MLS NEXT Pro Club coaching staffs evaluate the performances of the referee, assistant referees, and fourth officials after every game. MLS NEXT Pro will highlight each month's top-performing match officials around the League. Watch the video explainer below, which dives into evaluating the officials. You can find the evaluation details for the referees and officials at the bottom of this article.
Stephen Foster was named the Top Referee for April. Watch highlights of one of the recent matches Foster officiated. The top-ranked referees in April 2025 are listed below.
Top-Ranked Referees in April
- Stephen Foster
- Calin Radosav
- JC Griggs
- Matt Thompson
- Jay Schlesinger
Max Smith and Jessica Carnevale were named the Top Assistant Referees for April. Check out the highlights of one of the recent matches that Smith officiated. Here, you can catch one of the matches in which Carnevale participated. The Top-Ranked Assistant Referees for April are listed below.
Top-Ranked Assistant Referees in April
- Max Smith
- Jessica Carnevale
- Justen Lopez
- Christopher Slane
- Logan Reeves
Kyle Averill was ranked the Top Fourth Official for April. Check out the highlights of the match Averill participated in. Below is the list of the top-ranked Fourth Officials.
Top-Ranked Fourth Officials in April
- Kyle Averill
- Laszlo Sandler
- Amin Hadzic
- Rob Ruta
- Matt Geringer
Referees
Match Control
- Consistent and accurate recognition of foul play and cautionable offenses of both players and staff
- Recognizes and communicates expectations of persistent offenses, mass confrontation, and use of advantage
Interaction with all Participants (player and technical area personnel management)
- Uses appropriate verbal communication, body language, and mannerisms and remains open to appropriate communication from participants
- Shows composure and appropriate range of responses to match nature of incident and dissent managed appropriately
- Appropriately manages technical area personnel
Game Management
- Efficient management and communication of Injury, Time, and Restarts.
- Proactively manages players pushing/pulling prior to the ball put into play
Teamwork
- Utilizes the Assistant Referees for key calls such as offsides and fouls/misconduct near the sidelines
- Appropriately delegates responsibilities to other crew members and effectively communicates and cooperates with other crew members
Positioning and Movement
- Takes positions to see between players during challenges and effective proximity to attacking play and/or challenges
- Recognizes the breakdown of play and adjusts position accordingly
- Takes positions in and around the penalty area to achieve good viewing angles
Assistant Referees
Offsides
- Correct identification of offside offenses (i.e., interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, and gaining an advantage)
Involvement and Assistance (in accordance with the referee)
- Appropriate communication with players and/or technical area personnel to assist with sideline management
- Correct identification of fouls and cautionable offenses within area of responsibility (players and staff)
- Correct assistance with boundary line decisions
- Appropriate assistance and ability to switch focus between offside, boundary line, foul/misconduct priorities
- Participates appropriately during mass confrontations
- Effective use of communication (eye contact/discreet signals/electronic systems)
Positioning and Movement
- Correct alignment with second-to-last-opponent or the ball throughout the match (including ball to goalkeeper and goal line)
- Appropriate positioning at goal line to make boundary line or goal/no-goal decisions
- Reading/Anticipating play and effective use of transitions between lateral movement and sprinting
Fourth Officials
Control and Teamwork
- Demonstrates ability to work together in a cohesive manner with clear and concise communication
- Injury Time Accuracy
Professionalism
- Manages appropriate interactions of technical staff and players
