Getty Images The ongoing effort to improve Major League Soccer refereeing – and to some extent, officiating for international matches in our part of the world – recently took a nice, long stride forward.
In March, Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer announced creation of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO). Its mission: increase the quality of officiating in U.S. and Canadian professional leagues, develop more professional quality officials at a younger age and develop officials who will represent the United States and Canada in FIFA competitions.
The man in charge, the “North American Referee Czar,” is English Premier League veteran referee Peter Walton. He’s 52 years old but was still manning middles in EPL contests just four months ago.
These are great developments for Major League Soccer. Quality of officiating has long been an open wound in the league, one that’s only now getting the proper bandaging, stitching, etc.
You can read plenty about Walton and his attack on the mission tasks here.
One element frequently lacking in MLS referees is a more sophisticated feel for nuance, a more layered understanding of the speedy swirl happening around them in matches. It’s not easy to develop, so it’s Walton’s job to help expedite the process. To wit:
Refs must recognize when the center half and forward are not getting on well or spot the little Scottish ginger-haired midfielder — there’s one in every game — who wants to ref the match for you.”
Yes, Peter, we have some of those, and they generally operate with impunity. And we have some others who aren’t just tedious and bothersome, but who would do real harm, too.
So be warned ye hitters, haters and hackers: Peter Walton is at the con.
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- jelliot1978 - Jul 13, 2012 at 3:59 PM
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‘Scottish ginger-haired midfielder’ – priceless
I hope this goes a ways in training the refs to be better. The state of our current system is maddening. I know it will take sometime but I do believe better refs will lead to better quality matches. If you know what to expect not just from game to game but from minute to minute (like with some of these refs) it will allow the players to play accordingly. Refs in MLS are unfortunately neither consistent nor very good and sometimes a game can be ruined by them, take the USOC semi between Philly and SKC, the game was brutally reffed and made the game painful to watch. If a ref has to take control with a card then do it, don’t let the game slide into choas.
