women's world cup referee assignments

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Five U.S. Soccer referees officiate FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal matches

(Picture Above: U.S. Soccer Referee Kathryn Nesbitt)

CHICAGO – U.S. Soccer Referees Tori Penso , Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt were selected to officiate the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Semifinal match between Australia and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Penso will serve as the Referee, while Mayo will be an Assistant Referee and Nesbitt will serve as the Offside Video Assistant Referee.

In addition, Armando Villarreal and Felisha Mariscal officiated in the earlier Semifinal match between Spain and Sweden at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, in which Villarreal served as Assistant VAR and Mariscal as Offside VAR.

Penso earned appointment to the FIFA Panel in 2021 and made her world championship debut last summer at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She also refereed last year’s Concacaf W Championship and Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship, which were her first major international events. Penso also served as referee for the 2021 NWSL Championship.

Mayo made her World Cup debut in Australia and New Zealand this summer after earning a spot on the FIFA Panel in 2018. The Tennessee native worked her first world championship events last summer at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. In 2022, she ran the sideline at the Concacaf W Championship and the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship after also officiating the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.

Nesbitt and Villarreal are fresh off of representing the USA at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Nesbitt was one of six women appointed to officiate the Men’s World Cup for the first time. One of the United States’ most accomplished referees, Nesbitt was a part of the historic Costa Rica-Germany match at Qatar 2022 that featured an all-women crew for the first time in World Cup history.

Katja Koroleva , Nesbitt, Mariscal and Villarreal also officiated the Quarterfinal match between England and Colombia in Sydney on Aug. 12. The tournament is the second time that Koroleva, Nesbitt and Mariscal have officiated at a Women’s World Cup after taking the world stage for the first time in 2019 in France.

The six make up the contingent of American referees who were  selected to officiate at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup . The referee assignments for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final will be announced at a later date.

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American refs could elevate U.S. Soccer’s standing during the Women’s World Cup

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Tori Penso and Katja Koroleva may have more invested in the U.S. team ’s performance at this summer’s Women’s World Cup than anyone not wearing a uniform.

As the only two center referees from the U.S. chosen to work the World Cup, how far they go will be determined by how far the national team goes in the tournament, which kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20. If the U.S. reaches the final — as it has five times in the previous eight World Cups — the American officials will be barred from working that game. Even the semifinals could be a bridge too far.

“These rules aren’t in writing,” Penso said. “But there’s certainly a lot that goes into consideration when it comes to assignments. I wouldn’t be part of any game that would have impact on the U.S.”

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That’s why Kari Seitz , among the most decorated soccer officials of all-time, worked four Women’s World Cups and three Olympic tournaments, yet never did a final. That did little to stunt her career — she’s now FIFA head of officiating for women.

“If she can go to four World Cups and still manage to be as successful as she was, I don’t think you need a final to do it,” Penso said. “But certainly the U.S. program does limit where we end up at the end.”

Not so long ago, that might not have been an issue because no U.S. referee, other than Seitz, would likely have been considered for a World Cup final. That all changed last December in Qatar when four Americans were named to the officiating team for the championship game. Ismail Elfath was on the field as the fourth official, Kyle Atkins was the assistant video assistant referee and Kathryn Nesbitt and Corey Parker were reserve officials.

So while Argentina won the game, the U.S. won the night.

“We’ve made such big strides,” said Mark Geiger , a two-time World Cup official who now heads the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), which manages the officials for pro soccer in the U.S. and Canada. “We’ve seen this progression of officiating and it’s putting U.S. Soccer on the map in terms of refereeing and it’s raising the bar for all officials. We’re doing better and better on the world stage, getting more opportunities and now we’re in the conversation for games in the knockout phase.”

Penso is a part of that conversation even though she didn’t get her FIFA badge, making her ineligible to work international matches, until 2021. She didn’t need a badge to prove her competency; what she needed was an opportunity.

Penso was 10 years old when she started following her brothers to the soccer fields near their home in Florida. When her brothers started officiating games to earn a little pocket change, Penso decided to do that too, using that money to buy her first car. But by the time she finished college the sport seemed like a dead end; there was no women’s professional league and no full-time female referees.

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So she took marketing jobs with Coca-Cola and Red Bull and got a master’s degree, all while officiating on the side in collegiate tournaments and later in the NWSL. She showed enough promise that in 2019 she was asked to join PRO’s development program and a year later she became the first woman in two decades to serve as the center referee in an MLS match.

