referee assignments mls

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PRO releases referee assignments for Week 7 of the MLS season

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The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) has announced the referee assignments for Week 7 of the MLS season:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11

New York City FC vs. Real Salt Lake

Yankee Stadium (7 pm ET | TV & streaming info )

Referee : Mark Geiger AR1 : CJ Morgante  AR2 : Logan Brown  4th : Robert Sibiga VAR : Jorge Gonzalez

FRIDAY, APRIL 13

Philadelphia Union vs. Orlando City SC

Talen Energy Stadium (8 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Christopher Penso AR1 : Nick Uranga AR2 : Jeremy Kieso 4th : Sorin Stoica VAR : Edvin Jurisevic

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. LAFC

BC Place (10 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Robert Sibiga AR1 : Matthew Nelson  AR2 : Philippe Briere 4th : Dave Gantar  VAR : Juan Guzman Jr 

SATURDAY, APRIL 14

New York Red Bulls vs. Montreal Impact 

Red Bull Arena  (1 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Armando Villarreal AR1 : Peter Manikowski AR2 : Eric Weisbrod 4TH : Marcos De Oliveira VAR : Silviu Petrescu

Colorado Rapids vs. Toronto FC

Dick's Sporting Goods Park (3 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Baldomero Toledo  AR1 : Adam Garner AR2 : Felicia Mariscal 4th : Ramy Touchan VAR : Ricardo Salazar 

Chicago Fire vs. LA Galaxy

Toyota Park (3:30 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Ted Unkel AR1 : Kyle Atkins AR2 : Kyle Longville 4th : Fotis Bazakos VAR : David Barrie

D.C. United vs. Columbus Crew SC

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (7 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Ismail Elfath AR1 : Corey Parker  AR2 : TJ Zablocki 4th : Rubiel Vazquez VAR : Luis Guardia

New England Revolution vs. FC Dallas

Gillette Stadium (7:30 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Hilartio Grajeda AR1 : Andrew Bigelow AR2 : Jonathan Johnson 4th : Mark Geiger  VAR : Caleb Mendez

Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC

Providence Park (10:30 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Jose Carlos Rivero AR1 : Jeff Hosking AR2 : Craig Lowry  4th : Alejandro Mariscal VAR : Alex Chilowicz

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo

Avaya Stadium (10:30 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Nima Saghafi AR1 : Frank Anderson  AR2 : Michael Kampmeinert 4th : Daniel Radford  VAR : Tim Ford 

SUNDAY, APRIL 15

Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle Sounders FC 

Children's Mercy Park   (4 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Drew Fischer  AR1 : Corey Rockwell  AR2 : Jeffrey Greeson  4TH : Dave Gantar  VAR : Geoff Gamble 

Atlanta United vs. NYCFC 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium   (6 pm ET |  TV & streaming info )

Referee : Allen Chapman AR1 : Jeremy Hanson  AR2 : Cameron Blanchard  4TH : Sorin Stoica VAR : Kevin Terry Jr 

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MLS set to begin 2024 season with replacement referees, 66 selected ahead of Feb. 21 start, per report

The ref lockout comes just prior to the start of the season.

The MLS season is set to begin on Feb. 21 as Inter Miami hosts Real Salt Lake but there will likely be replacement referees to begin the season after the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted against the proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement, which would lead to the Professional Referee Organization locking members of the PRSA out from officiating league matches. There was a tentative agreement between PRO and PRSA's leadership but when it went to a vote among members, it did not pass. 

There are now 66 replacement refs who are set to be used to kick off the campaign next week, according to The Athletic . PRO has received a commitment of 66 officials with 26 of those being eligible as center referee or fourth official and 29 as assistant referee, the report states. 

"It's extremely disappointing that the officials have voted against the tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement reached by the Professional Soccer Referees Association and the Professional Referee Organization," MLS Executive Vice President of Sporting Product & Competition Nelson Rodríguez said. "PRO worked for months and addressed all the issues that were raised by PSRA's bargaining unit. It is also unfortunate that the PSRA rejected PRO's offer for a mutual no strike -- no lockout commitment, which would have allowed all match officials to continue working during ongoing negotiations.  

