Professional Referee Organization

What Professional Referee Organization does

Professional Referee Organization (PRO) is a private, non-profit soccer officiating organization headquartered at 420 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York. PRO identifies, trains, develops, and assigns professional match officials — referees, assistant referees, video assistant referees (VARs), and assistant VARs — across six major US and Canadian professional soccer competitions: Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), USL Championship, USL League One, Gainbridge Super League, and MLS NEXT Pro. The organization operates a structured talent pipeline spanning PRO2 development referees and senior match officials, supported by dedicated departments for senior match officials, sports performance, assessment, communications, operations, finance, HR, and administration.

PRO is funded by its member leagues (MLS, NWSL, USL) through recurring subscription-style arrangements, with additional support from U.S. Soccer Federation for development programs and the Respect the Call initiative. Its underlying technology stack includes VAR integration for MLS, NWSL, USL, and other competitions, an Official Assignments System for weekly match official deployment, and proprietary educational content platforms — Inside Video Review, The Definitive Angle, and the Spanish-language VAR a Fondo series — that publish officiating analysis and decision breakdowns. PRO's roster includes approximately 226 match officials, and 11 PRO officials were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest representation in the organization's history.

The business model is service-based rather than product-based: PRO monetizes through contracted league relationships (specific fees undisclosed) and does not generate commercial product revenue. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales to league governing bodies, with no channel intermediaries. Leadership includes CEO Nick Primavera, General Manager Mark Geiger, and Chief Refereeing Officer Joe Fletcher. The organization also engages in broader ecosystem work including referee-abuse prevention campaigns (Respect the Call) and international officiating representation through FIFA panels.

Name

Professional Referee Organization

Legal name

Professional Referee Organization

Website

https://proreferees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Professional Referee Organization (PRO) is a New York-based non-profit that trains, develops, and assigns professional soccer match officials across six US and Canadian leagues including MLS, NWSL, and USL competitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Officiating Services

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Rules, Officiating & Referee Associations (Officials/umpires bodies) (MPAKAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Officiating & Competition Management (MPAGAMAK), Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA), Professional Sport Governing Bodies & League Sanctioning Authorities (MPAKAFAE), Referee, Umpire & Coach Education/Certification Academies (MPAKAJAN)

Keywords

• Professional match officials
• Referee assignment services
• Video assistant referee
• Soccer officiating
• Match official development

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. League Membership/Funding: PRO is funded by its member leagues including Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, and United Soccer League to provide professional officiating services
2. Government Contracts: PRO participates in E-Verify and operates as a referee organization potentially receiving US Soccer Federation support for development and training programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PRO recruits, trains, develops, and assigns professional soccer match officials — including referees, assistant referees, video assistant referees (VAR), and assistant VARs — to six professional soccer competitions in the U.S. and Canada: Major League Soccer, NWSL, USL Championship, USL League One, Gainbridge Super League, and MLS NEXT Pro. The organization also operates the PRO2 development pathway to train the next generation of professional officials and produces educational video review content analyzing officiating decisions.

Product overview

PRO is a professional referee organization that provides match official assignment services and development programs for professional soccer leagues. The organization operates as a single unified service offering match official assignments across Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), Gainbridge Super League, USL Championship, USL League One, and MLS NEXT Pro. Core offerings include the Match Official Assignment Services, the PRO2 Development Program, Inside Video Review analysis series, and The Definitive Angle commentary series. PRO manages a roster of senior match officials and PRO2 officials who are assigned to league matches throughout the season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Match Official Assignment Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 175% growth in World Cup representation from 4 officials in 2014 to 11 in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and core.

• FIFA - 2026 World CupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 202611 PRO officials selected for 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and USA - the largest-ever PRO representation at a World Cup. Officials include referees Ismail Elfath, Drew Fischer, Tori Penso, and assistant referees Lyes Arfa, Kyle Atkins, Micheal Barwegen, Brooke Mayo, Kathryn Nesbitt, Corey Parker, plus video match officials Joe Dickerson and Armando Villarreal.
• U.S. Soccer - Respect the Call InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025PRO supports US Soccer's Respect the Call initiative launched March 2025, promoting stronger sanctions for referee abuse at amateur and youth matches. PRO officials actively support this campaign.
• Major League SoccercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLS is the primary member league and customer of PRO, receiving official assignments for all MLS regular season matches, MLS Cup playoffs, MLS All-Star game, and other MLS competitions. PRO officials work exclusively for MLS through this partnership.
• National Women's Soccer LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWSL is a founding member league receiving official assignments for all NWSL regular season matches, playoffs, and NWSL Championship game.
• United Soccer LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSL includes USL Championship (second division), USL League One (third division), and Gainbridge Super League (top-tier women's league) all receiving PRO official assignments.
• U.S. Soccer FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Soccer provides governance oversight and supports the Respect the Call initiative against referee abuse. PRO supports US Soccer's officiating standards and development programs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Howard Webb / Webb Sports Advisory: Former Premier League referee and PGMOL chief now consulting on officiating standards and VAR globally. Adjacent to PRO's domain as a thought leader and consultant in professional soccer officiating.

Direct peers

• PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited): UK-based organization that supplies match officials to the English Premier League and English Football League. Structurally and operationally analogous to PRO — a dedicated professional referee body serving top-division domestic soccer leagues with VAR integration.
• Australian Professional Leagues (APL) Officiating: Bodies managing match official assignments for Australia's A-League Men and Women. Functionally analogous to PRO, providing professional officiating services to a top-tier soccer league in a smaller market.
• CONMEBOL Referees Commission: South American football confederation body responsible for referee training and match assignments across Copa Libertadores and domestic leagues. Comparable geographic-regional officiating management scope.
• Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) Officiating: Organization managing Bundesliga referee assignments in Germany. Comparable top-division professional soccer officiating body with advanced VAR integration and strong development programs.

Broad incumbents

• FIFA Referees Committee: Global governing body selecting and overseeing officials at World Cup and international tournaments. PRO officials are directly selected by FIFA for World Cup duty, making this the highest-level comparable authority.
• UEFA Referees Committee: Governing body committee overseeing referee selection, development, and assignment across European competitions including Champions League and Europa League. Comparable function at a multi-country continental level.
• JFA Referees Department: Japan Football Association department handling referee selection, training, and assignment for J.League and national team competitions. Comparable officiating governance and development role in a developed soccer market.

Regional players

• Liga MX Referee Commission (FMF): Mexican Football Federation body managing referee assignments for Liga MX. Operates in adjacent North American soccer market to PRO and would be a natural peer for any cross-border officiating expansion.
• Canada Soccer Referees: Canadian Soccer Association body responsible for referee development and assignments in Canada. PRO's geographic partner in MLS officiating and a natural comparator in the North American market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/proreferees
• Facebookfacebook.com/proreferees
• Instagraminstagram.com/proreferees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/professional-referee-organization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Referee Organization