But the turning point in her career came during the last Women’s World Cup in France, which Penso watched on television while cradling her infant daughter, Brinley, her third child, in her arms. If she wanted to break through as an official, she decided, she would have to quit her day job at an advertising agency and dedicate herself to soccer, just as her husband, Chris Penso , a former Ohio highway patrolman and an MLS referee since 2011, had done.

For both the move was made possible by PRO, which made officials full-time salaried employees rather than part-time workers like NFL referees, most of whom are paid by the game.

“Refereeing was kind of my side hustle,” said Tori Penso, who turned 37 earlier this month. “Now that’s completely flipped and I’m headed to the World Cup. Unbelievable.”

It’s been a rapid rise, one that has coincided not just with the ascent of U.S. referees, but also with the improvement in performance and opportunity for female officials. Earlier this season, for example, Penso was the center referee on a crew that included assistant referee Brooke Mayo and fourth official Felisha Mariscal , marking the first time three women have worked an MLS game together.

That’s not Penso’s only historic achievement. Perhaps more impressive is the fact she didn’t really dedicate herself to refereeing until after giving birth to three children. And with Mayo, Mariscal, Koroleva, Nesbitt and VAR referee Armando Villarreal joining her in New Zealand and Australia at the World Cup, Penso will make more history as one of a record six U.S. officials at the tournament.

“Every little kid dreams of one day making it on the field at the World Cup,” Penso said. “For me, I didn’t know it would ever be possible once I started to have a family. It wasn’t typical for officials to have a family and come back and be successful — or at least rise in the ranks that way.”

None of the six are guaranteed an assignment in the 64-game tournament. Each of the 107 match officials invited to the World Cup will be evaluated during a pre-tournament training camp and given games based on their performance. Additional assignments will be handed out on merit — though even the best officials might not make the final if their national team does as well.

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“I don’t have control over that,” Penso said. “What I can control is every time we step on that pitch, doing a good job and serving the game well. How do we get better? How do we encourage, inspire and engage more women in this game in all capacities?

“When little girls see us out on that field, they believe anything is possible and that’s not just in soccer. It transcends sport, right?”

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Kevin Baxter writes about soccer and hockey for the Los Angeles Times. He has covered seven World Cups, four Olympic Games, six World Series and a Super Bowl and has contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning series at The Times and Miami Herald. An essay he wrote in fifth grade was voted best in the class. He has a cool dog.

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2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Assignments

Drew Fischer , Katja Koroleva , Felisha Mariscal and Kathryn Nesbitt   represented the Professional Referee Organization at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

They were assigned to the following games:

Game 1, France vs Korea Republic (06/07/19) AVAR 2: Felisha Mariscal

Game 4, Norway vs Nigeria (06/08/19) AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt 

Game 5, Australia vs Italy (06/09/19) AR2: Felisha Mariscal 4TH: Katja Koroleva

Game 8, Argentina vs Japan (06/10/19) AVAR2: Kathryn Nesbitt 

Game 10, New Zealand vs Netherlands (06/11/19) AVAR 2: Felisha Mariscal

Game 14, Nigeria vs Korea Republic (06/12/19) 4TH: Katja Koroleva

Game 20, Japan vs Scotland (06/14/19) AVAR: Drew Fischer

Game 21, Canada vs New Zealand (06/15/19) AVAR2: Kathryn Nesbitt 

Game 22, Netherlands vs Cameroon (06/15/19) 4TH: Katja Koroleva

Game 23, USA vs Chile (06/16/19) AVAR: Drew Fischer

Game 25, Nigeria vs France (06/17/19) AR2: Felisha Mariscal

Game 27, South Africa vs Germany (06/17/19) AVAR: Drew Fischer

Game 30, Italy vs Brazil (06/18/19) 4TH: Katja Koroleva

Game 32, Scotland vs Argentina (06/19/19) AVAR: Drew Fischer

Game 36, Thailand vs Chile (06/20/19) AVAR: Drew Fischer

Game 42, Sweden vs Canada (06/24/19) AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt  AR2: Felisha Mariscal

Game 44, Netherlands vs Japan (06/25/19) 4TH: Katja Koroleva

Game 48, Germany vs Sweden (06/29/19) RAR: Felisha Mariscal

Game 51, England vs Sweden (07/06/19) AVAR2: Kathryn Nesbitt 

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Women's World Cup 2023 referees: Full list of officials for FIFA tournament in Australia and New Zealand

Patrick Brischetto

Excitement is building for the 2023 Women's World Cup, as 32 nations are in their final stages of preparation for the tournament taking place in Australia and New Zealand.