"PRO has informed us of its contingency plan for the upcoming MLS season, which includes utilizing experienced professional match referees supported by veteran VAR officials.  We are confident in the comprehensive plan they have put in place."

In total, 97.8% of eligible PRSA members voted on the proposal with an overwhelming 95.8% voting not to ratify the agreement between PRO and PRSA leadership. In a statement released by the PRSA, executive leadership believed that PRO's economic package fell short of expectations while also lacking appropriate quality of life improvements. PRSA's current agreement was ratified in 2019 and extended twice before the eventual expiration on Feb. 12 of this year, only nine days before the season is slated to kick off.

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"We live for this game, giving it 100 percent of our dedication, experience, fitness and ability," Peter Manikowski, president and lead negotiator for PSRA, said. "The skyrocketing growth of MLS has significantly increased demands on officials mentally and physically, and as such has increased demands on both our professional and personal time. Our members are asking not only for fair compensation at a time when the league is reporting record growth, but also for the ability to take care of themselves on the road and at home to continue officiating at the highest level that this sport demands."  

This won't be the first time that MLS has started the season with replacement referees as it also happened in 2014. With current PRSA members being familiar with the players in the league and the pace of play along with new rule changes, replacement referees could cause hiccups in the early going when every point will matter for making playoffs in a deep 29-team league.

"This game evolves rapidly and play happens quickly," Manikowski said. "We think replacement officials generally do not have the current experience and level of fitness required to do our jobs. The sport and everyone involved – players, coaches and fans – deserve referees who are the best in North America at knowing the MLS game and its current rules and applications."

This means, as CBS Sports soccer rules expert Christina Unkle points out, these replacement referees will be put into a difficult situation with only a week or two weeks' notice, saying that many haven't trained "at the highest professional level." One of the new rules is that if a player doesn't leave the pitch in 10 seconds after a substitution, the sub can't enter the pitch for a further 60 seconds and without training, that can cause hiccups while learning the standard flow to the game out of the gate.

“You’re going to have individuals replacement referees who have not been training at the highest professional level.” Rules expert @ChristinaUnkel explains how having replacement referees can negatively impact MLS games. pic.twitter.com/gDMHU6GSR4 — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2024

Key terms of the rejected proposal, which would've been a five-year collective bargaining agreement, are as follows:

• Increase in guaranteed pay for the first year of the agreement.
• A 7% increase in 2027 for all salaries and retainers and match fees along with a three percent increase in all other years. The highest mid-contract raise ever offered per PRO
• First/Business class travel for MLS Cup Playoffs and for Decision Day 2027 and 2028.
• Enhanced injury continuance, physical therapy reimbursement, employer contributions for reimbursable health care costs, and increased severance.

The PRSA rejected a proposal through the 2024 MLS Cup that was a no-strike/lockout proposal which adds urgency to finding an agreement with seasons beginning one after another all of which would need to be overseen by replacement referees until an agreement with the PRSA is found. 

"Time has been of the essence to conclude a fair deal and move forward together with renewed positivity ahead of our 12th year of supporting the growth of the professional game in the United States and Canada," Mark Geiger,  PRO's general manager said. "We made meaningful progress during recent bargaining, agreeing to fair pay increases, and addressing many of the PSRA's concerns with respect to non-economic items. This represented approximately a 25 percent overall increase over 2023 when comparing salary, retainers, game fees, and benefits plus the addition of business class travel for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The result of the membership vote is disappointing."

While PRO was warned by PRSA leadership that this may be the case with the tentative agreement, it doesn't seem like PRO was prepared for that to happen.

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Mls delays new rules over referee lockout, share this article.

MLS will postpone the implementation of several new rules as a result of ongoing labor strife between the league and its referees union.

In an announcement sent out mere hours before the 2024 season’s opening match between Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake, MLS said that in-stadium VAR announcements from referees are among the new initiatives that will not be in place as a result of the league locking out the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA).

Two more rules MLS planned to test will be delayed until the labor impasse is resolved. One would require players to exit the pitch within 10 seconds of being substituted, with violators having to play down a man until the head referee waved the incoming substitute onto the field (a delay that would last for at least one full minute).

MLS was also set to begin its season with a new rule addressing stoppages for injury, where any player who stayed down for more than 15 seconds would be required to leave the pitch for at least two full minutes.

