The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Green Bay Packers for a pivotal Sunday Night Football matchup, but those looking to get to bed somewhat early may not be in luck. Shawn Hochuli will be the referee for the Steelers-Packers game, per NFL Communications, and Hochuli’s crew has thrown the fourth-most penalties this season, per data by nflpenalties.com.
Through seven games, Hochuli has called 108 penalties, which ranks behind rookie official Alex Moore, as well as the much-maligned Adrian Hill and Alex Kemp. Hochuli’s crew in particular has focused on offensive line play, as 19 penalties have been for offensive holding and 18 have been for false starts.
The emphasis on holding, in particular, is notable, given the Packers’ star EDGE rusher Micah Parsons and the Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. In addition to Parsons, the Packers also have Rashan Gary, so if offensive linemen on either side start to get grabby, there could be flags galore on Sunday. Hochuli has also called 11 unnecessary roughness penalties, so keeping post-play transgressions to a minimum will be key for both sides.
Hochuli has been an official in the NFL since 2014. He began his career as a back judge before being promoted to referee in 2018. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Ed Hochuli, a long-time referee who retired ahead of the 2018 season. Before working in the NFL, Shawn Hochuli was also an official in the Arena Football League and worked on college games.
He last worked a Steelers game in Week 13 last season, when he was the referee for Pittsburgh’s 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. In that game, CB Joey Porter Jr. was flagged four times for defensive pass interference. Notably, Hochuli’s crew has only thrown six flags for defensive pass interference so far this season.
Also somewhat notable is that 46 of Hochuli’s 108 penalties this season have come against the home team, with 62 coming against the visitors. That’s something that could play in Pittsburgh’s favor as the hosts of Sunday’s matchup.
Hochuli most recently worked the Cleveland Browns’ 31-6 win over the Miami Dolphins last Sunday in Cleveland. That’s the only game he’s had this season involving a team from the AFC North, and he has yet to officiate a game involving an NFC North team this season.
