Busy Festive Period for BPL Referees: We have updates on every big decision

Boxing Day (December 26)
-Andre Marriner was busy in Chelsea-Watford, correctly awarding one penalty for each team, one for a handball by Nemanja Matic and another when Eden Hazard had his legs taken out by Valon Behrami. Overall, Marriner was one of the best performing referees this weekend

Mike Jones is approached by Norwich players after Tottenham converted the penalty

-Mike Jones also could have called two penalty kicks in his match, Tottenham-Norwich. He correctly pointed to the spot early on when Harry Kane was tripped by keeper Declan Rudd, but also should've blown the whistle when Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris knocked down Cameron Jerome.

-Arsenal fans as well as manager Arsene Wenger were incensed at Jonathan Moss and his crew after several calls went against the Gunners, believing there was an infraction in the buildup on the first three of Southampton's four goals, saying that the plays were respectively made possible by an offsides, a foul, and an incorrect corner kick decision. Wenger is correct, though it should be pointed out that Moss and his team correctly disallowed two of Southampton's goals for infractions.

Matchday 19 (December 28-30)
-Anthony Taylor and his crew were very busy at Vicarage Road for Watford-Tottenham, with Taylor becoming the first referee to show a red card during the festive period when he correctly sent off Nathan Ake for a high boot. However, the real moment of controversy came when Son Heung-Min's late winner for Tottenham appeared to be offsides. It was slight, but assistant Stuart Burt still should have seen the infraction.
-Kevin Friend appeared to make a key mistake in Sunderland-Liverpool when he failed to send off Jeremain Lens for a rough two-footed slide that took out Mamadou Sakho. Friend did show a yellow, but it looked like serious foul play and therefore a red card to me.

Premier League Referee Rankings for December 2015

1. Martin Atkinson (no change)
2. Mark Clattenburg (no change)
3. Mike Dean (+1)
4. Michael Oliver (-1)
5. Anthony Taylor (no change)
6. Jonathan Moss (+1)
7. Craig Pawson (-1)
8. Andre Marriner (+2)
9. Lee Probert (-1)
10. Phil Dowd (-1)
11. Mike Jones (+1)
12. Robert Madley (+2)
13. Lee Mason (-2)
14. Neil Swarbrick (-1)
15. Roger East (no change)
16. Kevin Friend (no change)
17. Graham Scott (no change)

BONUS SECTION
Promotion Candidate Rankings
1. Keith Stroud
2. Paul Tierney
3. Stuart Attwell
4. Simon Hooper

2015 FIFA Club World Cup Appointments

Alireza Faghani, assigned to the 5th Place Match and the Final

Playoff Round

Sanfreece Hiroshima vs. Auckland City
Referee: Sidi Alioum (Cameroon)
Assistant Referee: Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)
Assistant Referee: Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)
Fourth Official: Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)

Quarterfinals
Club America vs. Guangzhou Evergrande
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Assistant Referee: Mathias Klasenius (Sweden)
Assistant Referee: Daniel Warnmark (Sweden)
Fourth Official: Sidi Alioum (Cameroon)

TP Mazembe vs. Sanfreece Hiroshima
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (Colombia)
Assistant Referee: Alexander Guzman (Colombia)
Assistant Referee: Cristian De La Cruz (Colombia)
Fourth Official: Alireza Faghani (Iran)

Semifinals
River Plate vs. Sanfreece Hiroshima
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Assistant Referee: Mathias Klasenius (Sweden)
Assistant Referee: Daniel Warnmark (Sweden)
Fourth Official: Matt Conger (New Zealand)

Barcelona vs. Guangzhou Evergrande
Referee: Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)
Assistant Referee: Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
Assistant Referee: Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)
Fourth Official: Wilmar Roldan (Colombia)

Fifth Place Match
Club America vs. TP Mazembe
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)
Assistant Referee: Reza Sokhandan (Iran)
Assistant Referee: Mohammadreza Mansouri (Iran)
Fourth Official: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

Third Place Match 
Sanfreece Hiroshima vs. Guangzhou Evergrande
Referee: Matt Conger (New Zealand)
Assistant Referee: Tevita Makasini (Tahiti)
Assistant Referee: Simon Lount (New Zealand)
Fourth Official: Wilmar Roldan (Colombia)
Fifth Official: Alexander Guzman (Colombia)

Final
River Plate vs. Barcelona
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)
Assistant Referee: Reza Sokhandan (Iran)
Assistant Referee: Mohammadreza Mansouri (Iran)
Fourth Official: Sidi Alioum (Cameroon)
Fifth Official: Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)

MLS Cup Final Report: Poor performance from Marrufo and his crew

Columbus Crew vs. Portland Timbers
Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States, photo)
Assistant Referee: Peter Manikowski (United States)
Assistant Referee: Corey Parker (United States)
Fourth Official: Chris Penso (United States)
Fifth Official: James Conlee (United States)

Columbus 1-2 Portland
7th Minute: Rodney Wallace scores a key goal for the Timbers to give them a 2-0 lead, but it appeared the ball had been dribbled well out of the field by Darlington Nagbe in the build up. Assuming the ball was out, Columbus' Tony Tchani had given up on the play, resulting in a break for Portland. Huge miss by AR Corey Parker
60th Minute: Wallace has a short range effort appear to hit the crossbar and then the arm of Columbus' Michael Parkhurst on the goal line. In my opinion, this should have been a penalty and a red card, but Marrufo doesn't call it.

Angry Columbus fans protest the in bounds call by littering the field with cans

Pavel Kralovec is our November Referee of the Month

Pavel Kralovec was named our referee of the month for November after strong performances in two Champions League matches during the month. First, his performance in a matchday 4 clash between Kiev and Chelsea was exceptional. Then, more recently, Kralovec had a solid performance in a match between Manchester United and PSV Eindhoven. Overall, a much deserved honor for Kralovec.

Premier League Review Week 14

Manchester City 3-1 Southampton         Referee: Roger East
East found himself at the center of controversy after he missed two clear handballs that prevented goals.
20th Minute: City's Fernandinho beats the Southampton keeper with a powerful strike, only have his shot blocked by Steven Davis' outstretched arm. East doesn't call a foul, but he should've called a penalty and sent off Long for DOGSO.
61st Minute: Southampton's Shane Long gets a volley to head towards the goal, when Fernandinho knocks the ball out with his arm. Again, East doesn't see the infraction, and I think this should've been a penalty and a yellow card for Fernandinho.

Sunderland 2-0 Stoke City                      Referee: Mike Dean
Dean once again found himself facing criticism after a questionable dismissal of a Stoke player.
47th Minute: Stoke Captain Ryan Shawcross is already booked when he makes a sliding challenge on Duncan Watmore, appearing to win the ball cleanly. Dean sees this challenge as a foul that stopped a promising attack, and shows Shawcross a second yellow, which is unfortunately an incorrect decision.

Liverpool 1-0 Swansea City                   Referee: Anthony Taylor
Taylor himself didn't have a big decision to make, but his linesman had to deal with serious criticism over his decision on a handball that led to Liverpool's only goal of the match.
61st Minute: Jordan Ibe's cross appears to hit the semi-tucked arm of Swansea's Neil Taylor, which AR Simon Beck sees as a penalty and informs the referee Taylor, who points to the spot. Swansea were upset over the fact that Neil Taylor couldn't have done anything to avoid the ball hitting his arm, since he was so close to Ibe at the time of the cross. However, I agree with the linesman, since Neil Taylor could have easily fully tucked his arm to avoid contact.

