The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) have ratified a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that will run until January 31, 2031.
A tentative agreement was reached last week, and PSRA members who officiate regularly in Major League Soccer voted on Monday to accept the deal. PRO’s senior match officials will return to action for MLS Matchday 7, starting on March 30, 2024.
Mark Geiger, PRO’s general manager, said: “We look forward to welcoming our senior match officials back this upcoming match round. It has been a difficult time for everyone as we worked to reach an agreement. This seven-year term provides enhanced pay and benefits for all officials and the stability that will support the growth of the professional game in the United States and Canada. On behalf of PRO, I would like to thank the PSRA negotiating team and the federal mediator for their commitment to finding a mutually agreeable conclusion to these negotiations and their hard work in finalizing the terms. We now move forward together with renewed positivity as PRO continues to lead the way in developing world-class match officials.”
MLS Executive Vice President of Sporting Product & Competition Nelson Rodríguez issued the following statement regarding the new CBA:
“Major League Soccer has some of the best match officials in the world, and PRO’s new CBA with PSRA recognizes that by committing substantial resources to the referee program — an investment that ranks among the highest for any global soccer league. We’re pleased this agreement provides PRO with a strong, long-term partnership to continue to develop and train the referees to make our officiating even better.”
“We thank PRO and the match officials who’ve worked selflessly since the start of the 2024 MLS season. Many of these officials were already advancing toward becoming PRO match officials, and their participation provided important on-field experience, which will continue to benefit PRO, MLS, and all the other leagues in the future. We look forward to having the PRO match officials return this weekend, and we thank MLS players, coaches, and clubs for their professionalism, and our fans for their support throughout the opening month of the season.”