MLS Referee Pre-Season 2016 Power Rankings

I wrote this as a Massive Report Fan Post published on January 27, 2016.

To provide some levity to this turbulent offseason, I am issuing another entry in the MLS Referee Power Rankings series! (See previous articles here and here.) My report is simultaneously humorous and serious; and I serve commentary that is equal parts objective, and equal parts tinted with black-and-gold colored glasses. I honestly believe that PRO has done great things for refereeing in MLS, with continued fitness evaluations, training together, and putting each other on the hotspot. If you haven't yet, watch this video. So much of what I say is tongue-in-cheek with appreciation for how hard most of these guys are working to be better.

If I have time and content, this is something I'd like to continue to do. I envision a protracted weekly version (Top 5 / Bottom 5), or maybe something more comprehensive like this post on a monthly basis. I watch the Instant Replay segment regularly, and participate in #InstantReplay Twitter conversations. Along those lines, if you have any ideas or suggestions that I should use, Tweet it with the hashtag #MLSRefs.

I also plan on keeping stats on referees this year. A lot of the international sites don't seem to keep updated with MLS referees, and the PRO Referees website doesn't have much information other than general numerical totals.

Without further adieu ...

Rank	Referee		Trend	Comments
1		Alan Kelly	+3	Alan Kelly is your 2015 MLS Referee of the Year. This begs the question: Why did he not ref the 2015 MLS Cup Final? Instead, he was given the 2015 NASL Championship. This seems odd, especially for one looking for conspiracies. Alan Kelly earned his way to the top.
2		Ismail Elfath	-	Elfath had a good year, including reffing the 2015 MLS All Star Game. He also is now a FIFA Panel Referee. I think he's one of the strongest in the league.
3		Ted Unkel	+2	If he was playing the sport, they would call him a "rising star." 2 years ago, nobody heard of him, but now he joins Elfath as a new FIFA Panel Referee. He was also the man in the middle for the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Final. I hope that his rising success doesn't give way to arrogance.
4		Armando Villarreal	-1	Armando Villarreal remains one of my favorite referees for being fit and decisive. However, I was disappointed in his performance at MAPFRE Stadium during the playoffs. He seemed star struck because every time Drogba went down, he blew his whistle. Still, he remains at the top in my eyes.
5		Mark Geiger	-4	Oooh. Controversy! There's no denying it. Geiger's had a rough patch. To many, he did not have a great Mexico/Panama Gold Cup match. During a DCU/New England Revolution match, Jones nearly physically attacked Geiger for what he viewed as inconsistent penalty handball decisions. I know that most people don't like Geiger, but he is by-the-book. That may result in robotic and frustrating decisions, but at least you know what to expect.
6		Baldomero Toledo	+7	Holy Toledo! How is he so high? This says a lot about the state of the rest of the refs. He was one of the finalists for 2015 MLS Referee of the Year. I'm assuming that PRO used some sort of objective criteria for this decision. PRO has made great strides in developing and improving soccer referees, and Toledo seems to be a benefactor of that training as he actually improves.
7		Kevin Stott	-1	Stott is a solid veteran.
8		David Gantar	-1	Toronto fans / players can't stand him! What's not to like?
9		Marcos De Oliviera	-	I hope he gets more assignments so that we can see if he improves or goes downhill.
10		Juan Guzman	-	Once again, Guzman rounds out the Top 10, and I have nothing positive or negative to say.
11		Jorge Gonzalez	+8	I don't have much new to report on Mr. Gonzalez, either, but circumstances see his stature rise.
12		Ricardo Salazar	-	Here's hoping that Redcardo continues to upset Seattle Sounders fans.
13		Edvin Jurisevic	+1	Eh. He rose due to other poor performances. Enjoy it while it lasts.
14		Drew Fischer	+2	Who is this?
15		Silviu Petrescu	-	Is he retired yet?
16		Alan Chapman	+4	Another benefactor from other poorer officiating.
17		Chris Penso	-	Penso continues to be one of my least favorite referees because he needs to be the center of attention and loves game-changing calls. Treating #DrogbaLeglock like a joke was also pretty annoying. He remains near the bottom.
18		Robert Sibiga	+3	I still need more data on him. His first MLS game was a lightning delay match where he had to listen to Arena and Berhalter for extra hours... so he deserves some props for that.
19		Sorin Stoica	-1	He loses a spot just because of every RBNY match.
20		Hilario Grajeda	-9	Grajeda has been nursing an injury, and still finds himself not in last place. If he gets fit again, he just might make it to the top again.
21		Fotis Bazakos	+1	Congratulations! Bazakos isn't dead last! Don't worry, I'm sure he'll return there next time.
22		Jair Marrufo	-14	MLS. Cup. Final. I'm not saying this as a disgruntled Crew fan, because I'm not. But what an embarrassment to the game that was. Marrufo himself knew it and took off his medal and hung his head in shame. I'll try to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the good news is he can only go up from here!