Bournemouth 3-3 Everton                                      Referee: Kevin Friend
Leicester City 1-1 Manchester United                   Referee: Craig Pawson
Crystal Palace 5-1 Newcastle                                 Referee: Paul Tierney
Aston Villa 2-3 Watford                                         Referee: Lee Mason
Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea                                           Referee: Michael Oliver
West Ham United 1-1 West Bromwich Albion      Referee: Martin Atkinson
Norwich City 1-1 Arsenal                                       Referee: Jonathan Moss
These seven referees all had strong performances with nothing to go in depth on. Nice work by them and their crews.

My apologies for not publishing much recently. I'll try to do more in December.

UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifying Playoffs Leg 1 Reports

Norway 0-1 Hungary                              Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England)
Clattenburg and his crew were pretty good overall, but I think AAR Jonathan Moss may have missed a hold by a Hungary player in the box in the 56th minute. Otherwise, it was a solid performance, though I do wonder why Moss, who isn't a FIFA referee, was assigned to an important playoff match.

Bosnia & Herzegovina 1-1 Ireland         Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)
It was a commendable performance from Brych and his crew, who had an almost perfect game in extremely foggy circumstances in Bosnia. The vision must have been poor for Brych and his crew, which makes a good performance that much more impressive. Nothing to go in depth on from this match.

Sweden 2-1 Denmark                              Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Rizzoli was the first referee to call a penalty during the qualifiers, and I agree with his decision
49th Minute: Denmark's Thomas Kahlenberg trips up Emil Forsberg on the edge of the area. Rizzoli was in great position to see the infraction and points to the spot. I agree with this decision, since there was clear contact by Kahlenberg on Forsberg's ankle.

Ukraine 2-0 Slovenia                               Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Eriksson had an excellent performance in Ukraine, showing great skill in man management especially. Nothing to go in depth on from a quiet match overall.

Leg 2 Reports coming tomorrow!            

Alberto Undiano Mallenco is our October Referee of the Month

Mallenco

Alberto Undiano Mallenco was named our October Referee of the Month primarily based on his performance in PSV Eindhoven-VFL Wolfsburg, in which he did an excellent job managing the came and keeping things under control. Mallenco has also seen some big league appointments this year, and is a leading candidate to be appointed for El Classico.

Premier League Review Week 11: Stroud shows red in rare BPL match

Watford 2-0 West Ham United                    Referee: Keith Stroud
Stroud is fighting for a promotion next season and things are going well for him so far.
84th Minute: West Ham's James Collins comes in with a hard late challenge from behind on Odion Ighalo. Stroud shows Collins a straight red and I agree due to how unnecessary the foul by Collins was. He seemed to have no intention of getting the ball and every intention of taking down Ighalo.

Stroud shows Collins the red card after a brutal foul

Manchester City 2-1 Norwich City              Referee: Robert Madley
Madley was criticized for his shaky derby performance last week, but rebounded well this week with 2 correct penalty decisions.
88th Minute: Man City summer signing Raheem Sterling takes a shot after he wins a loose ball from an out of position Norwich keeper John Ruddy. Norwich's Russell Martin has no choice but to stop the ball from going into the net with his arm. Madley sees the infraction and correctly calls a penalty and sends Martin off.
96th Minute: Sterling is again on the ball when he is hacked down in the box by Robbie Brady. The contact was clear and left Madley with no choice but to point to the spot.

West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Leicester City Referee: Anthony Taylor
Taylor called one penalty in this match, but I unfortunately have to disagree with his decision.
83rd Minute: Leicester's Nathan Dyer appears to make a clean challenge on Callum McManaman in the box, but Taylor deems that Dyer made contact with McManaman and whistles for a penalty kick. When I see the play on replay, I just don't see how there was enough contact to warrant a penalty.

Southampton 2-0 Bournemouth                   Referee: Craig Pawson
Pawson had one big call to make in this South Coast Derby, and I think he got it right.
78th Minute: Southampton's Victor Wanyama is already on a yellow when he hacks down Lee Tomlin near the box. Pawson sees the foul shows Wanyama a second yellow, which makes sense given the positioning of the foul as well as the rough nature of it.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United         Referee: Mike Jones
Newcastle 0-0 Stoke City                             Referee: Roger East
Swansea City 0-3 Arsenal                            Referee: Kevin Friend
Chelsea 1-3 Liverpool                                  Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Everton 6-2 Sunderland                                Referee: Andre Marriner
Tottenham 3-1 Aston Villa                           Referee: Mike Dean
These six all had quiet games with not much controversy. Nice work by them and their crews.

Premier League Review Week 10: Madley questioned for Wear-Tyne derby call

Sunderland 3-0 Newcastle                              Referee: Robert Madley
Madley came under fire for a very questionable penalty and red card decision against Fabricio Coloccini.
45+1st Minute: Sunderland's Steven Fletcher is running through on goal when Fabricio Coloccini knocks him off the ball with a shoulder-to-shoulder nudge. Madley calls a penalty and sends Coloccini off for Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity, though I wouldn't have even called a foul since the contact was very slight and shoulder-to-shoulder.

Madley making the controversial decision

West Ham United 2-1 Chelsea                       Referee: Jonathan Moss
Moss was the latest referee to draw the ire of Jose Mourinho, though I thought he was pretty good in the match overall.
44th Minute: Chelsea's Nemanja Matic is already booked when he comes in hard on Diafra Sakho to stop a Hammers attack. Moss originally just awards a free kick, but correctly gives Matic a second yellow after conferring with AR Harry Lennard. Moss did well to manage the effects of the decision by correctly showing yellows to two Chelsea players who took part in a mass confrontation after the play, as well as dismissing Jose Mourinho for pursuing the incident into the tunnel at half time.

Arsenal 2-1 Everton                                      Referee: Lee Mason
It was a very quiet match for Mason until chose to send off Gareth Barry with under 30 seconds left.
94th Minute: Kieran Gibbs is running down the wing for Arsenal when his attack is slowed by a clip from an already booked Barry. Mason chooses to give Barry a second yellow and I agree since Mason didn't really have a choice given that the foul stopped a promising attack.

Bournemouth 1-5 Tottenham                       Referee: Roger East
East had another good performance as he starts to see more action following an illness that kept him out for 6 weeks.
9th Minute: As Harry Kane gets the ball in the box, he is clearly tripped up by Bournemouth keeper Artur Boruc. Easy penalty decision for East, who correctly points to the spot.

Liverpool 1-1 Southampton                         Referee: Andre Marriner
94th Minute: Southampton goal-scorer Sadio Mane is already booked when he trips up Alberto Moreno as he sprints up the wing. This was a clear stopping a promising attack scenario, and therefore I agree with Marriner's decision to show Mane a second yellow.

Aston Villa 1-2 Swansea                              Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Leicester City 1-0 Crystal Palace                 Referee: Mike Dean
Stoke City 0-2 Watford                                Referee: Martin Atkinson
Norwich City 0-1 West Bromwich Albion  Referee: Kevin Friend
Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City     Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Swarbrick, Dean, Atkinson, Friend and their crews had quiet games with not much controversy overall. Nothing to go in depth on from these four matches.

