Mark Baltz

Mark Baltz is an American official in the National Football League (NFL) since the 1989 NFL season. He has worked as a head linesman throughout his entire career in the NFL and has been assigned to 21 post-season games, including five conference championship games (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004). He wears the uniform number 26.

Baltz is a native of Lancaster, Ohio, and a graduate of Ohio University, where he began his officiating career in 1967, while attending college, working both Ohio high school football and basketball games until 1970.

In 1971, Mark moved to Indiana and continued to officiate football and basketball games at the high school level where he worked two state championship games in football (1978 and 1983) before moving to the major college level in 1984. He continues to officiate high school basketball, beginning his 45th season in 2011-12. He has worked three state championship games in 1999, 2003 and 2006.

In 1984, Baltz joined the Mid-American Conference (Division I-A) where he served as referee (crew chief) until moving to the Big Ten Conference (Division I-A). In the Big Ten, he officiated in three bowl games as head linesman in his five years in the conference before being accepted to the NFL in 1989.

Along with his 21 post-season assignments in the NFL, Mark served as referee in NFL Europe for three seasons between 1999 and 2001 and currently serves as Treasurer on the National Football League Referees Association (NFLRA) board beginning in June 2000.

Mark is married to Nicki, and they have two sons, Brett and Brandon, along with 5 grandchildren. Outside of the NFL, Mark serves on the Indiana Officials Association board, a founding Director of the Indiana Football Officials Association, an alumni member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, an Associate Director of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Secretary of the Central Indiana Chapter of the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame. He is self-employed as a consultant and is a public speaker. He resides in Zionsville, Indiana.