Tori Penso (referee), Brooke Mayo (AR) and Kathryn Nesbitt (AR) are among the first women chosen to officiate a men’s Copa America
referees
Posted inStory
One sad reason why kids quit soccer: boorish adults
The annual Project Play report on youth sports participation has been released in advance of a summit at which Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan and Jess Fishlock were featured speakers, and the numbers are so-so. Pre-pandemic, the decline in soccer participation in thecrucial 6-12 age bracket had finally stopped, with the rate nudging upward from 7.4% […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
Youth soccer’s sad scenes: The angry adults
It’s a question I’ve been tempted to ask far too many times while getting a coach’s signature on the game card after reffing: “Do you even enjoy soccer or being around kids?” Most recently, it was a U-16 girls game. The cool but cloudless Sunday morning provided ideal soccer conditions — and the girls arrived […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Euro 2024: Only captains will speak to refs
If the initiative aimed at stamping out dissent works, it will make a massive difference to soccer at all levels.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
The Greatest Goal Never
The greatest moment in the oldest competition was disallowed due to a supposedly offside toe of Haji Wright.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Early results from MLS’s new time-wasting prevention rules
The “timed substitution rule” penalizes a team whose subbed-out player takes more than 10 seconds to leave the field
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
Properly punish the high-profile coaches who slam referees
We have experienced yet again the spectacle of petulant top-flight coaches going public with unjustified criticism of referees
Posted inSoccer America Daily
MLS: Delayed initiatives to be introduced this weekend
MLS will introduce at matches this weekend three initiatives whose introduction at the start of the 2024 season was delayed because of the referee lockout.
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Ref Watch: USA’s Penso-Mayo-Nesbitt trio picked for Olympics
At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Penso, Mayo and Nesbitt became the first Americans to officiate a senior World Cup final.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
IFAB’s latest proposals: not bad, but could do much better
The original spirit of the offside rule was to prevent teams long-hoofing the ball to isolated attackers.