MLS Decision Day Reports: Huge Calls by Assistants Play Major Roll in West Playoffs

Philadelphia 1-0 Orlando                       Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
Penso showed 10 yellow cards in this match, with one being a second yellow.
40th Minute: Orlando's Cristian Higuita pushes over Sebastien Le Toux as he goes for a cross into the box. Penso calls a penalty and I agree since although Le Toux had no chance of getting to the ball, Higuita still committed a foul on Le Toux. Good decision by Penso.
86th Minute: Higuita is already booked for a foul in the 72nd minute when he slaps Tranquillo Barnetta in the face as they are fighting for possession. Easy call for Penso, who correctly gives a second yellow to Higuita.

NYCFC 1-3 New England                     Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
Marrufo called one late penalty in this match in favor of NYCFC.
91st Minute: Marrufo points to the spot after New England's Daigo Kobayashi blocks a cross with his arm, which is slightly extended from his body. Good call by Marrufo, though the decision was meaningless in a Revs rout.

Sporting Kansas City 2-1 LA Galaxy    Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger himself had a quiet match, but AR Kermit Quisenberry had to make one of the most important calls of Decision Day.
38th Minute: Kevin Ellis of Sporting KC knocks in the rebound of a Chance Myers to put the heartland side up 1-0. Unfortunately, Ellis was clearly offsides by a good yard and a half when Myers headed the ball. However, Quisenberry doesn't call offsides, and the goal proves to be key in a 2-1 Sporting win that had mammoth implications on the Western Conference playoff picture.

Dallas 2-1 San Jose                                Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Much like Geiger, Villarreal didn't see much controversy himself but had his AR make a huge decision.
67th Minute: Matias Perez Garcia of San Jose gets into an off-ball shoving match with Mauro Diaz, but then decides to make contact with Diaz's head as the shoves continue. AR Peter Manikowski notices this and instructs Villarreal to send Perez Garcia off, a decision which I agree with due to the violent nature of the contact.

Villarreal explains the decision to unhappy San Jose players

Chicago 1-2 New York Red Bulls         Referee: Ricardo Salazar (United States)
Salazar called one penalty in the clinching match for the Supporters Shield for New York.
34th Minute: Chicago's Patrick Nyarko shoves Mike Grella off the ball in the box, which constitutes as a clear penalty in my book. Salazar sees this and correctly points to the spot.

Montreal 2-1 Toronto FC                       Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Columbus 5-0 D.C. United                    Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Portland 4-1 Colorado                            Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
Vancouver 3-0 Houston                         Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
Seattle 3-1 Real Salt Lake                      Referee: Sorin Stoica (United States)
These four officials and their crews both had quiet matches without controversy. Nothing to look at here.

Thanks for reading!

MLS Week 33 Reports: Altidore sees red from the bench

Toronto FC 2-1 New York Red Bulls      Referee: Fotis Bazakos (United States)
Bazakos had an interesting moment in this match when he sent Jozy Altidore off for a rare offense committed from the bench.
34th Minute: Bazakos stops play after receiving word that someone from Toronto's bench has abused 4th Official Daniel Radford from the bench. After conferring with AR CJ Morgante and Radford, he determines the abuser to be Altidore and shows him the red card. Since I don't know what was said, I can't tell you whether I think Bazakos got it right or not, though the lack of complaint from Altidore tells me that he knew the red card was correct.

CJ Morgante identifies Altidore as the offender

FC Dallas 2-0 Vancouver                        Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Rivero called one penalty in this match, but I think he unfortunately got it wrong.
42nd Minute: Tim Parker of Vancouver appears to cleanly win the ball from Michael Barrios in the box with a great challenge, but Rivero points the spot after Barrios goes to ground. To me, there wasn't enough contact to warrant a penalty, though luckily for Rivero it didn't matter since Mauro Diaz missed the kick.

Real Salt Lake 0-1 Portland                     Referee: Juan Guzman (United States)
Guzman called a penalty and showed a red card on one play in this match, but I only thought the red was warranted.
52nd Minute: Lucas Melano of Portland is running through on goal when he is pulled down by RSL's last man back Jamison Olave. Guzman correctly shows Olave a red card for Denial of an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity and then goes over to AR Corey Rockwell, who also saw a penalty on the play. Guzman agrees and points to the spot, but it seems evident to me that Melano was outside the box when he was fouled by Olave. Big mistake from both Guzman and Rockwell on this play.

LA Galaxy 2-5 Portland                           Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly whistled for a penalty once during this match, and I think he got it right.
67th Minute: Portland's Fanendo Adi is trying to reach a low cross in the box when he is pushed over from behind by Dan Gargan. Kelly calls a penalty, and I agree since there was clear contact that prevented Adi from getting to the ball.

Orlando 2-1 NYCFC                                Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)
San Jose 1-0 Sporting Kansas City          Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
Toronto FC 0-2 Columbus                       Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
New England 0-1 Montreal                      Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Real Salt Lake 0-1 FC Dallas                   Referee: Jorge Gonzalez (United States)
DC United 4-0 Chicago                            Referee: Sorin Stoica (United States)
New York Red Bulls 4-1 Philadelphia     Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Houston 1-1 Seattle                                   Referee: Edvin Jurisevic (United States)
Chapman, Stott, Penso, Geiger, Gonzalez, Stoica, Elfath, and Jurisevic all had quiet games with not much controversy. Nothing to look at from these eight matches.

Thanks for reading!

Premier League Referee Rankings for October 2015

1. Martin Atkinson (no change)
Atkinson has remained very strong this season, and despite an iffy Merseyside Derby last week, he narrowly gets the top spot based on a string of very strong performances in the early stages of the English Premier League. -- Bob Smith

2. Mark Clattenburg (+1)
Clattenburg hasn't been at his best and would've probably stayed in place if it wasn't for struggles by other officials, especially after a very questionable penalty decision in Norwich-Leicester that helped the Foxes snag an away win. Clattenburg still needs to find his groove, but a lack of serious howlers this season keeps him near the top in our rankings. -- Harrison Johnson

3. Michael Oliver (+1)
Oliver continues to move up our rankings, as he continues to make the right call in big situations, leading to another huge appointment in September for United-Liverpool. Oliver did get a penalty wrong in Bournemouth-Watford last week, but it doesn't change the fact that he has been very good this season. -- Neil Tyler

4. Mike Dean (-2)
Dean started the year at the top of our list, but he has tumbled out of the top 3 after a mess of a performance in Chelsea-Arsenal, specifically failing to send Diego Costa for slapping Laurent Koscielny in the face three times and slapping Gabriel in the face. Couple this with a penalty miss in Villa-United in week 2, and this has not been a good season for Dean. -- Will Cole

5. Anthony Taylor (no change)
Taylor has been stellar in recent weeks after a rocky start, culminating in an appointment to Arsenal-United during Matchday 8. He hasn't had much to deal with in any recent performance, but that's no obstacle to keeping him in the top 5. -- Bob Smith

6. Craig Pawson (no change)
Much like Anthony Taylor, Pawson had a rocky start with some controversy in Matchday 2 but has seen a string of quieter performances, leading to a solid start to the campaign. Look for Pawson to potentially get a big match in the upcoming weeks. -- Harrison Johnson

7. Jonathan Moss (+3)
Moss is generally considered a middle of the road referee who can be inconsistent, but he has looked really strong this season. Every big decision he has made has been right so far, and he has catapulted up our list following a run of well-managed matches. -- Neil Tyler

