Debunking your favorite NFL officiating conspiracy theories

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Ask most NFL fans what they think about referees, and they'll likely say that the refs have it out for their team. Or the officials don't know what they're doing. And they definitely want the Kansas City Chiefs to win.

Well, NFL fans, ESPN ran the numbers, and as an overall trend, these theories just don't stand up.

To assess whether officiating is routinely impacting game outcomes, ESPN compiled every penalty that referees called in regular-season and postseason games between 2001 and 2024, the type of penalty assessed, when it occurred during the game, and which team went on to win. ESPN also compiled every challenge a head coach made in the regular season from 2010 to…