Whatever happened to female refs in MLS?

[Mr Hanki's Throne]

I was logging my brain into the way-back machine, recalling all the events in MLS history: Doug Logan, Columbus Crew Stadium, the shootout, P-40, visiting foreign referees, and finally female referees.

Whatever happened to female refereeing in MLS? Is it still there and I have just regularized the situation that I don't notice it? Did they just fade away? Was there some judgement or result that came from the "experiment"? Was it just allowed to go away by attritition? Was there a date when it stopped happening? Was there a change in league policy? Or did people just stop caring?

[MassachusettsRef]

The shortest most basic answer is that when WUSA showed up, USSF pushed it's top female referees to WUSA. When WUSA folded, the female referees have not been pushed back toward MLS, though Kari Seitz--our top female official, has worked as a 4th on several occasions, which seems to indicate she's under consideration to get a whistle again.

[Mr Hanki's Throne]

Makes sense. I forgot about WUSA.

[sandaroo]

I was at referee supercamp last month where Sandy Hunt was one of our principal instructors. On one of the evenings we gathered the female attendees, instructors, and Hunt together for a woman's forum.

According to Hunt, female referees need not do MLS games for their FIFA assessment. They are allowed to do USL games. I am assuming that may be one of the main factors.

[Pierre Head]

Actually the shortest answer is that overall they were not
good enough. My contact (a person with National level
experience) told me that Ms Seitz did (does) not have the speed to keep
up with play properly at that level. The women's game
is much slower. ;)

[GlennAA11]

well, if keeping up with play is one of the criteria there are a couple of men I can think of who shouldn't be working in MLS either.

[Pierre Head]

No argument there!

It may be a matter of degree,
only partially not keeping up with play, which is OK.:rolleyes:

While we are at it, there are plenty of criteria that
should be applied to MLS refereeing that clearly are not,
and they have been discussed on these and other
referee boards at infinitum for many years.
As is well known, most people now take the refereeing
problems in MLS as just part of the scenery. David Beckham
got a taste of it first hand in the DC United match. His dissatisfaction
with the referee in that match (Marrufo) was plain to see
especially at the end of the game.

[MassachusettsRef]

Actually the shortest answer is that overall they were not
good enough.No, not really. Sandy Hunt was excellent by almost all accounts.

David Beckham got a taste of it first hand in the DC United match. His dissatisfaction with the referee in that match (Marrufo) was plain to see especially at the end of the game.So? Beckham appeared to be disgusted with the red card. A red card that was perfectly just and meted out for a tackle that is exactly the kind of tackle we can't have in the league so that players like Beckham can flourish. Beckham being annoyed with Marrufo does not indicate that the refereeing was poor.

[Pierre Head]

Sandy Hunt was over-rated. It was all hype to
justify her usage in the league. Overall Ms Seitz
was and is a better official, but still not up to
the level needed for even MLS.

Beckham seemed to be annoyed at more than
just the red card. There were other incidents.

I agree bad tackles should be eliminated from this
league, but they haven't been over the 11 years
of its existence, and only a few are correctly punished
now. The referees themselves will tell you that they
are subtly discouraged from giving red cards. "Man-management" is the euphemism given. This is particularly true when it comes to pulling a second yellow card (especially on a "star" player), or cases of DOGSO. But the same referees are used year after year in the league.

This is not just my opinion. As I mentioned previously all of this has been discussed extensively before and in the soccer
media by well-known journalists. I don't count the
ignorant rantings by the announcers on the MLS broadcasts
who clearly do not understand the LOTG, let alone the correct application of them.