article_snippet.sent: The National Football League has hired The National Football League first female ref, Sarah Thomas, according to a report.
article_snippet.sent: Sarah Thomas, a 42-year-old mother of three from Brandon, Mississippi, has reportedly been tapped as the first woman to be hired as a full-time NFL referee.
article_snippet.sent: The Conference USA official became the first woman to officiate and FBS game in 2007 and the first to preside over a bowl game in 2009 .
article_snippet.sent: Thomas reffed basketball and high school football before moving on to college and becoming the first woman to officiate a FBS game in 2007 and the first to preside over a bowl game in 2009. '
article_snippet.sent: Though Thomas is tabbed to be the first full-time woman hire by the NFL, Shannon Eastin became the first female to officiate a game in the league when Shannon Eastin was a replacement ref in 2012 .
article_snippet.sent: Shannon Eastin technically became the first woman to officiate an NFL game in 2012, when the league hired replacement refs while in negotiations with the officials' union.
article_snippet.sent: If Thomas begins reffing regular season games, the NFL would become the second major American sports league to have women officials, after the NBA.
article_snippet.sent: Shannon Eastin became the first woman to officiate a regular season NFL game in 2012.
article_snippet.sent: Shannon Eastin became the first woman to officiate a regular season NFL game in 2012 when Shannon Eastin was used as a replacement ref in the September 2012 game between the St Louis Rams and the Detroit Lions.
highlights_snippet.sent: Thomas was first woman to preside over a bowl game in college football .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Hiring would make NFL second major sports league with woman official .