All three new concepts will be brought in sometime after the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) — the body that hires and assigns referees for MLS — and PSRA can agree to a collective bargaining agreement.

Some new initiatives in place for MLS opener

Despite the delay on certain new rules, MLS will have some changes in place from day one. The league said that its “Return to Play Equity protocol” — essentially, a regulation that requires two players who are treated for a clash of heads and cleared to return to the field to re-enter play at the same time — will be in place as Lionel Messi and Miami host RSL in what is the earliest league match in MLS history.

Additionally, in-stadium clocks will keep running through stoppage time, another measure MLS had announced weeks ago.

During the duration of the lockout, MLS says it will announce referee assignments the morning of the game in question, with a 9 a.m. ET deadline for games that begin before 7:30 p.m., and 12 p.m. for matches starting at 7:30 p.m. or later.

The Washington Post has reported that MLS has changed its old procedure, which involved assignments being announced two days before matches, as a “security precaution” during the labor dispute.

MLS also clarified that the pool reporter process (a channel for a pre-selected reporter to submit questions in writing to referees) will remain in place, but expressly forbid “questions regarding the ongoing labor negotiations.”

MLS tries to erase Open Cup in 2024 season kickoff graphic

The 10 biggest mls questions ahead of the 2024 season, mls referees locked out to start season as cba dispute continues.

Follow all of Pro Soccer Wire's MLS coverage right here.

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What the MLS referee lockout means for North America’s top soccer league

With Messi in Miami and the World Cup coming to US soil, the eyes of the world are on Major League Soccer like never before. It’s only raised the stakes of a nasty labor dispute between MLS and its referees

Major League Soccer referees have been locked out ahead of the beginning of the 2024 season set to begin on Wednesday evening with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami set to play Real Salt Lake.

The Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), the labor union representing referees who work MLS matches, condemned the lockout by the MLS and the league’s referee employment organization. The lockout, a denial of employment by an employer during a labor dispute, was imposed on the referees after they overwhelmingly voted to reject a tentative new union contract agreement in a 95.8% vote, with 97.8% of the 260 union members voting.

“This is their weak attempt to apply economic pressure, and MLS is sacrificing the quality of the game to do that,” said Peter Manikowski, president and lead negotiator for PSRA, in a statement on the lockout initiated on 18 February. “We call it like it is – and this is a foul.”

The union has also alleged unfair labor practices against the MLS and the Professional Referee Organization. The union cited members rejected the deal in part due to an attempt by the MLS and PRO to add a no strike and no lockout deal for the 2024 season and would have frozen wages, rolled back job security protections, and not addressed issues such as high workloads and travel for referees.

New MLS rules for the 2024 season

A potential work stoppage would also complicate the introduction of new league rules for the upcoming season, specifically those aimed at cutting down time wasting. MLS has taken a leading role in enforcing the International Football Association Board’s mandate to  boost the amount of time the ball is in play  over 90 minutes. Ifab is the governing body that determines the laws of the game.

After experimenting with new rules in MLS Next Pro, a developmental league, MLS will introduce the most stringent time-wasting rules in world soccer for the 2024 season. A new rule devised to cut down on players feigning injuries will require a player to leave the field for three minutes to receive treatment if they remain on the ground for more than 15 seconds. MLS reported that over the 18 months of implementation in MLS Next Pro, there was an 80% reduction in stoppages due to players receiving on-field treatment.

There will also be a crackdown on time-wasting during substitutions. A rule change will require a substituted player to leave the pitch within 10 seconds. If not, the oncoming substitute will be kept off the pitch for 60 seconds or until the next stoppage in play. There are exemptions for injuries and goalkeeper substitutions. MLS reported  there were only 10 violations across 3,150 substitutions during the MLS Next Pro trial period.

A potential strike could mean the league is forced to delay the implementation of its new rules or work with replacement officials who have yet to officiate games with the new restrictions. – Oliver Connolly

According to the union , the locked-out referees are expected to protest outside of PRO headquarters in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. “Workers representing other unionized labor will be on hand to support officials, including electrical workers, pipe fitters, railroad workers and more,” the union announced in a statement. New York State Senator Jessica Ramos will attend the picket.

