I requested a final FIFA friendly from US Soccer. Didn't get one (a story for another day).
So, I found a local U12 game on 12/16, brought my son and his buddy as ARs. Post-game was pizza & the arcade.
Only I knew that was my last game with the FIFA badge.
And it was perfect.
My previous 290 games and 15 years in MLS came down to 90+ minutes today. And we nailed it. Once the focus and adrenaline ends, the emotions take over. So honored to be on
#MLSCup
Five referees from the USA were sent to the Men's World Cup. All of them were assigned on a medal game. ALL OF THEM!!
History for
#TeamUSA
So insanely proud of them.
MLS players now travel charter to/from games. This is a well-deserved improvement from versus coach travel 5 years ago.
This CBA offered to upgrade 4 of my 70+ PRO flights to business class in 2024.
So let's just clarify the "we offered them business class travel" narrative...
"I will never understand why refs get medals." -
@clint_dempsey
on national TV.
Doesn't even mention the 4 Americans getting medals today.
I'm just going to log off before I type something that gets me in trouble.
Assessors told me early in my career I need to change my style and stand up straight on line
3 FIFA Tournaments and 399 MLS Games later: The "power squat" lives on and will be passed to others.
Dare to be different. Do what works for you to get the call right.
My mom found this in a letter I wrote to a teacher 36 years ago...
I am living the dream... Such an honor to kick off my 19th season and take the field for my 371st MLS Game.
Now part of the amazing group of
#FIFAAlumni
.
It's been an absolute pleasure to represent USA 🇺🇸 on the international stage for the past 17 years.
The domestic career continues.. See you on the MLS and college fields in 2024!
MLS disabled the
@MLSVAR
account (coincidence?), but for those keeping score at home...
Average VAR reviews in a given MLS week ~4️⃣
VAR reviews yesterday with replacement referees 1️⃣2️⃣
(with two games to go)
Staying ready:
-after 11 hours at my office job,
-after I've watched and driven the kids to practice,
-the day after my 50th birthday
#HumbleBrag
- in an empty gym,
- at 1030 at night,
- with the alarm set for 6 AM tomorrow.
Its not just the 90 minutes you see us work.
This will be Corey Rockwell's 300th MLS game as Assistant Referee in all competitions. He's currently holding at 275 regular season games.
#MLSRefStats
#PHIvPOR
#RoundNumbers
I only have 10 days left before my 17th and final year as a FIFA referee comes to a close.
First photo I'll post in these last days will be a shout out to Official Sports, who is so generous and supports the USA FIFAs like no other company.
History!! Katy Nesbitt as AR1 on the final of a pro men's professional tournament! She is on the final not because she was the best female AR. She is on the final because she is the best of the best of ALL pro ARs. Period.
#BreakingBarriers
My blood, sweat, and tears have gone into refereeing (34 years) and into MLS (20 years).
Its against my soul to root against MLS and referees and I hope we get resolved this soon.
I wish all the best for week one of the 2024 season for the fans, coaches, and players.
Honored to receive this news today. Eighteen years in MLS and it gets more fun every year.
Will have a short celebration, then all focus will shift to Monday's game.
#YouAreOnlyAsGoodAsYourNextGame
When you request to get your Covid Vaccine shot in the left arm so that, "...my primary flagging arm won't be too sore..."
...you must be an Assistant Referee.
For those that work with me, they know I refer to the person in the middle as our boss and leader for the game.
What an honor to call HER our Boss and our Leader last night. If you missed it, she absolutely nailed the game. So proud of you,
@ToriPenso
Started the same year in MLS (2005), and here we are: 734 on-field assignments later and counting!
(as always, thank you to
@MLSRefStats
and
@rjhutc
for helping us keep track in our old age)
With the MLS referee lockout in full effect,
@LosVerdesATX
has passed out cards reading “Bring back the real refs” and posted a sign of “Austin is a Union Town”
#Austinfc
|
#VERDE
$95,000 per team.
That's literally 25 cents per ticket sold.
A single quarter per ticket is all we want to get professional referees back on the field.
My latest for
@goal
: An opinionated longform look at what is happening with
@MLS
@PROreferees
and the
@PSRAofficials
Details on reactions, consequences, errors, comments and more from around the league.
Was excited to write this. Please take time🙏
Adding one more bit of perspecitive... None of the replacement referees were required to pass a "mandatory" fitness test that PSRA members are required to pass each year.
We can't even ref or AR an MLS scrimmage without having met fitness requirements.
NEW: We got our hands on the list of replacement refs working matches this weekend in MLS.
Some have experience in USL, MLSNP & elsewhere.
Some, though, are jumping from calling college games in tiny stadiums directly to the top flight.
w/
@jeffrueter
:
It's so much more than just 90 minutes of soccer. I'd take a bullet for this guy.
Special thanks to PRO for the recognition for this game and Jair's 300th.
Special thanks to US Soccer for this trip down memory lane... Can't wait to get back on the field (though with one less badge)!
Apologies for the 1998 hair.
Following 17 years on the FIFA Panel, U.S. Soccer referee Corey Rockwell reflects on his career journey and how the federation’s mentorship of officials helped him on his road to work on some of the biggest stages in the game.
📰 >>
"Are the locked out refs high level?"
World Cup field appearances for:
Locked out PSRA refs: 3⃣8⃣
Replacements: 0⃣
World Cup VAR/AVAR games for:
Locked out PSRA refs: 1⃣0⃣2⃣
Replacements: 1⃣0⃣ (all PRO Management)
Yes.