The likes of England and the USA are the favourites to win the biggest prize in women's football, while France and Australia will be looking for a little bit of luck to take them to an unlikely triumph.

They will also be hoping to get the rub of the green in terms of decisions made by the match officials, with the referees and their assistants sure to have an impact on the fate of teams at certain points in the tournament.

The Sporting News looks at all the referees, assistant referees and VARs who will be watching over all 64 matches at the Women's World Cup.

MORE: Which teams have qualified for Women's World Cup 2023?

Women's world cup 2023 referees: full list of officials.

FIFA announced  the full list of officials taking part in the Women's World on January 9.

There are 33 main referees, 55 assistant referees and 19 video match officials manning the VAR.

These include representatives from every confederation, with UEFA having the most officials at the tournament.

Referees at Women's World Cup 2023

Assistant referees at Women's World Cup 2023

VAR officials at 2023 Women's World Cup

The Women's World Cup will also feature VAR at every match, the second time video officials will be used after debuting at the 2019 tournament.

There has been an increase from 15 VAR operators to 19 in Australia and New Zealand.

Six of the VAR officials are female.

Who refereed the 2019 Women's World Cup Final?

French official Stephanie Frappart refereed the 2019 Women's World Cup final between the USA and the Netherlands.

The USA won the match 2-0 thanks to two goals in eight second-half minutes, one of which was a penalty awarded after a VAR review, as Frappart initially allowed a kick to the shoulder from Stefanie van der Gragt to go unpunished. She handed out three yellow cards during the match.

Frappart is one of the most respected officials in the sport and has achieved a number of firsts as a female referee. She took charge of the 2019 UEFA Super Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea and made her men's Champions League debut a year later when Juventus faced Dynamo Kyiv. 

A regular fixture at men's Ligue 1 matches, Frappart refereed the 2022 Coupe de France final between Nice and Nantes and closed the year as the main official for the men's 2022 World Cup match between Germany and Costa Rica.

Patrick is a journalist currently based in Sydney who covered the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Women's World Cup for The Sporting News. In addition to his freelance work, he also holds a position at the Western Sydney Wanderers FC.

WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023

Who is Stéphanie Frappart, the referee for Sweden vs USWNT at the Women’s World Cup?

Frappart, 39 has been handed sunday’s big-name round-of-16 match-up in melbourne, as sweden and the us battle it out for the right to face japan..

France’s Stéphanie Frappart will be the referee for this weekend’s heavyweight last-16 clash between Sweden and the USWNT at the Women’s World Cup.

Ranked third and first in the world, respectively, the Swedes and the Americans go head to head in Melbourne at 5am ET/2am PT on Sunday , with a quarter-final against Japan awaiting the winner.

If you're in the United States, you'll be able to watch Sweden vs the USWNT live online on fuboTV, which offers users a free trial.

Who is Stéphanie Frappart?

Frappart has big-match experience in both men’s and women’s soccer .

A referee who plies her trade domestically in Ligue 1 - the top flight of the French men’s club game - the 39-year-old took charge of the Women’s World Cup final four years ago , as the USWNT beat the Netherlands in Paris to win their fourth title.

Later that summer, Frappart became the first woman to referee a UEFA men’s club final, when she was appointed to Liverpool’s 2019 European Super Cup victory over Chelsea in Istanbul.

She then established herself as the first female to oversee a men’s Champions League game in 2020, and - having taken charge of the men’s Coupe de France final in May 2022 - made further history when she was included among the referees for the men’s World Cup late last year.

One of three female referees to go to Qatar 2022, Frappart refereed one game at the tournament: Germany’s 4-2 group-stage victory over Costa Rica.

Women’s World Cup veteran

Now at her third Women’s World Cup, Frappart has so far whistled two matches in Australia and New Zealand . She was handed Switzerland and Norway’s 0-0 Group A draw on 25 July, before taking on a major assignment six days later, when she ran the rule over the crunch, big-name match-up between co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada in Group B. The Matildas’ 4-0 win in Melbourne took them through to the knockout stages at the Canadians’ expense.