8. Lee Probert (-1)
Probert is a strong referee in our opinion, but his health remains a concern after an aggravation of a knee injury that kept him out for much of last season has sidelined him for the first two months of the season. We believe Probert is one of the best referees, but his unavailability drops him another spot. --Will Cole

9. Phil Dowd (-1)
Dowd is dealing with historic injury issues that have kept him out since February. Much like Lee Probert, we feel that Dowd is one of England's best referees but can't avoid dropping in the rankings due to his absence. -- Bob Smith

10. Andre Marriner (-1)
Marriner just can't find his groove this season. Every match he's officiated has been inconsistent, including some questionable yellows in Newcastle-Arsenal on Matchday 4. He's been good in the past, but he has no rhythm right now, which drops his ranking in our list. -- Harrison Johnson

11. Lee Mason (no change)
Mason hasn't seen many matches this year, but aside from a big mistake in Palace-Arsenal, he has been his usual decent self. He still really struggles with consistency, which was evident in the aforementioned Palace-Arsenal match, and that keeps him just out of the top 10 -- Neil Tyler

12. Mike Jones (+1)
Jones has done really well so far this year after having serious issues with making unfairly harsh calls last year. He even got appointed to Tottenham-Everton, and some good performances overall have moved him up to 12th in the rankings. -- Will Cole

13. Neil Swarbrick (-1)
Swarbrick hasn't been poor by any standard this season, but he has hardly officiated any Premier League matches this season, which makes him more vulnerable to getting passed in our list by well performing officials like Jones. -- Bob Smith

14. Robert Madley (+1)
Madley has seen some big appointments this season and had done well up until he struggled in Chelsea-Southampton, with 3 potential penalties missed. Had that not happened, Madley might have moved up even higher on our list. -- Harrison Johnson

15. Roger East (-1)
East finally officiated his first game back from a long-term illness that kept him out for the first 6 weeks of the season. He was good in his first match back, but hasn't done enough yet to avoid falling behind Madley. -- Neil Tyler

16. Kevin Friend (no change)
Friend hasn't really made any big mistakes since his high-profile Liverpool-West Ham debacle, but his tendency to make huge mistakes is still holding him back from moving towards the top of our list. If he can continue to avoid trouble, he could conceivably move up a spot. -- Will Cole

17. Graham Scott (no change)
Scott still hasn't officiated his first BPL match as a Select Group Referee after an injury has kept him out of action until this upcoming week, when he will take charge of Burnley-Bolton in the Championship. If all goes well there, Scott could be the referee in his first BPL match of the season next weekend.

BONUS SECTION
Promotion Rankings
1. Keith Stroud
2. Stuart Attwell
3. Paul Tierney
4. Simon Hooper

Felix Brych is our September Referee of the Month

Brych

German UEFA Elite referee Felix Brych was named by our writers as the referee of the month for September after some good domestic work as well as a very good performance in Porto-Kyiv during Matchday 1 of the UCL. Congratulations to Brych on his strong work recently, and we wish him and every referee the best of luck this October.

Premier League Review Week 7: AR Collin struggles at White Hart Lane

Tottenham 4-1 Manchester City              Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Clattenburg didn't face any controversy himself, but AR Jake Collin found himself at the center of controversy for a missed offsides call.
45th Minute: Eric Dier scores to level the score at one for Tottenham. However, replays show that Kyle Walker was well offsides right in front of Collin in the build-up to the goal. Therefore the goal should never have happened since Collin should have raised the flag for offsides.

Southampton 3-1 Swansea City              Referee: Roger East
East whistled for a late penalty in this match which was otherwise quiet for him.
83rd Minute: Southampton Captain Jose Fonte makes a lunge in on Neil Taylor in an attempt to win the ball. East correctly calls a penalty, but Swansea complained that he should've played advantage. I just don't see why it was an advantage play since Swansea stole the ball from Fonte after he won possession from the foul.

Watford 0-1 Crystal Palace                     Referee: Anthony Taylor
Taylor called one penalty in this match and it proved to be decisive in a 1-0 Palace victory.
70th Minute: Watford's Nyom pulls down Wilfried Zaha on the edge of the box. Taylor calls a penalty, and I think he is absolutely right. Nyom clearly fouled Zaha, and Taylor did an outstanding job of seeing that the contact happened just inside the box on the left side.

Manchester United 3-0 Sunderland         Referee: Mike Jones
Chelsea 2-2 Newcastle                            Referee: Martin Atkinson
Liverpool 3-2 Aston Villa                       Referee: Jonathan Moss
Stoke City 2-1 Bournemouth                   Referee: Lee Mason
West Ham United 2-2 Norwich City       Referee: Mike Dean
Leicester City 2-5 Arsenal                       Referee: Craig Pawson
West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Everton       Referee: Robert Madley
These seven all had good performances with no controversy. Nice work by them and their crews.

MLS Week 30 Reports: Salazar with nightmare performance in Vancouver

Montreal 2-1 Chicago                             Referee: Fotis Bazakos (United States)
Bazakos and crew had a reasonably busy night, capped off with a stoppage time red card.
91st Minute: Laurent Ciman of Montreal is already booked when he goes up for an aerial ball against David Accam. Ciman hits Accam with a high elbow, and Bazakos quickly shows him a second yellow. Good call by Bazakos, since the play was borderline straight red and certainly a yellow.

Houston 1-0 Kansas City                        Referee: Sorin Stoica (United States)
It wouldn't be a Houston-KC match without a red card and this match was no exception.
70th Minute: Oscar Garcia of Houston is shielding off Dom Dwyer from the ball when he unnecessarily elbows Dwyer in the head. Stoica shows a second yellow, and I don't see why Houston fans were so mad about the card. There is no way that an elbow to the head isn't at least a yellow, no matter the intent.

New York Red Bulls 2-5 Orlando           Referee: Jorge Gonzalez (United States)
Gonzalez became the third consecutive referee to show a second yellow this week, and I also agree with his decision.
77th Minute: Brian Rochez only has one defender to beat as he runs towards goal when he is pulled on the shoulder from behind by Matt Miazga, who was on a yellow. Gonzalez shows a second yellow, and I agree since Miazga stopped a promising attack by Rochez, which qualifies as a yellow.

Toronto 3-2 Chicago                                Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
It was a good controversy-free match for Elfath, who is quickly becoming one of the MLS' best referees. Nothing to look at here.

Montreal 2-0 DC United                          Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
Marrufo had a strong match with little controversy, as he starts to rebound from recent struggles.

Columbus 1-2 Portland                            Referee: Silviu Petrescu (Canada)
Petrescu wasn't at his best this night with several minor missed calls. Nothing major to look at though.

New England 1-1 Philadelphia                 Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly called one penalty in this match and I think he got it absolutely correct.
35th Minute: Philly's Fabinho trips up Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen just inside the box. Kelly calls a penalty, and it looks pretty clear to me since there was obvious contact by Fabinho on Nguyen.

Houston 3-2 Colorado                              Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)
Chapman had a quiet game with nothing to look at. Nice work by him and his crew.

