KRYSTLE APELLANIZ MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE IFL OFFICIAL AND REFEREE

When Krystle Apellaniz was in high school, she was an athlete playing basketball, running track and participating in ROTC. She also wanted to buy a car so she took a job at a Burger King in Orlando so that she could save up the money she needed to purchase that automobile. As she was getting ready to graduate and go to college at the University of Central Florida, Apellaniz wanted more out of life than just working in fast food. After discussing this with her father Norberto, a basketball and football referee, he suggested that she come work with him and become an official.

That decision changed her life.

"I went and did basketball with him and made $120 cash that day which I probably made in two weeks at Burger King," said Apellaniz.

Not only was she getting closer to buying that car, but she was also done flipping burgers.

In fact, that fall she joined her father working Pop Warner football games. She knew football but she didn't understand some of the nuances of it like route trees. But once she started playing flag football in college and then dipping her toes into women's professional football as a cornerback, wide receiver and quarterback, she began to understand the game more from a player's perspective.

Today, Apellaniz is still following in her father's footsteps and she is also making history. Already the first female official in the history of the Indoor Football League, this past Saturday she became the first woman in IFL history to don the white hat as a referee when she led the officiating crew working the Fishers Freight/Orlando Pirates game at the Kia Center in Orlando. 

"It meant a lot," said Apellaniz. "I'm grateful for the opportunity just to be part of a league that is so historic and seeing how they allow me to respectfully come onto the field and join my brothers and the coaches and players. It was awesome. I think it shows progress in the game and the opportunity for representation of the sport that I love."

The IFL is not the first pro football officiating experience for Apellaniz. 

She has been an umpire for the USFL, XFL, and UFL for the past four seasons while also officiating college games. She is part of the NFL's Mackie Development Program that trains college level officials for the NFL. Under that program, she earned the opportunity to work an NFL preseason game between Bengals and Falcons three years ago as a field judge. 

"It was an awesome opportunity to actually be on that field and represent women and represent the Hispanic culture," said Apellaniz. 

And that includes the call from IFL Director of Officiating Todd Evans to let her know that she was going to wear the white hat in Orlando this past Saturday. She has already worked a couple of Pirates home games earlier this season, but now she was going to be in charge of the crew. 

"When he called me about the white hat position, I was like oh this is really happening," said an excited Apellaniz. "I was like Ok, I'm ready let's go. I said thank you for the opportunity and thank you for believing in me. He trusted my peers from what they told him and from him seeing me work a couple of games. He trusted me to lead crews."

Leading crews was something that Apellaniz had already been doing as a basketball official, so it was an easy decision to have her put the white hat on because she earned that opportunity.  

"When looking for officials, my focus is on the basics," said Evans. "I look for officials based on merit, referrals from other officials, and those who have proven themselves both on and off the field. We have all worked very hard to raise the bar this year and I am proud of the effort put forth by everyone." 

It goes without saying that the indoor football game is different than college or professional football on the big field. The IFL game is played on a fifty-yard field surrounded by hockey dasher boards and the game is fast-paced on a compact playing field. Indoor football allows for an intimate relationship between everyone involved including the players, coaches, fans and officials.

It's really a welcoming and family-type setting.

"It's actually been a great atmosphere," said Apellaniz. "You get to talk and interact with the fans. The players respect you out there. They have their little temperament moments but it's part of the game. A lot of the players from this last game I worked came up to me and congratulated me."

Not only did the players congratulate her, but she also was complimented by Fishers Freight Head Coach Dixie Wooten who came away from her performance extremely impressed with the way she, along with the rest of the crew, handled all of the different situations that came up including a challenge that Fishers made.

"Krystle was a class act and she's a great ref," said Wooten. "She controlled the game all the way with her patience, her knowledge, and her willing to listen to coaches and players. For her first game as a referee in IFL, she did an amazing job.

I congratulated her on making history. The communication was top-of-the-line from her and her crew."

Apellaniz is certainly no stranger to making history as a female football official. She also made headlines in 2023 at the 77th Hula Bowl college football game. Under the mentorship of the NFL and the Mackie program, she was part of the first all-female officiating crew. That day, she served as the back judge for the history-making game.

"It was a great experience and opportunity to work with all females on the crew," said Apellaniz. "We've been part of it for a while. We all have come through different doors but being at the same place was pretty cool. To have great mentors on the field with us to show us the seven-man mechanics from their standpoint in the NFL." 

What's next for Apellaniz?

She would love to get an opportunity at the D1 college level, which would add another groundbreaking checkmark on her resume.

"Hopefully, there's a D1 conference that can see the opportunity in me and see that women can do it as well," said Apellaniz. "We can also be referees as well. My journey has shown me that when you work hard and stay humble and trust the process, opportunities can come that you never imagined possible."

And that's a lesson for young girls who also aspire to be an official and a referee…nothing is impossible.

"I just want to inspire the next generation after me," said Apellaniz.

With what she has already accomplished in her career, Krystle Apellaniz is already an inspiration to so many women and young girls.