The best soccer referees are unbiased and will stop the game if a player is injured. Soccer referees maintain order among the players on the field of play and act as objective judges of the behavior of players and substitution infractions.
Come with me to the beautiful game, where there are colorful uniforms and exquisite physical condition of athletes – this is football. But there’s no game without soccer referees – invited experts, who have the right to allow or disqualify any player or team. Their main job is to prevent confusion, mistakes, and fights on the field during the game. Each referee wears a different color’s official clothing which helps players and coaches to know who stops the game, who declares fouls, and gives other decisions during a match.
Top 10 Best Soccer Referees in 2023
Did you know that soccer referees are regarded as the most important people in the world, even more so than players and coaches? They decide when a goal is valid or not, and they judge when a red card needs to be given or when a yellow card is enough for the player who committed a violation of the rules. They can also suspend games for bad weather and other reasons. Some even say that soccer referees are more important than coaches because they have the final say on who wins and loses.
1. Michael Oliver
Matches: 18
Yellow Cards: 59
Red Cards: 1
Born in Gloucestershire, Michael Oliver is an English professional football referee who belongs to the Select Group of Referees in England. He serves as a member of the National List of Referees for the Premier League, having been promoted from the Select Group. He is also a county FA referee for the Northumberland Football Association and serves on its board.
Throughout his career in the Premier League, Oliver has officiated 19 matches with 59 yellow cards and one red card being shown.
2. Paul Tierney
Matches: 18
Yellow Cards: 77
Red Cards: 1
Paul Tierney is an English football referee best known for his time as a referee in the Premier League. He has received several awards and recognition for his achievements as a referee and is currently registered with the Lancashire Football Association, one of England’s most prestigious footballing bodies.
Tierney has refereed 18 matches since his advancement to the FIFA list of Referees, including matches in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League. He issued 77 yellow cards and one red card throughout those games, which is an average of 4.8 yellow cards per match and 0.2 red cards per match.
In addition to his work as a Referee, Tierney has held positions as a Football Development Officer for the English Football League and a National List Official for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited.
3. Mike Dean
Matches: 17
Yellow Cards: 54
Red & Yellow Card: 1
One of the most influential referees in the world today is Mike Dean. He’s a primary league referee on the English professional football circuit, and he’s known for his fair and competent decisions. He’s very good at developing a rapport with players, managers, and coaches, and he can defuse even the most heated disagreements. In fact, he developed a reputation early in his career for being calm under pressure and being able to think quickly when something unexpected happens on the field.
We have 17 matches with Dean in charge of them, and he showed 54 yellow cards during those matches. This is one red and yellow card combo as well.
4. Jonathan Moss
Matches: 17
Yellow Cards: 36
Red & Yellow Card: 4
Jonathan Moss is an English professional football referee who officiates matches in the Primary league. He was promoted to the FIFA Select Group of Referees in 2014, which means he is one of the very best referees in the world. His excellent performance has led to him being called up to referee high-profile matches like Champions League and FA Cup finals. He has shown a tendency to give out a large number of yellow cards, but also strikes a good balance between that and red cards. In 17 matches, he has given out 36 yellows and 4 red yellow card combos.
5. Craig Pawson
Matches: 17
Yellow Cards: 75
Red Cards: 1
Craig Pawson is a top-notch referee who deserves recognition for his excellent career.
He has excelled as an English football referee for years. In the year 2013, he was promoted to FIFA’s Select Group of Referees, making him one of the most highly regarded referees in England. He has officiated many important matches, including Manchester United vs. Chelsea, and he has consistently made good decisions and given strong penalties.
His style has been described as “authoritative and firm” because of his ability to control the match with a calm demeanor, even when players are arguing with him. As of now, he has refereed 17 matches and given out 75 yellow cards and 1 red card.
6. Anthony Taylor
Matches: 17
Yellow Cards: 69
Red Cards: 2
We’ve had so many great soccer referees over the years, but Anthony Taylor has been one of the best. As the main referee in the Premier League, he makes sure that matches are played fairly, and that players and coaches observe the rules of the game. He’s been a FIFA Select Group referee since 2010 and was voted England’s best referee. He officiates European and international matches, such as UEFA Champions League matches, when he isn’t refereeing Premier League or FA Cup games. Up till now, he has refereed 17 international matches and given out 69 yellow cards and 2 red cards to players who were either breaking the rules or just being plain mean to each other.
7. Martin Atkinson
Matches: 16
Yellow Cards: 36
Red Cards: 2
English referee Martin Atkinson is widely recognized as one of the best soccer referees in 2022. Atkinson has a long history of officiating in the Premier League, giving him a breadth of experience that is hard to rival. In his 16 matches this season, he gave 36 yellow cards and two red cards for fouls committed. He was also the main referee for a few matches in the Primary league and has been praised for his fair, no-nonsense approach to all games he has been involved in.
Despite this recognition, Atkinson does not feel that he has reached his peak yet and continues to work at improving his performance.
8. David Coote
Matches: 16
Yellow Cards: 36
Red Cards: 2
David Coote is one of the most well-respected referees in England. He has officiated many matches during his career and has refereed in three major international tournaments: the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro, and the UEFA Champions League final.
He was appointed as the referee for 16 matches in the Premier League season, including Chelsea against Cardiff City, Everton against West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United, and Newcastle United against Arsenal. In total, he issued 36 yellow cards and 2 red cards throughout his assignments.
9. Stuart Attwell
Matches: 13
Yellow Cards: 42
Red Cards: 1
Stuart Attwell is one of the best soccer referees in the world. He is an English professional football referee, known for being the youngest person ever to referee in the Premier League. Attwell has been on the FIFA International Referees List, and he has worked as a referee in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, and Football League Championship. He is most famous for overseeing 13 matches and giving 42 yellow cards and 1 red card.
10. Andre Marriner
Matches: 13
Yellow Cards: 48
Red cards: 1
Andre Marriner is a member of the Select Group of Referees and has taken charge of matches in the Premier League, Football League Championship, and FA Cup. In total, he has officiated over a dozen matches during his career. As a referee, he took charge of 13 matches, 11 of which were in the Premier League. He also officiated 4 matches in the English Football League Championship and 1 match in the FA Cup competition. He has issued 48 yellow cards and 1 red card during his time as a referee.
Conclusion
The best referees are well respected, known for providing clear and accurate calls, and impartial (not influenced by team affiliation). They must also be in proper physical shape. Referees are officiating matches at the Premier League level (the highest professional level of play) to ensure the entire game is being played ethically. The referees referenced above are the best of the best.
The top 10 best soccer referees are:
1. Michael Oliver
2. Paul Tierney
3. Mike Dean
4. Jonathan Moss
5. Craig Pawson
6. Anthony Taylor
7. Martin Atkinson
8. David Coote
9. Stuart Attwell
10. Andre Marriner