(All Photos credited to www.proreferees.com)

MLS Referee Power Rankings - Part II

This second installment of referee power rankings appeared in a Massive Report Fan Post on July 21, 2015.

I wasn't sure whether I was ever going to update the MLS Referee Power Rankings. I certainly didn't expect to do it so soon. I got positive feedback from folks who seemed to enjoy the first article, so I thought, why not give it another try? And as long as there is a dedicated weekly video outlining questionable MLS refereeing and an ESPN FC segment with PRO top honcho Peter Walton, I feel that it is my duty to keep you entertained.

Rank	Referee		Trend	Comments
1		Mark Geiger	-	Geiger has not reffed MLS matches because he's on Gold Cup duty. That keeps him at the top.
2		Ismail Elfath	+2	Elfath was announced as man in the middle for the 2015 MLS All Star Game. I think it was well-deserved, and it moves him up the rankings.
3		Armando Villarreal	-	No change for the young referee.
4		Alan Kelly	-2	Alan Kelly disappointed me in the LA/San Jose match last Friday. Were his calls technically correct? Yes. Would he have made those same calls if the offender or offendee was not Steven Gerrard? No. Maybe I'm being harsh because he was kind enough to let a journalist follow him around.
5		Ted Unkel	+2	Four penalties in one game! Is it just me, or is Ted getting more and more fit and more and more confident? Also, he had the guts to make the (correct) call to send Larin off in the Orlando / Red Bulls match as the fourth official.
6		Kevin Stott	-1	Drops due to other good performances.
7		David Gantar	+1	Gantar also got assigned to some Gold Cup matches.
8		Jair Marrufo	-2	Seems like he should go up because he reffed in the Gold Cup. But I make the arbitrary rules (just like MLS). A reader pointed out that Mr. Marrufo accepted a signed jersey from a player after a game in which he officiated. I know that was years ago and double jeopardy and all that, but this deserves a docking in the standings.
9		Marcos De Oliviera	-1	I haven't seen him get any assignments lately.
10		Juan Guzman	+1	Circumstances find Juan in the elusive Top 10.
11		Hilario Grajeda	-2	What happened to him? Has he had any matches? He will likely rapidly descend if not.
12		Ricardo Salazar	-	C'mon Redcardo, show some red cards, it's what they pay you for!
13		Baldomero Toledo	+1	When your terribleness helps the Sounders lose, you go up in the rankings.
14		Edvin Jurisevic	-2	What are we talking about again?
15		Silviu Petrescu	-	He didn't give any phantom red cards in Montreal. Oh wait, I had forgotten about that game! Moving on..
16		Drew Fischer	+1	He may have read the Laws in the last month. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
17		Chris Penso	-1	OK, I know that Penso would be the Crew's DP if we hadn't used our Target Allocation Money on him, but come ON! On Saturday versus the Bridgeview F*re, there was a handball that could've been a DOGSO red card, and then when Finlay slipped on the ball in extra time, that would've been a perfect opportunity to point to the spot! On a serious note, although I think the PK was legit and the yellow for diving was legit, Penso looks for the game changing calls, and that's why he loses a spot.
18		Sorin Stoica	+1	#NotTheWorst
19		Jorge Gonzales	-	Sorry, I forgot you last time. Hopefully you'll move to your proper position after collecting more data.
20		Allen Chapman	-	Also forgotten last time. Is that good or bad?
21		Robert Sibiga	-	He made his MLS center ref debut at none other than a Crew match. I'm adding him to the list because he got a second match. I need more data, and he's not even last!
22		Fotis Bazakos	-4	My goodness, this poor guy is so lost. I added three referees I missed last time, and he's still dead last. The Orlando / Red Bulls game was terrible. I mean, the head of PRO referees basically said he got demoted and is doing a lower level match next weekend. Wait, what? He's refereeing Saturday's Crew / Toronto match? Well played, MLS and PRO. Well played.

Who knows, maybe I'll do this again sometime?