Referee lockout ends; normal MLS refs to return for Matchweek 7
The referee lockout that has plagued MLS for the first six match weeks is officially over after an agreement was reached earlier today between the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) and the Professional Referees Organization (PRO).
The Collective Bargaining Agreement represents the longest in history for referees, coming into effect immediately and running through the end of the 2030 MLS Season. Base pay for more inexperienced or probationary referees will increase dramatically, seeing an almost 70% increase in annual salary. Assistant VAR referees will see the largest percent change increase, with the most inexperienced AVAR officials seeing their salary increase by 219%, according to Pablo Maurer of The Athletic.
“Together, we have won much-needed improvements while demonstrating the value of having the best referees in Major League Soccer on the pitch,” PSRA tweeted this morning. “PSRA looks forward to building on this agreement in the coming years as the sport advances.”
Travel and accommodation have also been improved, with officials set to be paid more every game on top of the already increased annual salary. With the money each role on the officiating team – center referee, assistant referee, VAR official, and AVAR official – makes every game increasing by about $100, this CBA is one of the most financially beneficial agreements in favor of referees since the league’s founding in 1996.
During playoff games and the final game of the MLS season, Decision Day, officials will have first-class accommodation on their flights.
“Major League Soccer has some of the best match officials in the world,” said MLS Executive Vice President of Sporting Product & Competition and former Fire GM Nelson Rodríguez. “We’re pleased this agreement provides PRO with a strong, long-term partnership to continue to develop and train referees to make our officiating even better.”
The level of officiating in MLS has been taken for granted over the past years, as some high-profile errors have ravaged MLS this season while using replacement referees.
The Fire’s dramatic last-minute comeback win against Montréal was, admittedly, marred by such mistakes. Montréal head coach Laurent Courtois made his displeasure with the performance of replacement referee DeShun Beard clear postgame.
“We played a total of 22 minutes extra time, received a red card, and didn’t see a card on the other side in situations that were quite blatant,” he told media after the game. “It feels like something was taken from us, and it’s hard to swallow under these conditions.”
The game between Charlotte FC and the Columbus Crew also raised questions after a controversial red card was handed to Derrick Jones, leaving the Crew with 10 at the 26-minute mark. Not long after, Scott Arfield made a much more dangerous tackle on Darlington Nagbe than the one that ended in the sending-off, only for it not to be penalized. Meanwhile, in the Philadelphia Union vs Sporting Kansas City game, a 95th-minute equalizer from Alejandro Bedoya came about after a throw-in was incorrectly awarded to the Union, taking 2 points away from SKC with one incorrect blow of the whistle.
The opening weeks of 2024 have seen some of the longest additional time periods of recent memory, with the Charlotte-Columbus game setting a record for the longest first half in league history (61 minutes) and the Fire’s game against Columbus a setting for one of the latest-ever game-winners in MLS in the 99th minute.
With already more VAR checks and overturned decisions at this stage than any other MLS season in history, players and coaches throughout the league will be happy to welcome back officials with more experience creating a smoother playing environment.