The referee for Inter Miami’s opening match, which kicks off at 8pm in Fort Lauderdale, is Cristian Campo Hernandez, a former college official who called games in the second-tier USL Championship last year.

“The word I will use to describe it is ‘embarrassing’,” CBS Sports Golazo commentator and former English midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker said in a segment on the lockout. “It’s not a great look from outside of America.”

The union also disputed characterizations of the rejected tentative agreement by the MLS and PRO, claiming the employer cited percentages and averages, as wage increases would be minimal or not impact all referees. The union claimed that referees were being compared to camera operators rather than to referees in other soccer leagues around the world. The current agreement reached in 2019 expired on 15 January and was extended briefly while negotiations continued until the recent rejection of a tentative agreement by union membership.

“Rather than taking care of some very basic needs that officials have, MLS and PRO are willing to hurt the quality of the game. That should alarm every player, coach and fan, and it’s devastating to our officials, who have dedicated their entire lives – mind, body and extensive experience – to this game,” added Manikowski in a statement . “The skyrocketing growth of MLS has significantly increased demands on officials mentally and physically, and as such has increased demands on both our professional and personal time. Our members are asking not only for fair compensation at a time when the league is reporting record growth, but also for the ability to take care of themselves on the road and at home to continue officiating at the highest level that this sport demands.”

The union criticized the lack of wage and benefit improvements for referees given their increasing workloads in recent years, record team sponsorship revenue last season at $587m , market expansions, increases in the number of matches, wage gains for players, and the increasing popularity of the sport, especially with the arrival of Lionel Messi to the league last season and the prospect of the 2026 World Cup being played in the US.

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On social media, the union has emphasized quality of life issues for referees that they say have not been addressed in negotiations by the MLS and PRO, including claims that “many MLS referees spend 200 to 240 nights away from home each year”, a 10% increase over the past five years. The union cited low pay for referees such as $337 for officiating a preseason game where the league sold 32,000 tickets.

The lockout means that referees under the union are barred from officiating matches until the MLS and PRO lift the lockout or an agreement is reached. The replacement referees include officials from international leagues, lower US divisions, and retirees, including PRO general manager Mark Geiger. The union has asked referees to stand in solidarity with the union members and not cross their lockout to serve as replacements.

The MLS last used replacement referees in 2014 for two weeks before an agreement was reached to end that lockout with assistance from federal mediators. Those two weeks of matches with replacement referees went largely without any controversy, but the league has since expanded from 19 to 29 teams and VAR was first introduced to the league first in 2016, and the union has argued replacements do not have the experience or training to officiate matches in place of their referees.

“It’s extremely disappointing that the officials have voted against the tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement reached by the Professional Soccer Referees Association and the Professional Referee Organization,” Major League Soccer executive vice-president of sporting product & competition Nelson Rodriguez said in a statement. “PRO worked for months and addressed all the issues that were raised by PSRA’s bargaining unit. It is also unfortunate that the PSRA rejected PRO’s offer for a mutual no strike - no lockout commitment, which would have allowed all match officials to continue working during ongoing negotiations. PRO has informed us of its contingency plan for the upcoming MLS season, which includes utilizing experienced professional match referees supported by veteran VAR officials. We are confident in the comprehensive plan they have put in place.”

The MLS Players Association issued a statement on 20 February expressing disappointment with the lockout.

“The use of replacement referees will not only negatively impact the quality and results of our matches, it may also jeopardize the health and safety of players,” said the statement. “We urge PRO and MLS to return to the table and bargain in good faith with PSRA to work towards a timely and fair agreement.”

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Don Garber: MLS is ‘more than prepared’ to use replacement refs for as long as needed

Major League Soccer will once again use replacement officials for matches this weekend amidst an ongoing labor dispute between the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) — the labor union that represents its referees — and the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), the MLS-funded body which administers professional officiating in North America.

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On Tuesday, MLS commissioner Don Garber addressed the ongoing labor dispute in a roundtable with The Athletic , stating in no uncertain terms that the league was prepared to support PRO and continue to use replacement referees for as long as needed.