Vancouver 1-2 NYCFC                            Referee: Ricardo Salazar (United States)
Salazar had a tough match, making two controversial penalty calls in the last ten minutes.
87th Minute: Vancouver's Kendall Watson and NYCFC's Angelino are racing towards a bouncing ball in the NYCFC box when Watson goes down, causing Salazar to whistle for a penalty. Unfortunately, I don't see a foul by Angelino and if anything a foul should've been called against Watson for tripping Angelino.
94th Minute: Vancouver's Matias Laba makes an excellent tackle to win the ball from Frank Lampard, but Salazar shockingly points to the spot again. Once again I think Salazar was wrong, as even Lampard himself admitted it wasn't a penalty.

Vancouver players express their displeasure with the late PK call

Kansas City 1-1 Seattle                            Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Villarreal was excellent in an important match between SKC and Seattle, with no controversy to speak of.

San Jose 1-0 Salt Lake                             Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
Penso showed one red in this match, but it was for an unusual reason.
88th Minute: Matias Perez Garcia scores a late winner for San Jose and celebrates by taking his shirt off. Obviously this is a yellow card offense, but Garcia happened to already be on a yellow, making the excessive celebration yellow a second yellow and therefore a dismissal.

Los Angeles 3-2 Dallas                            Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
The veteran Toledo continued a good run as of late with a strong controversy-free performance at the Stub Hub Center. Nice work by him and his crew.

Thanks for reading!

MLS Week 29 Reports: Oyongo and Donadel both sent off for horror fouls

San Jose 1-1 Montreal                                  Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)
Chapman showed one red card in this high-stakes match between two middle table teams fighting for playoff berths.
49th Minute: Montreal's Ambroise Oyongo puts both his studs into Matias Perez Garcia in a horrific challenge. Chapman briefly confers with Assistant Referee Fabio Tovar before showing Oyongo the red card. For me there's no doubt. That's as clear a red as you will ever see.

Sporting Kansas City 3-1 FC Dallas            Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger got the call for a crucial match in the Western Conference playoff picture and he didn't disappoint, getting his one crucial call right.
76th Minute: Dom Dwyer of SKC manages to avoid a couple Dallas defenders before getting tripped up by FCD keeper Jesse Gonzalez, who had come all the way to the right side of the box. Assistant Paul Scott and Geiger both saw it and awarded Sporting a spot kick. Good call by Geiger and Scott, who were the MLS referee and assistant referee of the year last season, respectively.

NYCFC 3-2 San Jose                                    Referee: Edvin Jurisevic (United States)
Jurisevic called one penalty in this match and seems like a good decision to me.
75th Minute: San Jose's Quincy Amarikwa dribbles around NYC's Angelino into the box before being pushed and pulled at shoulder level by the 18-year old Spanish midfielder. Easy penalty call for Jurisevic, who correctly awards a penalty to the visitors.

DC United 1-2 Columbus                             Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
Unkel called one penalty in this match between DC and Columbus, and I don't see any reason to disagree with the decision.
67th Minute: Columbus Defender Chris Klute makes a flying lunge to block a cross in by DC's Franklin. Unfortunately for him, the ball hits his outstretched arm and Unkel emphatically points to the spot.

Montreal 3-0 New England                          Referee: Ricardo Salazar (United States)
Salazar showed a straight red in this match and it is pretty clearly correct.
72nd Minute: Montreal's Marco Donadel comes in with a horror foul on Andrew Farrell, sending his spikes into the Revolution Defender's leg long after the ball had gone. Easy straight red decision for Salazar, who correctly gives Donadel his marching orders.

Real Salt Lake 3-0 LA Galaxy                      Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
The veteran Stott also called a penalty in his match, and it seems correct to me.
27th Minute: RSL's Juan Manuel Martinez dribbles into the box before getting tripped up by a sliding Juninho. Stott calls a penalty, and I agree since Juninho didn't get much of the ball and definitely made contact with Martinez.

Mathieu Bourdeau officiating his first MLS match

NYCFC 2-0 Toronto FC                               Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
New England 2-1 New York Red Bulls        Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Toronto FC 3-1 Colorado                              Referee: Mathieu Bourdeau (Canada)
Vancouver 0-3 Seattle                                   Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
Chicago 0-1 Orlando                                     Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Portland 0-2 New York Red Bulls                 Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
Philadelphia 2-0 Houston                              Referee: Juan Guzman (United States)
These seven all had good performances with little controversy. Nice work by them and their crews. Also, a special congratulations to Bourdeau on his first MLS match.

Thanks for reading!

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Matchday 1 reports Day 1: Shaw injury highlights busy day for referees

PSV Eindhoven 2-1 Manchester United  Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Rizzoli found himself facing huge criticism for his failure to issue a penalty and red card for Hector Moreno's horror tackle.
15th Minute: United's Luke Shaw is running towards goal when he is slide-tackled hard by Hector Moreno of PSV. The United defender would leave the match with a horrific leg injury, but I think he should have at least won his team a penalty and red card in the act. When I watch the replay, Moreno gets enough of the leg for it to be a penalty and it certainly warranted a red for serious foul play. Big mistake by both Rizzoli and AAR Antonio Damato.

Rizzoli signals medical personel on after Shaw was hurt

Manchester City 1-2 Juventus                  Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)
Skomina and his crew were mediocre in this match, missing a foul on the City goal by Vincent Kompany, but also getting a key offside call to disallow a goal for Juventus right in the 12th Minute. Overall, the key point to work on from the match for this crew is foul detection.

Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Malmo FF         Referee: Sergei Karasev (Russia)
Karasev and his crew were reasonably strong in a pretty quiet match for him and his crew in Paris. Overall, it was a good job by the Russian referee, who looks to be a strong Euro 2016 and WC 2018 candidate.

Galatasaray 0-2 Atletico Madrid               Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
Marciniak continued a run of strong performances in his first UCL group stage match as a UEFA elite referee. Nice work by him and his crew.

Sevilla 3-0 Borussia Monchengladbach    Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)
Kralovec called an incredible three penalties in the second half in Sevilla, and I agreed with two of the three decisions.
46th Minute: Sevilla's Vitolo goes down at the slightest of touches from keeper Yann Sommer as the Borussia keeper attempts to knock the ball away. For me, this isn't a penalty since Sommer was in a natural motion as well as the fact that there wasn't any contact. Soft penalty from Kralovec if you ask me.
49th Minute: Vitolo is making a run at the top of the box when he is tripped up by Roel Brouwers. He goes down easily again and earns a penalty, but this time I think that there was enough contact to warrant a penalty. Good call by Kralovec.
66th Minute: Borussia's Tony Jantschke clearly trips up Kevin Gameiro of Sevilla in the box. This was a relatively easy call for Kralovec, who correctly whistled for a spot kick.

Benfica 2-0 Astana                                    Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece)
It was a quiet game for the Greek crew, who looked strong in what was a pretty quiet match in Portugal.

Real Madrid 4-0 Shakhtar Donetsk           Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)
Bebek called two penalties and showed a red card in this match and I agree with two of the three calls.
50th Minute: Shakhtar's Taras Stepanenko is already booked when he makes a low lunge on Sergio Ramos. Bebek shows him a second yellow and I agree since the challenge was reckless enough to deserve a yellow.
54th Minute: Cristiano Ronaldo's shot deflects off the back off Darijo Srna's back, but Bebek shockingly calls a penalty for a hand ball. Big mistake by both Bebek and the AAR, who should have seen where the ball hit.
63rd Minute: Shakhtar's Marcio Azevedo controls the ball with his hand, and Bebek's AAR informs him of the infraction. Bebek changes his original decision of a hand ball against Madrid and points to the spot. Good work by the team to get it right.

