Who was the first woman to referee an NFL game?

Shannon Eastin (born in 1970 in Worcester, Massachusetts) was the first female referee of the National Football League (NFL). She was hired as a replacement official in 2012 during the lockout of full-time referees which began in June. She officiated her first game on August 9, 2012, a preseason match between the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers. She officiated her first regular season game on September 9, 2012, between the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams. She had spent 16 combined seasons officiating for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, high school games, and for the Arizona Cardinals Red and White game.

Eastin is also active in judo. At age 11, she was the youngest judo athlete to train in the U.S Olympic Training Center. She has won six national judo championships. Eastin owns a company called SE Sports Officiating, which trains officials in football and basketball.

Shannon Eastin was the first woman to officiate an NFL game as a temporary non-union official during the 2012 NFL referee lockout. Sarah Thomas was hired as the first "full-time female official or referee" in the NFL several years later after Eastin in 2015.