“We’re prepared to manage through this labor dispute with PRO any way that’s necessary to ensure that we are coming out of this in a way that is rational,” said Garber . “PRO is going to continue to sit down and negotiate with the PSRA to hopefully reach a resolution — but if there’s no resolution to be reached, we are more than prepared to see this all the way through.”

• More from the roundtable: Garber, Rodriguez on U.S. Open Cup  

PRO locked out the PSRA’s membership on Feb. 18th when PSRA members rejected a tentative agreement that had been agreed upon between negotiators for the two sides. Negotiations between the PSRA and PRO have continued to sour in recent weeks, with both sides filing unfair labor practices complaints against each other and sparring in the press.

Earlier this month, PRO told PSRA’s membership to accept the terms of their latest offer by March 11th or they’d offer “less favorable” terms. That date has come and gone with no agreement in place. As of now, say multiple sources close to the negotiations, federal mediators have not scheduled any further meetings between the sides.

The lockout has been a popular talking point for fans and pundits alike during the first few weeks of the MLS season, with some wondering whether MLS’ public image has been damaged by the dispute and by the use of replacement referees. Asked if he thought the league had been impacted in that way, Garber pushed back against the idea that the league’s fans felt negatively about the work stoppage.

“We do fan research on a regular basis,” said Garber. “We have a fan panel of tens of thousands of people that we speak to regularly. There is no consumer blowback that the issues that we are hoping to have resolved with PRO, our labor dispute, is having any impact on our league whatsoever. Now, I read your columns and I read other media reports: this view that it is having a negative impact on the league…Not only do we not see that through the research we do, but we’ve got to look at where we are. The replacement officials are — not by our standards, but by the standards of PRO — are up to a pro(fessional) standard.”

Garber continued to offer his thoughts on the performance of PRO’s group of replacement referees. Late last week, MLS Vice President Nelson Rodriguez sent a memo to the league’s Board of Governors stating that the league felt replacement referees were on par with their predecessors and had “(maintained) consistency in officiating quality.” Garber largely mirrored Rodriguez’ sentiments.

“Officiating is not an exact science,” Garber said. “More technology is being used. We have officials that we think are doing a really good job, our players think they’re doing a good job, our coaches think they’re doing a good job, and they’re going to continue to work and in a way that will be supported by PRO until there’s a resolution.”

MLS instructed broadcasters to limit ref commentary

The replacement refs have received mixed reviews from players, coaches and fans alike. Each of the league’s first four weeks has featured an example of a missed or incorrect call, often one that fundamentally affected the outcome of the match it was made in. Calls on the field are being overturned via video review at a much higher rate in 2024 than they were in 2023, though the sample size is still fairly small. Even by PRO’s own rating standard, a points-style system that the organization uses to rate its officials, the replacement referees have fallen short of the standard set by PRO’s full-time group.

Garber expressed frustration at the PSRA’s membership for rejecting PRO’s latest offer, suggesting that it would have made the PSRA’s membership “among the highest-paid officials in the world.” MLS, said Garber, has invested over $150 million in the development of officiating (via PRO) since 2012.

“We were supportive of PRO when they reached an agreement with the bargaining unit for their officials that offered a 25% increase,” said Garber. “Now, I don’t know about any of you, (but a) 25% increase in your annual salary is not a bad thing. Generally, we think it’s a really strong thing. They asked for a landmark agreement, we offered a landmark agreement through PRO, and then their members didn’t support it. That was surprising to us.”

PSRA president Peter Manikowski responded to Garber’s comments in an email to The Athletic .

Inter Miami match referee replaced after discovery of photos in Inter Miami shirt

“The Commissioner didn’t do so well with the facts,” Manikowski wrote in part. “As we would say, he needs to get a better angle on the play. In the (tentative agreement) voted down by membership, some officials’ wages would go up by less than 5%, in a time when the league is experiencing record revenue growth.  And it’s also wise to remember that a large percentage of a small amount is still just that – a small amount.”

The PSRA also pushed back on Garber and Rodriguez’ assertion that the league’s replacement referees are operating at a similar standard to PRO’s crop of full-time officials.

