MLB’s first female umpire to debut. Here’s other women who broke officiating barriers
This weekend, Jen Pawol will make history by becoming the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball game. She’s set to work the series between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves.
The 48-year-old from New Jersey has worked spring training games over the last two years and in the minors since 2016.
Here’s a look at other female officials who were the first on the floor, court or the field in prominent men’s leagues.
NFL
Shannon Eastin became the first female official in NFL history when she was a line judge during a preseason game in August 2012 between the Green Bay Packers and the Chargers, who were then in San Diego.
A month later, she became the first woman to be an official in an NFL regular-season game when she worked as the line judge in the Rams-Lions game. Eastin was among the replacement officials hired by the league during a lockout of the regular officials.
The first woman to get a full-season job was Sarah Thomas, who was a line judge in 2015. Thomas also became the first woman to work a Super Bowl when she was part of the seven-person crew on Feb. 7, 2021, when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9.
Thomas was already the first woman to officiate a major college football game — and to work a bowl game.
NBA
Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner were hired by the National Basketball Association for the 1997 season. Palmer made her NBA debut on Oct. 31, 1997, when she was on the floor for the season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks. Palmer worked that night with Bill Oakes and Mark Wunderlich.
Kantner’s first game was Nov. 5, 1997, when Atlanta beat Philadelphia 93-88. Kantner worked alongside Ron Garretson and Ed Middleton. Palmer retired in 2016, and Kantner is still officiating women’s NCAA basketball.
NHL
The NHL has yet to have a female on-ice official for a regular season or Stanley Cup playoff game.
In the mid-1990s, Heather McDaniel received some national attention for officiating men’s minor league games for the Central Hockey League and West Coast Hockey League. Two decades later, the NHL selected four female officials to work on the ice at the 2019 prospect tournaments. Katie Guay and Kelly Cooke served as referees, while Kirsten Welsh and Kendall Hanley worked as linesmen. It marked the first time women have officiated at the pre-training camp prospects tournament level.
There was a subtle change made before the 2023-24 season when “linesmen” became “linespersons,” with women in the American Hockey League working their way up.
Men’s World Cup
French referee Stéphanie Frappart made history in 2022 by becoming the first woman to be in charge of a men’s World Cup match. The game between Germany at Costa Rica was held in Al Khor, Qatar.
Working the game with Frappart were two female assistants — Neuza Back of Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico.
Men’s NCAA tournament
Melanie Davis was the first woman to officiate a Division I NCAA men’s tournament game when she was on the floor for a first-round matchup between San Diego State and Illinois on March 15, 2002.
Leading into the historical game, Davis had officiated men’s contests in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
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