Wolfsburg 1-0 CSKA Moscow                 Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway)
Moen and crew put in a strong performance with little controversy. Nothing to look at here.

Premier League Review Week 5: Unbelievably quiet week in the BPL

Watford 1-0 Swansea                                    Referee: Robert Madley
Madley has had a strong opening to the season, and he continued with a correct red card in this match.
64th Minute: Watford's Valon Behrami stomps on Andre Ayew's upper leg while trying to step over the sliding Swansea star. Madley shows a straight red, and I think he was 100% correct. Intentional or  unintentional, there is no way you can avoid a sending off for a foul like that.

Manchester United 3-1 Liverpool                 Referee: Michael Oliver
Oliver called one penalty in this huge match and I think he got it right.
70th Minute: Joe Gomez of Liverpool hacks down Ander Herrera in the box, giving Oliver no choice but to award United a penalty. Good call by the young FIFA referee.

Arsenal 2-0 Stoke City                                  Referee: Jonathan Moss
Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City              Referee: Mike Jones
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Southampton    Referee: Stuart Attwell
Norwich City 3-1 Bournemouth                    Referee: Martin Atkinson
Everton 3-1 Chelsea                                       Referee: Andre Marriner
Leicester City 3-2 Aston Villa                       Referee: Mike Dean
Sunderland 0-1 Tottenham                             Referee: Craig Pawson
West Ham 2-0 Newcastle                               Referee: Anthony Taylor
Moss, Jones, Attwell, Atkinson, Marriner, Dean, Pawson, and Taylor all had good games with little controversy. Good work by them and their crews.

MLS Week 28 Reports: Questionable red for Dwyer

New York Red Bulls 3-2 Chicago          Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Villarreal was heavily criticized for his two penalty calls in this match, with many calling both decisions soft.
13th Minute: Damian Perrinelle of New York does appear to slightly clip Chicago's Kennedy Igboananike just outside the area, but Villarreal points to the spot. I think a foul call and a free kick outside the box would've been acceptable, but there is no way to justify a penalty call since the contact was outside the box. Big mistake by Villarreal.
70th Minute: NY's Lloyd Sam is running towards a through ball in the box when he is slightly tripped by Michael Stevens. Villarreal calls a penalty, and though many people said there wasn't enough contact I actually agree with Villarreal. To me, it looks like Stevens clearly was attempting to slow down Sam but ends up clearly tripping up the Red Bulls star. Therefore, he is guilty of a foul and a penalty.

Houston 1-3 Real Salt Lake                    Referee: Robert Sibiga (United States)
Sibiga, who is a fourth official getting his third game in an MLS trial run, called one penalty in this match, but unfortunately I think he may have been wrong on the decision.
61st Minute: Houston play in a corner kick that takes a deflection off John Stertzer. Sibiga calls a penalty on Stertzer for a hand ball, and though there isn't a good replay I can find, it looks like the ball hits Stertzer's stomach from my angle. I'll update this if I can find a better replay.

FC Dallas 2-1 NYCFC                            Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly was another MLS referee who called a debatable penalty this week, though I have to stand with him on this one.
69th Minute: NYCFC's Ned Grabavoy is making a run towards the ball in the box after a beautiful pass from Patrick Mullins when he has his shoulder than his head pulled back a bit by Atiba Harris. For some reason, some people are actually arguing that this penalty was soft. Sorry but that's a penalty 100% of the time.

Orlando 3-1 Kansas City                         Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
Marrufo showed one red card in this match, and it was highly debatable.
87th Minute: Dom Dwyer of SKC gets into a confrontation with David Mateos and eventually pushes the Orlando defender in the chest. Mateos falls holding his face and fools Marrufo into thinking the contact was at face level which would be a red card offense. Marrufo incorrectly shows red for the contact to the chest, which only deserves a yellow. Big mistake by Marrufo, though the disciplinary committee did reverse the decision.

Marrufo sends Dwyer off in Orlando

Vancouver 2-0 Colorado                         Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)    
Portland 0-0 Sporting Kansas City         Referee: Fotis Bazakos (United States)
Philadelphia 1-2 Columbus                    Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Colorado 1-1 DC United                         Referee: Sorin Stoica (United States)
Los Angeles 0-0 Montreal                      Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
San Jose 1-1 Seattle                                Referee: Jorge Gonzalez (United States)
Toronto 1-3 New England                       Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
These seven officials all had quiet games with sparse controversy. Good work by them and their crews.

Video Analysis 2: Unusual red card for Chris Baird

Thanks for the incredible support on the 1st edition. It marked the first time we reached 200 page views on a post!

SITUATION

Match: Hungary at Northern Ireland

Date: September 7 

Score: 1-0 Hungary

Minute: 81'

Setup: Hungary starting a counterattack 

Referee: Cüneyt Çakir (Turkey)

This is interesting play for me since you hardly ever see this situation in a game. From the video, you can tell that Çakir shows Northern Ireland's Chris Baird the yellow twice and clearly indicates with hand gestures that he saw two separate incidents on the play. When I take a look at the replays I see what appears to be some sort of cynical foul off the ball early in the play by Baird, followed by a clear yellow card foul seconds later. For me, both these are clear yellow card offenses. The only argument against the second yellow is that Baird wouldn't have made the second challenge if he knew he was going to be booked for the first challenge. I get that argument and it clearly is a tough deal for Baird, but the fact is he clearly committed two yellow card card fouls and therefore deserves to be sent off.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments.

UEFA Euro 2016 Qualification Matchday 8 Reports Day 2: Strange red in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland 1-1 Hungary                Referee: Cüneyt Çakir (Turkey)
Çakir showed one of the strangest red cards in recent memory, but I think he got it right.
81st Minute: Chris Baird of Northern Ireland makes a hard challenge on a Hungarian player which Çakir signals advantage on. Baird goes on to make another harsh challenge on a different player and this time Çakir stops play. Now here's where it gets interesting. Çakir was already planning on showing Baird a yellow for the first foul and decided that the second challenge was also worthy of a yellow. Therefore Baird essentially received two yellows and therefore a red for the play. This is hardly ever seen, but since they were both clear yellow offenses, Çakir was right to send Baird off.

Çakir shows Baird the red card

Poland 8-1 Gibraltar                               Referee: Gediminas Mažeika (Lithuania)
Mažeika is not a name you often see in the European circuit, but he made his presence felt with a penalty decision.
58th Minute: Poland star Robert Lewandowski gets tripped up in the area by Erin Barnett of Gibraltar. Mažeika is right on top of the incident and quickly points to the spot. Good call by the Lithuanian referee.

Romania 0-0 Greece                               Referee: Aleksey Kulbalkov (Belarus)
Scotland 2-3 Germany                            Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)
Ireland 1-0 Georgia                                 Referee: Itsván Vad (Hungary)

Portugal 1-0 Albania                               Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Armenia 0-0 Denmark                            Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway)
Finland 1-0 Faroe Islands                       Referee: Marcin Borski (Poland)
These officials and their crews all had quiet games with little controversy. Nice work by those six.

NOTE: Northern Ireland-Greece report by Neil Tyler. All others by Harrison Johnson

MLS Week 27 reports: Just 5 games to look at in a small week

New England 3-0 Orlando City              Referee: Mark Geiger (United States)
Geiger had a strong match with little controversy in Foxborough. Nice work by the world cup referee as he tries to work past his Gold Cup debacle.

