For the second time in their respective careers, Ismail Elfath has been named the MLS Referee of the Year and Corey Rockwell the MLS Assistant Referee of the Year. The announcement was made on Friday as the league's end-of-the-year awards roll out throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Candidates for both MLS Referee and Assistant Referee of the Year were selected through a nomination process that included match officials and executives from the Professional Referee Organization. The winners are decided by an average vote from MLS players, club technical staff, and media.
Congratulations to Ismail Elfath, the 2022 MLS Referee of the Year! 👏 pic.twitter.com/AugFkcoJ0r
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 14, 2022
Elfath first won the award during the COVID-struck 2020 season and his illustrious career now includes 193 matches MLS matches officiated, including 17 during the 2022 MLS regular season. The Austin-based referee made his MLS officiating debut on May 19, 2012 and joins Allen Chapman, Mark Geiger, Alan Kelly, Paul Tamberino, and Brian Hall as the only officials to win the award more than once.
Following the conclusion of the MLS postseason, Elfath will represent the U.S. and PRO as a referee at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Armando Villareal, another finalist for the MLS Referee of the Year award, will also be working at the World Cup as a Video Assistant Referee.
Rockwell collects his second MLS Assistant Referee of the Year award after previously winning it in 2011. Since making his officiating debut on April 8, 2005, he has officiated 340 MLS matches.
Honored to receive this news today. Eighteen years in MLS and it gets more fun every year.
— Corey Rockwell (@coreyrock) October 14, 2022
Will have a short celebration, then all focus will shift to Monday's game. #YouAreOnlyAsGoodAsYourNextGame https://t.co/a8jL3eCTN2
The 18-year veteran served as an assistant referee for 27 matches throughout the 2022 MLS regular season, and his career highlights include representing the U.S. and PRO at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and being an assistant referee in the 2019 MLS Cup Final. Rockwell joins Kermit Quisenberry and Corey Parker as the only assistant referees to receive this honor twice in their careers.
Below is the voting breakdown and a full list of the previous award winners:
| Referee of the Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Player Vote | Club Vote | Media Vote | Average Vote |
| Elfath, Ismail | 35.40% | 47.20% | 25.50% | 36.03% |
| Chapman, Allen | 39.10% | 26.80% | 31.90% | 32.60% |
| Villarreal, Armando | 25.50% | 26.00% | 42.60% | 31.37% |
| Assistant Referee of the Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Player Vote | Club Vote | Media Vote | Average Vote |
| Rockwell, Corey | 27.40% | 39.80% | 44.70% | 37.30% |
| Anderson, Ian | 40.10% | 37.40% | 23.40% | 33.63% |
| Elliott, Chris | 32.50% | 22.80% | 31.90% | 29.07% |
| MLS Referee and Assistant Referee of the Year Award Winners | ||
| Season | Referee of the Year | AR of the Year |
| 2022 | Ismail Elfath | Corey Rockwell |
| 2021 | Robert Sibiga | Cory Richardson |
| 2020 | Ismail Elfath | Kathryn Nesbitt |
| 2019 | Allen Chapman | Brian Dunn |
| 2018 | Alan Kelly | Joe Fletcher |
| 2017 | Allen Chapman | Corey Parker |
| 2016 | Alan Kelly | Frank Anderson |
| 2015 | Alan Kelly | Corey Parker |
| 2014 | Mark Geiger | Paul Scott |
| 2013 | Hilario Grajeda | Kermit Quisenberry |
| 2012 | Silviu Petrescu | Ian Anderson |
| 2011 | Mark Geiger | Corey Rockwell |
| 2010 | Kevin Stott | Craig Lowry |
| 2009 | Alex Prus | Greg Barkey |
| 2008 | Jair Marrufo | Kermit Quisenberry |
| 2007 | Brian Hall | N/A |
| 2006 | Brian Hall | N/A |
| 2005 | Brian Hall | N/A |
| 2004 | Abiodun Okulaja | N/A |
| 2003 | Brian Hall | N/A |
| 2002 | Kevin Terry | N/A |
| 2001 | Paul Tamberino | N/A |
| 2000 | Paul Tamberino | N/A |
| 1999 | Paul Tamberino | N/A |
| 1998 | Paul Tamberino | N/A |
| 1997 | Esse Baharmast | N/A |