he fumbled .