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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Officials for Arena Bowl XX announced

June 7, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


LAS VEGAS - The Arena Football League today announced the officials for ArenaBowl XX Las Vegas on June 11. Kickoff at Thomas & Mack Center is set for 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT and will be televised live on NBC in high definition. Steve Pamon will be heading up the crew as the referee, with umpire Al Granado, head linesman Mike McCabe, line judge Darrel Leftwich, back judge Scott Helverson and alternate Tom McCabe.

Referee STEVE PAMON has been with the Arena Football League for six seasons with 2006 marking his first-ever ArenaBowl appearance. He has been with the Big Ten Conference since 1988 and has worked the Sugar, Holiday and Independence Bowls. He was with the Gateway Conference from 1986-88 prior to joining the Big Ten.

Umpire AL GRANADO has been with the Arena Football League since 1996 where he worked playoff and Semifinal games and the 2002 ArenaBowl. Since 1998, Granado has been officiating in the Pac-10 Conference and has worked a Shrine Game, the Liberty Bowl and the Nokia Sugar Bowl (2006).

Head Linesman MIKE McCABE has been officiating for 15 years. He worked in the NCAA for the Big Sky (1999-2001), Mountain West (2002-04) and Pac-10 (2003-06) Conferences. McCabe has been with the Arena Football League since 1996 and charged with consecutive playoff assignments for the previous six seasons. He officiated the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs and the Nokia Sugar Bowl (2006).

Line Judge DARREL LEFTWICH has been officiating football and basketball since 1976 and has been with the Arena Football League since its inception (1986). Leftwich worked the first two Arena Football exhibition games in Rockford (Ill.) and Chicago. ArenaBowl XX will mark the third time Leftwich has worked the league championship game - ArenaBowl III (1989) and VIII (1994). He also helped bring the AFL overseas, calling games in England, France and Spain from 1989-1995 for the Arena Football World Tour. During the AFL off-season, Leftwich is a member of the Big Ten Conference. He will begin his 16th season as an official for the conference. He has officiated the Sugar (2005), Peach (1996), Las Vegas (1997), Insight.com (2001) and Aloha (1999) Bowls.

Back Judge SCOTT HELVERSON has officiated the game of football on all different levels, including NCAA Division I and III, NFL, NFL Europe, and the Arena Football League. He has spent three seasons working in the NFL, including the 2004 Playoffs. Helverson worked eight years in the Big Ten and officiated five bowl games, including the National Championship (2001). He worked the Las Vegas and Fiesta Bowls (2000) as well as the Gator and Peach Bowls (2002). Along with the 2001 National Championship game, Helverson worked the Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III National Championship game. In 2002, he worked the NFL Europe's World Bowl. Helverson will be working his third ArenaBowl on Sunday, as he officiated ArenaBowl XVI (2002) and XI (1997).

Alternate TOM McCABE brings 25 years of officiating experience to the AFL's championship game. After completing his last NCAA Division III season in 1999, McCabe moved indoors for the first ArenaCup for af2 in 2000. Following the af2 championship game, McCabe was with the Mid-American Conference and officiated the 2004 MAC Championship game. In 2001, he became a member of the AFL's officiating staff and has worked through five playoffs in his six years.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from June 7, 2006


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