“For the impact the PRO-imposed lockout has on the sport already, look no further than the delay in implementation of MLS’s new speed of play rules (for injuries and substitutions),” wrote Manikowski, referencing new regulations MLS announced then postponed after the lockout went into effect. “Or, fans can also look at the near tripling in the number of video reviews over the last weeks of the season. Watch what happened in the Minnesota v. Orlando match last weekend to see a match out of control, where the ball was not in play for the fans to enjoy. No straight-talking team official, player, or soccer person could say the refereeing was a ‘good job.’ If PSRA-represented officials refereed like the scabs are refereeing, MLS executives would be apoplectic.”

In his comments, Garber also expressed some frustration with the U.S. Soccer Federation for withdrawing its funding for PRO , leaving MLS to foot the majority of the expense for the organization’s day-to-day operations.

“This dynamic ultimately is going to work itself out,” said Garber. “It’s gonna end up being positive for the overall referee program, but it’s proving that our officials need to get better. That’s gonna fall on Major League Soccer, and eventually it’s gonna fall on the NWSL and the USL, to fund it. By the way, I think the Federation has its obligation to do that and the (professional leagues) have taken on that obligation because the Federation has other objectives and other needs throughout their plan.”

Having been locked out by PRO, the PSRA’s members are guaranteed their jobs back when the labor dispute is resolved — PRO cannot simply fire them, or replace them permanently with their new crew of replacement refs. While Garber’s remarks were pointed, he also expressed confidence that a resolution could be reached, as did Rodriguez. For its part, the PSRA, via Manikowski, also expressed a hope that the two sides would reach an agreement sooner rather than later. But the tone expressed by both sides in this dispute is unmistakable.

“The anti-union tactics MLS has used over the years are to be expected and the Commissioner’s comments follow the same line,” Manikowski said, referencing similarly prolonged and contentious CBA negotiations between the league and MLS players and a 2014 lockout of PRO referees. “We, the union of workers standing in solidarity, will also see this through to a satisfactory resolution.”

(Photo: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

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MLS to use replacement referees for Week 2 as labor negotiations continue

Major League Soccer will play another weekend of games with replacement referees after representatives from the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) and the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) met in New York City on Wednesday and failed to reach an agreement in an ongoing labor dispute.

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Following Wednesday’s impasse, PRO notified the PSRA on Friday that a previous week’s contract offer to the officials would remain on the table until midnight on Monday, March 11, adding that if that offer is not accepted and ratified, its next offer to the PSRA would include “less favorable terms in some areas,” according to multiple sources briefed on negotiations.

The second week of the MLS season starts on Saturday afternoon. PRO’s team of replacement referees, which includes college and youth referees and a large crop of officials who have experience refereeing lower-division games, handled MLS’ opening weekend with PRO and the PSRA unable to reach terms before the season’s start.

PRO — the organization that oversees professional refereeing in the United States and Canada and assigns referees to MLS matches — locked its officials represented by the PSRA out on February 18th after a pair of temporary extensions to the previous labor agreement between PRO and the PSRA expired and the PSRA’s membership resoundingly rejected the initial proposal put together by negotiators.

Explained: Why the new MLS season will start with stand-in refs

The Athletic obtained a copy of an email update that the PSRA provided its membership on Wednesday afternoon, which offered insight into the negotiations early in the day.

The PSRA, represented by a bargaining committee that includes current MLS referees like Chris Penso, Drew Fischer and TJ Zablocki, submitted a proposal that was identical to their first proposal with a few exceptions.

They included, according to the membership update: making sure membership would be paid retroactively back to Jan. 16, 2024, increasing wages and healthcare coverage and further modifications to travel flexibility and fare class. PSRA also proposed an increase to the likeness fee that its referees receive for commercial use of their image.

PRO, represented by a team that includes former MLS referees like Mark Geiger, Alan Kelly and Joe Fletcher, provided their response to the proposal after several hours of review, according to the PSRA’s update to its members.

“In joint session,” the update reads, “PRO representatives made a long statement criticizing, among other things, your negotiating committee’s decision to send (the first tentative agreement) through ratification to allow you to vote and have your voice heard on (it.) PRO then stated they needed yet more time to consider PSRA’s proposal and would not be providing a counter-proposal during the session.”

The next update came on Friday, in which PRO told the PSRA that the previous contract offer remained but would be rescinded and made less favorable if not accepted by March 11.