Geiger shows a yellow card to Christian Higuita of Orlando

Montreal 4-3 Chicago                             Referee: Silviu Petrescu (Canada)
Petrescu had one key penalty decision to make in this match and I think he got it right.
35th Minute: Chicago's Harry Schipp gets into some space in the box when Montreal defender Maxim Tissot tries to knock the ball away with a late challenge. Tissot ends up clipping Schipp, and Petrescu immediately points to the spot. I agree with Petrescu on this call since despite the contact being minimal it still was enough to slow Schipp down.

Seattle 2-1 Toronto                                 Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
It was a pretty easy night for Unkel with nothing to go in depth on but I do want to give AR Mike Kampmeinert major props for a fantastic onside decision on Seattle's first goal.

San Jose 1-2 Philadelphia                       Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)
Elfath called one penalty at Avaya Stadium and it was a clear one.
62nd Minute: San Jose take a long pass into the area, resulting in a high deflection. Philadelphia's Fabinho tries to head the ball away but ends up hitting the ball with his hand. Easy penalty call for Elfath, who whistles for a spot kick.

Columbus 0-3 Dallas                              Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
Toledo was the only referee to face controversy this week, as he called a penalty that many judged as soft.
24th Minute: Jack McInerny of Columbus is going for a ball in the box when he goes down under the slightest of touches from Matt Hedges. For me, this just isn't a penalty since there was hardly any contact at all. Either play on or a dive call would have been better calls in my book.

UEFA Euro 2016 Qualification Matchday 8 Reports Day 1: Double red in Italy

Italy 1-0 Bulgaria                                    Referee: Sergei Karasev (Russia)
Karasev had a very busy match in Italy, showing two reds on one play as well as calling a penalty.
4th Minute: Italian midfielder Antonio Candreva is dribbling at the top of the area when Bulgaria's Veselin Minev lunges in with a to try to win the ball. Minev fails to win the ball and ends up kicking Candreva in the calf. Karasev has a great view and quickly awards the clear penalty to Italy.
55th Minute: Bulgaria's Ilijan Micanski goes in on Daniele Di Rossi with his studs showing at ankle level. Di Rossi responds by kicking out at Micanski's leg. Karasev sends both players off for their infractions and I agree. No place for either of those actions in any match at any level.

Players on both sides react to the double red card

Iceland 0-0 Kazakstan                             Referee: Yevhen Aranovsky (Ukraine)
It was an inconsistent night from Aranovsky, but the Ukrainian referee did get his one key decision right.
89th Minute: Iceland Captain Aron Gunnarsson is already in the book when he makes a reckless challenge on Aleksey Shchetkin on the left wing, leaving Aranovsky with no choice but to issue him a second yellow. Good work spotting the foul by Aranovsky.

Norway 2-0 Croatia                                 Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)
Wales 0-0 Israel                                       Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 Andorra     Referee: Arnold Hunter (Northern Ireland)
Latvia 1-2 Czech Republic                      Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)
Turkey 3-0 Netherlands                           Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
Malta 2-2 Azerbaijan                               Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria)
Cyprus 0-1 Belgium                                 Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (Russia)
These seven referees had relatively quiet games with little controversy. Good work by them and their crews.

Carlos Velasco Carballo is our August referee of the month

Carballo

Spanish UEFA Elite Carlos Velasco Carballo was voted the referee of the month for August by our writers today as he continues to rebound from a tough World Cup in 2014. He refereed the huge Champions League playoff match between Lazio and Leverkusen in Leg 2 and showed his decision making ability with a key second yellow decision in the match. He has also done well on the Spanish league circuit, solidifying his place as our referee of the month.

Premier League Referee Rankings for September 2015

1. Martin Atkinson (+2)
Atkinson has been very strong this year and was appointed to the high profile Manchester City-Chelsea match, where he had a good performance. Atkinson also has done well on the European circuit, refereeing a Champions League Playoff match. Look for the veteran Atkinson to see some more key matches this coming season. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: 4th Official

Atkinson has taken the lead in our BPL referee rankings

2. Mike Dean (-1)
Dean has fallen down one in the rankings after a decent but non spectacular start to the season that included a clear holding foul in the box missed in Aston Villa vs. Manchester United. Overall, I still have confidence in Dean's ability, but you would like to see a little more from a top referee. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City

3. Mark Clattenburg (-1)
Honestly, Mark Clattenburg hasn't done anything wrong yet this season. He correctly sent off John Terry and called a penalty in the Chelsea-West Brom week 3 fixture and has kept good control in a couple more quiet matches. However, he hasn't seen a big match yet this season, which pushes him a tad behind Atkinson and Dean. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: Manchester United vs. Liverpool

4. Michael Oliver (+1)
Oliver is starting to move towards the top of our list after an excellent August. He started out with a great performance in Chelsea-Swansea on the opening weekend, correctly sending off Thibaut Courtois for DOGSO in a courageous decision. He then was assigned to the huge match between Arsenal and Liverpool and recently got two red card decisions right at Stoke. Those three things are enough to move him up in the rankings. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: Norwich City vs. Bournemouth

5. Anthony Taylor (-1)
Taylor was decent overall, but it's the Adrian red card decision that dropped him down. We feel like a yellow could've sufficed in that case since Adrian had no way of knowing he was kicking the Leicester player. Otherwise Taylor has been good this season, but when you couple that mistake with Michael Oliver's good performances he has to drop down one spot. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: 4th Official

6. Craig Pawson (+2)
I know what you're thinking: Pawson? Wasn't he the referee who was poor in the Liverpool-Bournemouth match? However, I actually thought Pawson was good in the match, with his call to deny Bournemouth a goal being a good call since it was a clear foul. The only big mistake was made by Pawson's AR, who failed to flag Christian Benteke for offsides on Liverpool's goal. Now to be fair, Pawson would've stayed at 8 if two other referees didn't get dropped down in our list. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Football League Championship

7. Lee Probert (-1)
Probert has dropped in our rankings simply due to the fact that he is once again having fitness issues and is yet to referee a game this season at any level. He is still in our top 10, but at this point all we have to rely on regarding Probert is his past performances. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: Off

8. Phil Dowd (-1)
Like fellow referee Lee Probert, Dowd is also fighting monumental fitness issues and hasn't refereed this season or since last February for that matter. We'll continue to wait on Dowd's return, but until he comes back he is bound to keep falling in our list. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: Off

9. Andre Marriner (no change)
Marriner was criticized by many for his red card decision in the recent Newcastle-Arsenal match but I think he got it right since it was a clear violent conduct case. This was also a great example of Marriner starting to move away from his conservative style of refereeing, which we outlined in the last rankings. Look for Marriner to try to build off a good start in the upcoming weeks. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: Everton vs. Chelsea

10. Jonathan Moss (no change)
Moss has also had a good start to the season, and looks primed to climb up our rankings if he continues the good work he has shown in a couple reasonably difficult matches this season such as the season opener between Manchester United and Tottenham. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Arsenal vs. Stoke

11. Lee Mason (no change)
Mason has continued to struggle with consistency, which was very evident in the Week 2 match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace, in which he only showed a yellow on one of two very similar fouls. If Mason could just become more consistent he could start to move up the ranks. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: West Ham vs. Newcastle United