I knew this day was coming but I can't believe he's gone. In the words of his wife, "...fitting he passed away in the month we honor him and bring awareness to Huntington's Disease."
The blue wristband will have heightened symbolism and weight when we wear it on Saturday night.
Did I say early in my career?
"(The Power Squat) has a negative affect: standing straight will give you a better view of the play across the field, especially if there is a shorter player on the far side of defenders"
- An Assessor, 2023
Assessors told me early in my career I need to change my style and stand up straight on line
3 FIFA Tournaments and 399 MLS Games later: The "power squat" lives on and will be passed to others.
Dare to be different. Do what works for you to get the call right.
Welp... Time to retire another pair. They always seem to last exactly one season. Thank you all for another memorable season and can't wait to get back on the pitch in 2022!
Terry Vaughn was a fun one to work with. Our most memorable game together was Man United vs. Sporting KC friendly at a packed Arrowhead Stadium (.
He was a guy you loved standing arm to arm with when going to do our job.
$95,000 per team.
That's literally 25 cents per ticket sold.
A single quarter per ticket is all we want to get professional referees back on the field.
This is officially Jair Marrufo's 300th MLS match. PRO credits an additional match for him in both 2003 and 2011, but I have been unable to confirm.
Corey Rockwell, meanwhile, will surpass Craig Lowry for most matches all time as AR with
#364
!
#ATLvMIA
#WeAreTheA
#InterMiamiCF
WCQ in 2008. Game was moved from Jamaica to Mexico due to Hurricane Gustav. So my first international game of my FIFA career was at Estadio Azteca in front of 96,000 fans.
A few notable names played: Vela, Ricketts, dos santos, Marquez, Tyrone Marshall, Andy Williams.
⚽ Georgia Tech grads are raising the bar everywhere, even in Major League Soccer! In September, Corey Rockwell, IE 98, set the record for most MLS Regular Season Matches officiated (364).
Am I the only one disappointed that
@FOXSoccer
plays two commercials over each game's coin flip and introduction of the referees? This is new versus previous World Cups.
2⃣2⃣ vs. 2⃣ - VAR reviews through 2 weeks vs. last year.
Through the first 29 games, I would suspect MLS currently has the worst VAR rate of any pro soccer league in the world.
In the world.
This year, through two weeks in
#MLS
, there have been 22 video reviews.
Last year, through two weeks, with our professional officials on the field:
2 reviews.
#ProRefs4ProSoccer
#FairPayisFairPlay
Today’s
@fifa
World Cup Final will mark the 26th match in the World Cup tournament where
@PROreferees
have served on officiating crews. This is an incredible accomplishment that everyone within the U.S. and Canadian soccer community should be proud of.
Iowa! You were amazing. All 550+ of you were so nice to me and Mark and we had a great time. Seeing and talking to Terry Vaughn was the highlight. Thank you again for having us!
I am staying hopeful.
I enjoy seeing Nelson Rodriguez at games since he used to oversee the referees in MLS. He knows the sacrifice and hard work it takes to be successful on the field.
And for Geiger, I will never say a bad word about him. He is a dear friend and top class.
Looking forward to my (modern era) USL debut tonight!
(unless you count the A-League/USISL days refereeing the Atlanta Ruckus/Silverbacks, Myrtle Beach Boys, and Charlotte Eagles as USL)
🏔️// Corey Rockwell reached the 300 regular-season game milestone in MLS last season – a journey that started just before a snowstorm in Colorado.
Find out more about game one and 300 >>
#PRO
|
#MLS
History again! 🇺🇸
Ismail, Kyle, and Corey are the FIRST ALL-USA referee trio in the history of the Men's World Cup to receive a knock-out game! Cheer them on at 10 ET today!!
American referees are all over the Round of 16 at the
@FIFAWorldCup
:
🏴 vs 🇸🇳 - Kathryn Nesbitt, Armando Villarreal
🇯🇵 vs 🇭🇷 - Ismail Elfath, Corey Parker, Kyle Atkins
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Last college game I was a part of - Thanksgiving, 2019. Good luck to my friends returning to the college games this week!
@nisoadotcom
Photo by the best in the biz:
@theAndyMead
It still makes me emotional to see this... I've worked more games with him on the field than any other AR. I know he will be just as amazing in his new roll as my boss.
Cheers to my good friend, Frank Anderson.
🤝// Frank Anderson has retired from the field to become
#PRO
's Manager of Senior Assistant Referees after 18 years of officiating in
#MLS
.
Read more and find out about promotions for Joe Fletcher and Alan Kelly >> .
Tomorrow is a historic day for our U.S. Soccer Referee Program with two of our referees participating in the
@FIFAWorldCup
Final 👏👏👏
Learn more »
Start your journey to becoming a referee »
A) This is tone deaf.
But if you disagree... to PRO's credit, they have taken extra steps when releasing assignments to, "Protect the safety of these referees." So...
B) Why in the world would you publish the exact names and state of residence of the replacement referees?!
Good question! The more senior AR is typically put as AR1.. often times a coin flip. When I first started in MLS, AR1 received a ~$50 pay increase for an AR1 vs. AR2.
My preference is whatever side has the sun at my back and not in my eyes ;)
No MLS for me yet.. Headed to Des Moines, IA to speak to 500+ referees at the Terry Vaughn Referee Academy. Mark Geiger and I are super excited to share our World Cup stories, and maybe even throw in a few stories about this guy...
#TerryVaughn
So great to meet the man behind
@OffsideModeling
and his daughter at the game in KC last night! Thank you for all that you do and for both of you getting certified as referees!