The Professional Soccer Referee Association – Our History and Future

To many soccer referees in the United States and Canada, the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) represents the group of elite match officials who work in Major League Soccer (MLS). But that is just one part of PSRA. Since 2009, the organization has been a pivotal force in raising the respect for soccer officials in North America, while mentoring the next generation of referees and improving the conditions in which they work.

The game of soccer is always evolving and improving, and the same is true with the profession of soccer officiating. The PSRA has made historic strides in recent years, but a lot of work remains. Achieving those goals will take the work of officials at all levels of the game in the US and Canada.

With completion of our 2nd Certified Bargaining Unit in 2021, approximately the top 180 Officials in the country will now have rights to bargain over their working conditions with the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) - something that Officials of past generations felt never would be achieved.

Our motto is “Through Unity, Strength,” and that has become abundantly clear since our founding in 2009.

We continue to look forward to what the future holds and continue to hold high expectations for ourselves, our members, and the leagues with which we work.

History Pre-PSRA

Collective action by soccer referees in the United States dates to the days of the original NASL in the 1970s. At that time, the NASL imported referees from other countries to work games. In protest, a small group of top US referees came together and threatened not to work in the league. Unfortunately, other referees refused to stand together, the group broke apart, and no changes were made.

In 1996, when Major League Soccer was founded, match officials were assigned by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Referees were selected from the list of USSF National Referees. Some State Referees were used as Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials. None of these officials were full or part-time professionals. Due to the very low match fees, all had primary jobs outside of soccer. In 1996, referees were paid $250 per game, and Assistant Referees received $190.

The system stayed the same for nearly a decade, with the first major change coming at the end of 2005. Eight of the top club teams from Mexico agreed to take part in the Interliga tournament in January 2006. The games would take place in the US, and USSF referees would officiate the matches. However, the selected officials were offered extremely low fees to work these highly attended and very lucrative games.

In response, the top US referees took a dramatic step to force a change in the game fees. Prior to the start of the tournament, the referees turned back all their assignments for the first and second round of games. On behalf of the top officials at the time, FIFA Referee and 2002 World Cup Referee Brian Hall, led discussions directly with the USSF to secure higher game fees. After an agreement was reached, the group of officials worked the entire Interliga tournament.

In 2006, experienced MLS officials including Brian Hall, George Vergara, Richard Heron, and Craig Lowry began discussions with US Soccer and MLS about working conditions. They also sought outside legal counsel and advice from other referee organizations, including the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in England to assess options for achieving greater representation.

Since the birth of MLS, USSF and MLS dictated game fees and per diem rates for match officials. Approaches by the MLS referee group to raise fees, rates, and other benefits were repeatedly rebuffed. USSF and MLS simply dictated terms, as they had the power to do so and the officials had no organized means by which to object. Officials had no success in establishing a legally binding contract with USSF and/or MLS to improve working conditions.

In 2007, USSF made an investment by hiring four FIFA referees – Ricardo Salazar, Terry Vaughn, Baldomero Toledo and Jair Marrufo – as full-time USSF employees. These referees became the first full-time professional soccer officials in the United States. They received an annual salary in exchange for working MLS and other USSF-assigned games, as well as attending formal training events. All other professional officials in the US remained independent contractors with no collective bargaining rights.

2009 - PSRA Formation

In 2009, MLS soccer officials formed the PSRA to unite all MLS Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials under one common banner. After organizing, in early 2010 the PSRA approached MLS and USSF to negotiate a new agreement for game fees, per diems and several other non-economic items. The PSRA stood together as a group and achieved moderate increases in pay and working conditions as part of a five-year agreement, or memorandum of understanding.

It is interesting to note that during these discussions, it was the PSRA which suggested to MLS the concept of having a third-party organization to manage the referees - something similar to the PGMOL in the UK. This arrangement would have given MLS greater control over the league’s pool of match officials.

2012 - The Arrival of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO)

In early 2012, MLS, USSF, and the Canada Soccer Association (CSA) collaborated to form PRO. PRO was tasked with hiring and managing professional soccer referees in the USA and Canada. Peter Walton, a former FIFA Assistant Referee and English Premier League Referee, was hired as PRO’s first General Manager.

