sarah thomas , a 42-year-old mother of three from brandon , has been considered before for a position in the nfl before she was chosen to start in the league next year .
she has previously refereed preseasons games , scrimmages and minicamps after becoming part of the nfl 's training program since 2013 .
the national football league has hired its first female ref , sarah thomas , according to a report .
thomas will be among eight new hires made for the 2015 season .