Frappart is yet to send anyone off at the 2023 Women’s World Cup ; indeed, she has shown just two yellow cards across her two games at the tournament.

Record-breaking Clásico clash

Among the other high-profile women’s games on Frappart’s resumé is a Women’s Champions League quarter-final between Spanish arch rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid , in March 2022. Played at Barça’s Camp Nou stadium, the game attracted a crowd of just over 91,500 - at the time a world record for a women’s soccer match.

Who are Frappart’s assistants for Sweden vs USWNT?

In Sunday’s Sweden vs USWNT clash, Frappart’s assistant referees will be fellow Frenchwomen Manuela Nicolosi and Elodie Coppola, while Australia’s Casey Reibelt will be the fourth official.

The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Italy’s Massimiliano Irrati , and the assistant VAR will be Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzmán. The offside VAR will be Germany’s Katrin Rafalski.

pic.twitter.com/yY2JhrWZRE — FIFA Media (@fifamedia) August 4, 2023

Video - New frontrunner at the Women’s World Cup:

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Referees and assistant referees for FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ appointed

13 women referees, 27 women assistant referees and 14 video match officials have been selected.

VAR technology will be used for the first time in a FIFA women’s youth competition

Team of video match officials at FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022™ will be all women

The FIFA Referees Committee officially announced the lists of selected match officials who will officiate at the forthcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™. 13 women referees, 27 women assistant referees and 14 video match officials will take charge of the matches.

“The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ is the next important milestone in the preparation of the potential candidates for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™,” said the chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina.

“After two years of the pandemic and all the difficulties that have arisen with the preparation of match officials, we are looking forward to this important competition in Costa Rica. By working with clear objectives and standards, while always aiming for uniformity and consistency in decision-making, we are convinced that another significant step will be taken towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year,” he added.

History will be made in Costa Rica, given the fact that video technology will be used for the first time in a FIFA youth women’s competition.

 “We are delighted to write a new chapter in women’s football history. The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will not be only the first FIFA youth women’s tournament in which the VAR technology will be used, but it will be also the first competition in which the team of video match officials will be all women. FIFA has been working tirelessly to encourage the development of women VARs globally, as most women’s football does not yet use VAR. This event will be a great opportunity to showcase the skills of the selected women VARs and also an opportunity to continue the development our women VARs as part of the Road to Australia/New Zealand 2023 project,” said FIFA’s Head of Refereeing, Women, Kari Seitz.

The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ will take place in Alajuela and San Jose. The competition will be played between 10 and 28 August 2022, with the final scheduled for 28 August at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose.

For more information about the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ please check  FIFA.com .

List of the appointed match officials for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 List of the appointed match officials for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022

All-female panel of match officials announced for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

A total of 13 match officials have been selected for the panel at the upcoming ninth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

A group of 10 umpires and three match referees have been appointed as the Emirates ICC Match Officials to oversee the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE.

Claire Polosak will bring the most experience to the group, having officiated in four previous Women’s T20 World Cup tournaments. Kim Cotton and Jacqueline Williams will be making their fourth appearance at the event, both having the distinction of officiating the final of the previous edition between Australia and South Africa.

Sue Redfern, who served as the TV umpire for the previous final, also returns for her fourth appearance at the tournament. On the other hand, Zimbabwe's Sarah Dambanevana will make her Women’s T20 World Cup debut as an umpire.

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The Emirates ICC Match Officials set to officiate the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

Umpires: Lauren Agenbag, Kim Cotton, Sarah Dambanevana, Anna Harris, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Sue Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Jacquiline Williams.

Match Referees: Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michell Pereira.

ALSO READ – ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ultimate Guide: Everything you need to know

Speaking about the announcement, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, Sean Easey said: “The ICC is proud to be contributing to the advancement of women in our sport. To be announcing this all-female lineup of match officials for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is wonderful.

“This group, selected as the most deserving umpires for this event following their recent form in bilateral and other cricket, are some of the very best from around the world.

“We are confident that they will do a great job at this event. I wish them the best of luck as they oversee the world’s top women’s cricketers in what will be an exciting tournament for all involved.”

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The upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup will feature 10 teams competing across 23 matches for the prestigious trophy. The tournament kicks off on October 3 with an exciting opening clash between Bangladesh and Scotland in Sharjah.

Prior to the main event, each team will participate in two warm-up matches, starting on 28 September, to fine-tune their preparations for the competition.

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