Directly after the formation of PRO and Mr. Walton’s appointment, the PSRA approached PRO about collaboratively negotiating an agreement on behalf of all PSRA members. In Fall 2012, after inviting PSRA leadership to attend a meeting, George Vergara and our legal team met with PRO in New York. In this short meeting, PRO announced its refusal to discuss a new agreement stating PRO would negotiate with all referees individually.

2013 - From PSRA to Collective Bargaining Group

In November 2012, 20 referees were offered formal, employment via individual contracts with PRO, effective January 1, 2013. Again, PRO refused to negotiate collaboratively with the PSRA. With no other options, the PSRA sought legal representation with a firm experienced in representing sports officials including the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA). As the PSRA took the first steps toward forming a union, PRO took steps to stop it. For instance, in February 2013, PRO held several conference calls with PSRA members advising them not to unionize.

Despite the anti-union lobbying by PRO, MLS and USSF, the PSRA remained united and in April 2013 moved to be recognized as a labor union under United States federal law. In the following weeks, 20 PRO-employed referees and 60 “independent contractor” assistant referees/fourth officials signed union cards seeking union representation by the PSRA.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a ruling authorizing the PSRA to hold a unionization vote. The NLRB administered the vote on September 20, 2013. With an overwhelming vote of 55-7, members voted to certify PSRA as a labor union. Because of this vote, the PSRA continues to exist as the association representing professional soccer officials in the US and Canada.

2013-2014 - Formation of the First Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)

The initial CBA negotiations did not take place in a collaborative manner. After eight months of negotiations and no agreement, the 2014 MLS regular season was days from kickoff. PSRA members made it clear to PRO they would not work without a CBA. One week prior to the start of the season, PRO decided to “lock out” the PSRA members and prevent them from working. This also meant that the 20 Referees who had been hired by PRO in late 2013 would not be paid. Many of those referees had given up their primary jobs, and their commitment to the union resulted in significant financial hardships.

In planning for lockout, PRO spent tens of thousands of dollars recruiting officials not in the union to officiate MLS games. In all, 35 amateur non-professional replacement officials and some foreign officials were used by PRO during the lockout. 

Poor performances by the replacement officials forced PRO to reach a Collective Bargaining Agreement with PSRA after just two weeks. The CBA was ratified by PSRA members and officially signed by PSRA President George Vergara on March 20, 2014.

2014 - The Collective Bargaining Agreement

The CBA between PSRA and PRO was a landmark agreement solidifying the role of Professional Soccer Referees in the US and Canada. The agreement guarantees standards officials worked to achieve for nearly four decades into a legally-binding contract.

This CBA was a watershed moment in how Professional Soccer Officials are treated and respected. Importantly, it set standards of what it means to be a professional soccer official. No longer are referees considered a minimally necessary requirement, but rather a critical component of successful soccer in Canada and the US.

2019 - Our 2nd CBA for MLS Officials

Ahead of the 2019 season, PSRA and PRO ratified their second CBA, complete with modest increases in standards and requirements that helped to further professionalize officiating at the top levels of soccer in North America.

2021 - Certified Bargaining Rights for PRO2 Officials

In 2021, Officials in PRO2 (NWSL & USL Officials) were successful in gaining certified bargaining rights with PRO. These Officials stood together and were successful in gaining the right to negotiate their working conditions as these leagues outside of MLS continue to grow. 

2023 - A Collective Bargaining Agreement for PRO2 Officials

In April 2023, the Officials in PRO2 ratified their first Collective Bargaining Agreement. This CBA creates written standards for all aspects of employment for the PRO2 Officials, including standardized travel arrangements, standards for maternity/paternity leave, and a structured pay scale that better matches the demands on the Officials in these quality leagues.

The Future

As the PSRA looks to the future, it is clear the organization has accomplished an immense amount in a brief past. That said, there is more work to do. 

As we expand, the PSRA is also proud of the mentoring programs and service to the game in which many of our members are involved. PSRA is conscious of its leadership position and will work to promote the growth of Soccer Refereeing across the United States and Canada at all levels.