MLS Reffing... Is it as bad as I sometimes think it is?

[Matt Joyce]

I was at NYCFC vs Toronto FC last night... and the reffing was... horrendous. Not just against NYCFC but against Toronto as well.

And the audience seemed to agree as I heard A-hole chants 4 times, bs chants twice, and a standing boo of the ref at the end.

And I feel like this isn't an isolated event. More than a few games have been fowled up by bad refereeing. At least that's how I have seen it. And I am used to corruption in FIFA refs screwing up games... but this just looks like simple incompetence.

Does MLS use yankee umpires to referee at NYCFC home games or something?

This can't just be me thinking this.

 

[Schwallacus]

The referees are all a joke from PRO, aside from maybe one or two. If MLS expects to be a bigger league, they're going to need to get referees that are capable and able to call a game.

 

[ZYanksRule]

It's not only that the refereeing is bad, it's inconsistent. Game-to-game, half-to-half, minute-to-minute, it's impossible to understand what the standard is. They're horrible in MLS.

 

[Ulrich]

What I've found odd this year, and I have no idea if other teams have experienced it too, is that we are not being awarded blatant PK calls that are so obvious the cameras capture them on video. There have been two handballs, the Maxi trip last night, Jack was tripped a few games back, etc. The first two years, we were awarded a ton of PKs, with a few suspect but nearly every one wasn't debatable, because Villa was impossible to stop 1v1 save for a foul, and Villa scored a ton of goals from the spot. I almost wonder if the Ref's have a group-thought on this that Villa is skilled at going down, and they aren't going to reward him with a PK if there's any possible doubt??? It just so happens that we have some amazing dribblers & passers (Villa, Maxi, Harrison) that break down defenses so thoroughly 1v1 that the defenders can't help but foul. When it happens this year (a foul that should be called for a PK), it feels like the Refs know we're chasing a goal and assume we're playing for the PK, rather than seeing the play for what it is - a penalty.

 

[Gotham Gator]

I actually thought the contact on Maxi last night was a good no call. I think the defender beat him to the spot and held his ground. It was close, and maybe another angle will come out that leads me to change my mind. However, I have seen more blatant non-calls that have gone against us this year for sure.

And I agree with Ulrich that it seems we are not getting as many of these calls so far this season. I wonder how the numbers actually work out?

 

[Ulrich]

I actually thought the contact on Maxi last night was a good no call. I think the defender beat him to the spot and held his ground. It was close, and maybe another angle will come out that leads me to change my mind. However, I have seen more blatant non-calls that have gone against us this year for sure.

And I agree with Ulrich that it seems we are not getting as many of these calls so far this season. I wonder how the numbers actually work out?

This is pretty definitive, no? Defender sticks his leg back as Maxi runs past him.

https://twitter.com/x/status/887823812800204800

 

[Gotham Gator]

This is pretty definitive, no? Defender sticks his leg back as Maxi runs past him.

https://twitter.com/x/status/887823812800204800

I guess I am not sure how much of what knocked him down is the leg kicking back or contact with his body immediately before. Would like to see another angle.