12. Neil Swarbrick (no change)
There isn't much to write about Swarbrick so far this season after he had two quiet matches in lowish level fixtures. So far so good for Swarbrick, but the jury is still out on whether his success will continue. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: Sunderland vs. Tottenham

13. Mike Jones (+2)
Jones has shaken off an inconsistent 2014-15 to have a strong opening to this year, getting most of his key decisions right in two early matches, leading to a surprise appointment to Everton-Manchester City in Week 3. Jones isn't somebody I consider a top referee but you never know with referees. Sometimes they start to make a change in approach that raises their level. Maybe Jones is one of those referees. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: Leicester vs. Aston Villa

14. Roger East (-1)
East is the third referee on our list who is yet to officiate a Premier League match due to an injury, but  of all the referees who have been out he does look like the most likely to return to the Premier League shortly, having refereed in the League two and League one in the past two weeks. -- Harrison Johnson
Week 5 Prediction: Watford vs. Swansea City

15. Robert Madley (+1)
Madley still seems to not get that many appointments, only refereeing two matches so far this season. However, he has been good in the two matches including a relatively big match between Tottenham and Stoke. Madley is still only 29 years old and has a bright future in front of him that could come to fruition in the next couple years. -- Neil Tyler
Week 5 Prediction: West Brom vs. Southampton

16. Kevin Friend (-2)
Friend drops two spots after an abysmal performance in Liverpool-West Ham in which he appeared to incorrectly send two players off. Not much to say other than that Friend is just really unsure of what calls to make. He needs to turn it around fast if he wants to stay in the Select Group much longer. -- Will Cole
Week 5 Prediction: 4th Official

17. Graham Scott (no change)
The BPL's newest official is still yet to referee a match due to his own fitness issues. Until he actually referees a Premier League match, we have no choice but to put him in the bottom spot on our list. -- Bob Smith
Week 5 Prediction: Off

BONUS SECTION!
Promotion Battle Rankings
1. Keith Stroud
2. Paul Tierney
3. Simon Hooper

MLS Week 26 Reports: 6 penalties and 5 red cards in action packed week

New York Red Bulls 3-2 Chicago          Referee: Allen Chapman (United States)
Chapman and crew had one of the strangest plays of the season to deal with, which they unfortunately made a mistake on.
9th Minute: NY's Matt Miazga is knocked over by Chicago's Jeff Larentowicz in the box as they battle for a set piece. The contact wasn't huge and some referees would let it go, but I support Chapman's decision to point to the spot since he has a much better view of the incident then what I can see from the video.
49th Minute: NY score an equalizer on a trick corner kick play where Lloyd Sam taps the ball into play so Sacha Kljestan can dribble into the box straight from the corner and make a quick pass to a wide open Ronald Zubar. However, Sam clearly touches the ball twice after Chapman blows the whistle to start the play, which should result in an indirect free kick for Chicago. AR Anthony Vasoli should've seen this and informed Chapman of the infringement.

Colorado 2-1 Houston                           Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
Fischer called two penalties in this match, but both had an interesting twist.
19th Minute: Houston Defender Alex slides in to try to block a pass and he successfully does so. Unfortunately, the ball hits his trailing left arm. Fischer calls for a penalty on the signal of AR Fabio Tovar. Unfortunately, I disagree with the penalty call since I think Alex couldn't have really done anything to avoid the ball brushing his hand.
36th Minute: Once again Fischer signal a penalty after a signal from an AR, though this time it was Claudiu Badea who signaled for a penalty. This one is certainly correct, as Colorado's Bobby Burling practically swatted away a long ball from Houston. Good call by Badea and Fischer.

San Jose 1-0 LA Galaxy                       Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero (United States)
Rivero found himself facing criticism from LA manager Bruce Arena and captain Robbie Keane for an important sending off in this match.
47th Minute: San Jose's Quincy Amarikwa is running towards goal with just the keeper to beat when he is pulled down by Leonardo. Rivero shows red, and I agree despite criticism from Keane and Arena that Omar Gonzalez had a chance of catching up to Amarikwa. To me it looks like it was unlikely that Gonzalez was going to catch up and therefore red is the right call. Absolutely correct sending off by Rivero.

NYCFC 1-2 Columbus                         Referee: Juan Guzman (United States)
Guzman and his crew had a strong game with no real controversy. Great work by the whole team!

Toronto FC 2-1 Montreal                     Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
Villarreal had a strong performance in the 401 derby, correctly showing one second yellow.
77th Minute: Montreal's Laurent Ciman is already booked when he bundles over Robbie Findley on the wing. Villarreal shows a second yellow and it was such a clear foul that Ciman didn't even argue the decision. Nice call by Villarreal.

Philadelphia 0-1 New England             Referee: Chris Penso (United States)
Penso also showed a red in his match and it was for a rarely seen offense in stoppage time.
94th Minute: Philly's Christian Maidana pushes Lee Nguyen down in an act of frustration, drawing a foul call from Penso. As Maidana backs away from Nguyen he clearly spits at the Revs midfielder. Penso sees this and correctly sends Maidana off.

Orlando 1-1 Chicago                            Referee: Baldomero Toledo (United States)
Toledo had a quiet game with little controversy. Nothing to look at here.

Houston 2-0 Vancouver                        Referee: Kevin Stott (United States)
Stott showed two second yellows to Vancouver in this match and both were certainly deserved.
56th Minute: Giles Barnes of Houston is in space on the left wing when he is chopped down by Kendall Waston, who had already been booked. Stott shows a second yellow and I agree since the foul was certainly reckless enough to deserve a yellow.
64th Minute: Vancouver's Matias Laba, already on a yellow, tries to kick the ball away from Sheanon Williams but he misses and accidentally kicks Williams. Stott shows Laba a second yellow and one again I agree because despite the lack of intention from Laba, the kick was enough of a foul to deserve a yellow. Good call by the veteran MLS referee.

FC Dallas 2-0 Real Salt Lake               Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
Unkel called two penalties in this match, but I unfortunately only agree with one of the calls.
49th Minute: RSL's Aaron Maund makes a strong but legal challenge on Tesho Akindele in the box and appears to win the ball cleanly. However, Unkel doesn't see it this way and points to the spot to to the shock of the RSL players.
77th Minute: RSL's Juan Manuel Martinez is dribbling through the box when he is knocked over by Kellyn Acosta. This time Unkel gets it right and points to the spot. Good call by the second year MLS referee.

Nick Rimando expresses his displeasure with Unkel's penalty call

Colorado 2-1 Kansas City                    Referee: Jorge Gonzalez (United States)
Gonzalez and his crew had a good match with little controversy. Nothing to go in depth on from this match.

Seattle 2-1 Portland                              Referee: Alan Kelly (Ireland)
Kelly called one penalty in this match, drawing criticism from Portland manager Caleb Porter for his decision.
41st Minute: Seattle play a long ball forward to Obafemi Martins, who is impeded by Portland keeper Adam Kwarasey. Kelly calls a penalty but does not show Kwarasey a card of any color. For me, it was a clear penalty and certainly not a red for DOGSO since there were two defenders who could have potentially stopped Martins but I still would've liked to have seen a yellow for stopping a promising attack from Kelly.

New York Red Bulls 3-0 DC United    Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)
Marrufo had a strong match in the Atlantic Cup with no controversy. Nice work by him and his crew.

Thanks for reading!