He is best known for his athletic/muscular physique[3] (height: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m); weight: 230 pounds (100 kg)[4]), and for explaining on-field rulings in a manner that is comprehensive yet also clear and concise.

[7] After the retirements of Gerald Austin and Larry Nemmers following the 2007 season, Hochuli became the NFL's longest-tenured referee for the next decade.

Hochuli was born on December 25, 1950, in Milwaukee living there until age eight before his family moved to Tucson, Arizona.

[11][12] During his high school years, he participated in football (earning all-state honors twice), basketball, wrestling, and track.

[13] Shawn joined his father's profession as an official, working as a side judge in his first NFL season in 2014.

[9] Hochuli finds interest in trying cases, calling it an "adrenaline rush" adding, "You love that challenge–the competition, if you will–of it.

[11] Progressing to the high school level in 1973, he focused on football, and officiated games in the Tucson area until 1985.

[11] Using his experience in the WLAF, as well as the organization, precision, and analytical skills he learned while working under Roe's guidance, Hochuli desired to become a crew chief in the NFL.

[10] Seeman asked Hochuli to work as referee for the first time when the Denver Broncos hosted the Cincinnati Bengals in a pre-season game.

[27] In addition to working two Super Bowls, he has officiated five conference championship games as of the start of the 2007 NFL season.

[29] Hochuli credits his mentor, Jerry Markbreit, a four-time Super Bowl referee, as the greatest influence on his career.

[30] In his second year as referee, he worked the 1993 Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins in Irving, Texas.

[10] During the final moments of the game, Miami placekicker Pete Stoyanovich had a field goal attempt blocked.

[10] The Cowboys' Leon Lett inadvertently touched the loose ball before the Dolphins' Jeff Dellenbach pounced on it.

[10] At the time, Hochuli had "no idea" what happened during the play and had to confer with three other officials to piece together the sequence of events.

On October 2, 2005, he officiated the first regular-season NFL game played outside the United States when the Arizona Cardinals played the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City, Mexico[31] as part of the league's "Fútbol Americano" marketing campaign.

On the first penalty announcement of the game, Hochuli gave the explanation in Spanish to pay respect to the host city and country.

[32] Jeff Bergman joined Hochuli for the wild card bout between the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets on January 8, 2005.

[33] Hochuli officiated the first regular season game at University of Phoenix Stadium on September 10, 2006, when the Cardinals hosted the 49ers.

[35][36] One of Hochuli's notable explanations came during a 2007 regular season game between the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots.

[37] He made an incorrect call with 1:17 left in the game, while Denver was in possession of the ball at the San Diego one-yard line and they were trailing the Chargers by seven points.

On a second-down play, Denver quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by San Diego linebacker Tim Dobbins.

[44] During the negotiations Hochuli believed the issue in finding a resolution was to convince the league that officials are full-time employees.

[45] Hochuli had distributed an e-mail to 1,200 potential replacement officials warning them that "Working as a scab will actually hurt and likely kill any chances you would have of ever getting into the NFL.

[12] He has been approached by notable athletes such as former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Charles Barkley at the airport.

[50] The half-hour television program detailed the game preparations that Hochuli went through from Monday to Saturday during the season.

The preparation work includes fifteen hours of video tape game review, a "couple hours" completing administrative tasks for the NFL, reading the rulebook, taking a weekly written exam on rules, and communicating with league supervisors.

[41] Hochuli's celebrity status off the field includes being mentioned on the "Top Ten List" during the edition of January 29, 2002 of the Late Show with David Letterman.