Tori Penso
Mary Victoria Penso (née Hancock; born 1986) is an American soccer referee. She began her professional refereeing career in the National Women's Soccer League and later moved to Major League Soccer, where in 2020 she became the first woman to referee a regular season match in 20 years. Penso was the referee for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final, the first World Cup final to feature an American referee.
| Full name | Mary Victoria Penso[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Mary Victoria Hancock[2] | ||
| Born | 1986 Stuart, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Other occupation | Digital marketer | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2015– | National Women's Soccer League | Referee | |
| 2019– | USL Championship | Referee | |
| 2020– | Major League Soccer | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2021– | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Career Edit
Penso was raised in Stuart, Florida, and began refereeing in high school alongside her older brothers.[3] She was invited to an Olympic Development Program refereeing camp in Alabama at the age of 18.[4] Penso graduated from Florida State University in 2008 with a digital marketing degree. She worked in marketing for Coca-Cola and Red Bull until relocating to Ohio to earn a Master of Business Administration in 2015 from the Case Western Reserve University.[5][6]
Penso joined the United States Soccer Federation as a referee in 2013 and was assigned to women's collegiate tournaments and later the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).[5][6] Following the 2019 Generation Adidas Cup, she was invited to join the Professional Referee Organization's PRO2 development program. Penso later served as an assistant or fourth official at several Major League Soccer (MLS) and USL Championship matches, in addition to assignments in the NWSL.[4][5]
In January 2020, Penso was appointed as the managing director of the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association.[7] On September 25, 2020, she became the ninth woman to referee a MLS match and the first since Sandy Hunt in May 2000.[5]
On January 9, 2023, FIFA appointed her to the officiating pool for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.[8] Penso was appointed to officiate the final—the first referee from the U.S. to officiate a FIFA World Cup final and the first Women's World Cup final referee from the Americas—as well as a semi-final and three earlier matches.[9][10]
Personal life Edit
Penso is married to Chris Penso, a long-time MLS referee. They have three children.[5]
References Edit
- ^ "All posts tagged "Mary Victoria Penso"". Florida football Referees. from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ "From officiating at the YMCA to the NWSL's championship game, congratulations Tori and proud mom Patti Hancock!". YMCA. November 19, 2021. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ "Tori Penso: "Be the role you aspire to be"". Professional Referee Organization. May 18, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Carlisle, Jeff (September 25, 2020). "Tori Penso, first woman MLS ref since 2000, hopeful for more games". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Hills, Drake (September 25, 2020). "How Tori Penso became the first woman in 20 years to referee an MLS game". The Tennessean. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "From the national field to the corporate world: How Tori Penso, MBA '15, leveraged her Weatherhead education to turn her passion into a career". Case Western Reserve University. March 11, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ Huber, Gary W. (January 29, 2020). "Tori Penso Appointed as NISOA Managing Director". National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ "Match officials appointed for FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™" (Press release). FIFA. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ Woitalla, Mike (August 18, 2023). "First U.S. ref for World Cup final: Tori Penso set for another milestone". Soccer America. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ Anderson, Jason (August 18, 2023). "U.S. makes World Cup final after all as referee Penso gets England vs. Spain". USA Today. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
External links Edit
- Tori Penso at the Professional Referee Organization