ATLANTA (Jan. 13, 2025) – U.S. Soccer Referees Brooke Mayo and Joe Dickerson have been voted the 2025 U.S. Soccer Female and Male Referees of the Year after outstanding campaigns officiating at the highest levels of American and international soccer. Mayo and Dickerson, who were informed of their honors during the Professional Referee Organization’s (PRO) preseason camp in Houston, are the second respective winners of the Federation’s Referee of the Year honors, which were launched in 2024 as part of U.S. Soccer’s emphasis on the importance of referees to the game.
“Referees are essential to the health and growth of the sport at every level, from youth fields on Saturdays to the biggest international stages,” said JT Batson, CEO of U.S. Soccer. “Their commitment, professionalism and love for the game create the fair, safe and competitive environments that players, coaches and fans rely on. Recognizing this year’s Referee of the Year honorees not only celebrates Brooke and Joe's exceptional achievements, it also highlights the vital role match officials play across our soccer ecosystem. As we work to inspire more people to step into officiating and support referees throughout their careers, this award shines a well-deserved spotlight on those who uphold the integrity and spirit of our game.”
Part of the first American group of match officials to work a FIFA World Cup Final at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Mayo has been a member of the FIFA International Panel since 2018 and an MLS Assistant Referee since 2020. In 2025, the veteran AR worked three matches at the FIFA Club World Cup, ran the line for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, officiated 25 MLS matches, two Final Round FIFA World Cup qualifiers and one Concacaf Champions Cup match.
“I want to share my gratitude for everyone, especially the women, who have paved the way for all the opportunities that are now afforded to us as officials,” Mayo said. “I believe with mutual respect and support for everyone involved, we can continue to grow this beautiful game in our country.”
An MLS Referee since 2017 and member of the FIFA Panel since 2023, Dickerson officiated eight matches at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, including serving as the Fourth Official for the semifinal between Argentina and Colombia and final between Argentina and Morocco. Additionally, Dickerson worked two matches each at the Concacaf Gold Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup, one game each in Concacaf Final Round World Cup Qualifying and the Leagues Cup and 16 MLS matches in 2025.
“It is certainly a distinct honor and a pleasure to receive this award,” Dickerson said. “In representing the more than 120,000 U.S. Soccer referees, I can only hope to do justice to, and embody, the hard work and dedication they all put into honing their craft at every level. Truly, this process and the changes it induces in us is the greatest award of all, and therefore what matters most; there have been so many along the way — not just mentors, but every referee with whom I’ve interacted – who have helped shape me into the referee and person I am today, so for that I am eternally grateful.”
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 2025 (15 percent).
For Female Referee of the Year, Mayo won 20.8 percent of the weighted vote, emerging from a list of finalists that included fellow FIFA Assistant Referee and 2024 Referee of the Year winner Kathryn Nesbitt, as well as FIFA Referees Alyssa Pennington, Tori Penso and Natalie Simon. For Male Referee of the Year, Dickerson won 35.3 percent of the weighted vote among a list of nominees that included PRO Referee Rosendo Mendoza, as well as FIFA Assistant Referees Logan Brown, Cory Richardson and Nick Uranga.
