PRO announces the 2015 roster
The Professional Referee Organization has announced the roster for 2015, a year in which referee Kevin Stott and five assistant referees will all officiate in their 20th season of MLS.
Stott has taken charge of 260 games since first blowing the whistle in the MLS inaugural season, while Ricardo Salazar, in his 15th season, is just five games away from the 200-milestone of his MLS career.
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Mark Geiger, meanwhile, returns following a season that saw him assigned to five FIFA World Cup games, named MLS Referee of the Year and CONCACAF Referee of the Year.
Those three are part of a 21-man team of center officials for the upcoming season.
The five ARs warming-up for their 20th year are Greg Barkey, who in 2014 became the first AR to officiate 300 regular season MLS games, Craig Lowry, Chris Strickland, Paul Scott and Kermit Quisenberry.
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Added to the assistant referee roster are Kyle Atkins, Andrew Bigelow, Kyle Longville, Apolinar Mariscal, Eduardo Mariscal, Danny Thornberry, Eric Weisbrod and Kathryn Nesbitt. The total assistant referee count is 51.
After working as an AR for three years, including at the 2013 MLS Cup as alternate assistant referee, Baboucarr Jallow will be a 4th official in the 2015 season.
Joining Jallow on the 14-person 4th official roster are newcomers Alex Chilowicz, Caleb Mendez and Nima Saghafi. Marcos De Oliveira has also been added to the 4th official list, after receiving six assignments during the 2014 season.