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Tori Penso

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Tori Penso
Penso in 2017
Full name Mary Victoria Penso[1]
Birth name Mary Victoria Hancock[2]
Born (1986-07-08) July 8, 1986 (age 38)
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

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.

Career

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Penso was raised in Stuart, Florida, and began refereeing at the age of 14 alongside her older brothers.[3][4] She was invited to an Olympic Development Program refereeing camp in Alabama at the age of 18.[5] 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.[6][7]

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).[6][7] Following the 2019 Generation Adidas Cup, she was invited to join the Professional Referee Organization's PRO2 development program. Penso later served as a fourth official at several Major League Soccer (MLS) and referee in USL Championship matches, in addition to assignments in the NWSL.[5][6]

In January 2020, Penso was appointed as the managing director of the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association.[8] On September 25, 2020, she became the fourth woman to referee a MLS match and the first since Sandy Hunt in May 2000.[6] Penso is the first full-time female referee in the league's history.[3]

On January 9, 2023, FIFA appointed her to the officiating pool for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.[9] 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.[10][11] She later officiated the opening match of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.[12]

On April 3, 2024, FIFA announced that Penso was appointed to officiating pool for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[13] Penso was assigned the opening round Group A match between France and Colombia.[14]

Personal life

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Penso is married to Chris Penso, a long-time MLS referee. They have three daughters.[3][6] In addition to refereeing, Penso teaches a University of South Florida course in social media and sports.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "All posts tagged "Mary Victoria Penso"". Florida football Referees. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ a b c Timm-Garcia, Jaide (August 20, 2023). "'Being a mother has made me, frankly, a better referee,' says US ref Tori Penso, who is officiating at Women's World Cup". CNN. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  4. ^ "Tori Penso: "Be the role you aspire to be"". Professional Referee Organization. May 18, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Carlisle, Jeff (September 25, 2020). "Tori Penso, first woman MLS ref since 2000, hopeful for more games". ESPN. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Huber, Gary W. (January 29, 2020). "Tori Penso Appointed as NISOA Managing Director". National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  9. ^ "Match officials appointed for FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™" (Press release). FIFA. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Dunbar, Graham (December 16, 2023). "FIFA and Saudi Arabia bond over Club World Cup this week with bigger goal ahead of 2034 World Cup". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  13. ^ "U.S. Soccer Referees Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt Selected as Match Officials at 2024 Olympic Football Tournament in France". United States Soccer Federation. April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  14. ^ "Mixed gender teams to officiate at Paris 2024". FIFA.com. July 23, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Hall, Matthew (September 15, 2023). "Women's World Cup final ref Tori Penso: 'Male players chip in about everything'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by FIFA Women's World Cup final referee
2023 		Succeeded by
TBD
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