Philadelphia referee Kathryn Nesbitt named U.S. Soccer female referee of the year

Philadelphia-based referee Kathrn Nesbitt has been named U.S. Soccer Female Referee of the Year, the federation announced on Thursday. Nesbitt was the inaugural recipient of the Female Referee of the Year Award while Guido Gonzales Jr. was named the Male Referee of the Year.

“As we continue to emphasize the importance of refereeing to our game, U.S. Soccer is proud to recognize the significant contributions of Kathryn and Guido, who represent the best of officiating in American Soccer,” JT Batson, U.S. Soccer CEO, stated in a news release.

The first person to work both a Men’s World Cup Final (Qatar 2022) and Women’s World Cup Final (Australia/New Zealand 2023), Nesbitt has been a member of the FIFA Panel since 2016 and was an AR in 18 MLS matches, including three MLS Cup Playoffs matches in 2024. Nesbitt’s other high profile assignments during 2024 include officiating a quarterfinal match at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, Second Round Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers, Copa América Group Stage matches, 2024-25 Concacaf Nations League Group Stage and Play-In matches, the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Third-Place Match, Concacaf W Gold Cup Quarterfinal and Semifinal, Concacaf Champions Cup First Round and Quarterfinal and Concacaf Central American Cup Semifinal.

“I am humbled to be the first U.S. Soccer Female Referee of the Year,” said Nesbitt, a Rochester, N.Y. native who settled in Philadelphia after earning a PhD in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. “It’s such an incredible feeling to have years of hard work acknowledged and respected by my peers and the broader U.S. Soccer community. Thank you to everyone for the support and recognition.”

The awards were determined via weighted vote from PRO Referees, National Referee Coaches, U.S. Soccer Board of Directors and U.S. Soccer Referee Committee members (45 percent); National Professional and International Referees (25 percent); State Referee Committee members (15 percent); and U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Team players that earned a cap in 2024 (15 percent).

For Female Referee of the Year, Nesbitt emerged from a list of nominees that included fellow FIFA Assistant Referee Brooke Mayo, as well as FIFA Referees Alyssa Nichols, Tori Penso and Natalie Simon, winning 26 percent of the weighted vote. For the Male Referee of the Year Award, Gonzales won 29 percent of the weighted vote among a list of nominees that included FIFA Assistant Referees Kyle Atkins and Corey Parker, PRO Referee Ismir Pekmic and FIFA Referee Armando Villarreal.

An MLS Referee since 2018, Gonzales officiated 24 matches in 2024, including the MLS Cup Final between the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, as well as the MLS All-Star Game in which the league selection took on the top players from Liga MX. Gonzales has served as the Referee in over 100 MLS matches and is now eligible for international assignments after being appointed to the FIFA Panel for 2025.

“I am extremely honored to receive the U.S. Soccer Male Referee of the Year award,” Gonzales said. “This recognition reflects the years of dedication, preparation and passion for the game we all share as referees. I am grateful for my family, mentors and fellow referees that have and continue to share this journey with me. Thank you for this incredible honor — it’s a privilege to serve the beautiful game.”