2020 in Numbers
A numerical overview of the last 12 months from a PRO perspective:
0 – Postponed MLS matches due to PRO officials that tested positive for COVID-19.
0.16 – Average number of red cards issued per game during the MLS regular season.
0.31 – Average number of Video Reviews per game during the MLS regular season, down from 0.37 in 2019.
0.4 – Percentage of positive COVID-19 tests for officials in MLS.
3.76 – Average number of yellow cards issued per game during the MLS regular season.
4.8 – Average number of Video Review checks per game.
8 – The average time taken to complete a Video Review was down by eight seconds from 2019, and the lowest since its introduction in MLS in 2017 (2 minutes and 4 seconds from the incident to the end of Video Review process at the pitch-side monitor).
12 – The number of female officials assigned to MLS games in 2020 was four times more than in 2019.
14 – Number of PRO2 officials who made their MLS debuts in 2020 (five referees and nine assistant referees).
16 – Joe Dickerson, Ismail Elfath, Jair Marrufo, and Armando Villarreal each took charge of 16 MLS regular-season games – the highest tally for referees in 2020.
21 – Jeremy Hanson flagged more MLS regular-season games than any other assistant referee, completing 21 assignments.
44 – Number of PRO officials at MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando.
80 – Number of assignments for female officials in MLS in 2020, up from 31 in 2019.
90 – The combined number of referees and assistant referees assigned to MLS games during the In-Market Return-To-Play.
96 – The percentage of goals scored in MLS which saw no Video Review intervention after being checked by the VAR – every reason to suggest it is safe to celebrate a goal in the moment with little chance of it being disallowed.
98.6 – Percentage of Key Match Incidents final outcomes that were correct in 2020, including goals, penalties, red card situations, and other key offside calls in the case of assistant referees – the highest since the introduction of Video Review in MLS.
99.7 – The percentage of time goals in MLS are scored fairly after the Video Review process.
161 – The total number of officials in the PRO2 roster who are primarily assigned to games in NWSL, USL Championship and USL League 1.
2,030 – Total number of assignments across MLS competitions.