The PSRA and PRO were joined at the negotiating table by members of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), an independent government organization that works to help resolve labor disputes. Potential additional bargaining dates are being discussed by both parties.

PRO and the PSRA both declined to comment on Wednesday’s talks.

Both sides have accused each other of unfair practices during the lockout, with PRO filing an unfair labor practice complaint against the PSRA last week alleging that the referees’ union had made efforts to intimidate replacement officials. The PSRA, for its part, has filed complaints against PRO, alleging that the organization engaged in “direct dealing,” bypassing the union and attempting to sway union members directly. The union also alleged that Geiger sent a letter to union membership threatening a lockout and threatening inferior terms if the PSRA did not agree to PRO’s initial offer.

Replacement referees for opening MLS matches include youth, college, lower division officials

This story and headline has been updated to reflect that replacement officials will work for MLS’s second weekend. 

(Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

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MLS referee lockout ends; new CBA agreed to 2030 - sources

T he month-long lockout of MLS referees has ended, with sources confirming to ESPN that the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) voted to ratify a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) late on Monday night.

The Athletic was the first to report the CBA ratification.

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Neither the PSRA nor PRO responded to requests for comment. The sources that spoke to ESPN asked for anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the deal and its ratification.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the vote told ESPN that 93 of 97 eligible voters took part, with 72 voting "yes," which amounts to a 77.4% approval rate. The expectation is that the PSRA referees will return to work this weekend.

According to a source with knowledge of the deal, the new CBA is set to last seven years, through to the end of 2030 season. This was a potential sticking point for union membership, who didn't want one CBA to continue through two World Cup cycles.

A new CBA provides an opportunity to renegotiate pay, and a longer-term deal delays a potential increase from occurring. But the deal was ultimately ratified, and the source added that while the CBA will provide retroactive pay for the months of January and part of February, there will be no retroactive pay for the period of the lockout.

The previous CBA expired on Jan. 15. A week later, the PSRA membership gave its leadership the authority to authorize a potential strike.

The two sides twice agreed to extend the terms of the old CBA during negotiations, and with federal mediators facilitating talks, a tentative agreement was reached on Feb. 14.

At that point, the thought was that a work stoppage would be averted, but the union membership voted overwhelmingly against ratification -- 95.8% voted "no" -- because the monetary increases and changes to travel benefits were in their view insufficient.

Once PRO's offer of a no strike/no lockout provision was rejected by the PSRA -- which called the offer a "poison pill" -- PRO responded by locking out the PSRA referees on Feb. 17 and used replacement referees for the first month of the season . The decision to lock out the union referees marked the second time over three different CBA negotiations that replacement referees were used. PRO is funded in part by MLS.

The talks soon became more contentious , as both sides filed Unfair Labor Practices with the National Labor Relations Board.

MLS attempted to put a positive spin on the replacement referees' performances, with Nelson Rodríguez, the MLS EVP of sporting product and competition, telling MLS owners in a memo that referee performance "as evidenced by our Key Match Indicators, aligns with the professional standards observed in the past seasons, maintaining consistency in officiating quality."

But the data suggested otherwise. Through 70 games this season, there were 35 VAR interventions, a rate that was 51% higher than what was recorded during the 2023 season.

There was also an embarrassing episode in which a referee scheduled to work the match between  Inter Miami  and Orlando City SC on March 2 had to be replaced when photos emerged on social media of him wearing a Miami jersey.

Earlier this month, PSRA president Peter Manikowski told ESPN that PRO was "not willing to talk about solutions and only wanting to inflict pain upon the members who exercise their legal right to vote no on a collective bargaining agreement that didn't meet their family and their own needs."

Ultimately, the deal got done, with a second tentative agreement approved last Friday.

The source added that the CBA adds "several million" in wages to what was contained in the first tentative agreement for referees, assistant referees, VAR officials and assistant VAR officials.

The increases -- for both base pay and match fees -- vary depending on the level of a referee's experience, but The Athletic reported that probationary referees will receive a 68% increase in pay, while probationary assistants will receive an 88% increase.

The source told ESPN that while the issue of travel benefits did improve overall -- The Athletic reported small gains in terms of scheduling flights and first-class travel on "Decision Day" -- there was no change from what was in the first tentative agreement.