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MLS Fair Play Awards and Referee of the Year Announced

November 4, 2016 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK - Major League Soccer today announced Philadelphia Union defender Keegan Rosenberry and Columbus Crew SC as respective individual and team MLS Fair Play Award winners. The league also announced that Alan Kelly and Frank Anderson were voted the MLS Referee of the Year and the MLS Assistant Referee of the Year respectively.

During his breakout rookie season with the Philadelphia Union, Rosenberry became the lone field player in 2016 and the fourth rookie field player in league history to appear in every minute of every regular season game. A 2016 MLS All-Star, Rosenberry saw more time on the field than any non-goalkeeper since 2013, and he logged all 3,060 minutes possible without ever receiving a yellow card. As an outside back, Rosenberry committed the second fewest fouls (13) by any player appearing in all 34 games, and he ranks among the league's top 20 in both tackles (78) and interceptions (88). Also dynamic on the attack with the sixth most crosses in open play, Rosenberry scored two goals and contributed two assists in his first professional season.

Both Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC) and Chris Tierney (New England Revolution) were also finalists for the award, which utilizes subjective evaluations on sportsmanlike behavior, as well as objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games and minutes played to select the winner.

For a record fifth time in the award's 20-year history, Columbus Crew SC earns the Team Fair Play Award after accumulating the fewest yellow cards (33) and committing the fewest fouls (311) during the 2016 regular season. MLS selects the Team Fair Play Award winner based on the fewest regular season disciplinary points, which are derived by adding the points assigned to fouls committed (3 points per), yellow cards (3 points per), red cards (7 point per) and Supplemental Points (8 points per each disciplinary action taken). Columbus Crew SC finished the season with 456 disciplinary points (13.41/game), Seattle Sounders FC was second (562; 16.5) and Toronto FC was third (579; 17.02).

Receiving more than 58 percent of the votes from players, 54 percent from the media, and 76 percent from club executives, Alan Kelly earns his second straight MLS Referee of the Year award after taking on 23 assignments as the center official and calling more MLS matches than any other PRO referee in the 2016 season. A native of Ireland, with experience refereeing FIFA World Cup qualifiers and UEFA Champions League games, Kelly is in his third MLS season and was awarded two more games in 2016 than in the previous year.

Following his 11th season as an MLS official, Frank Anderson earns his first Assistant Referee of the Year Award after receiving more than 30 percent of votes from players, media, and club executives. An assistant referee for 23 regular season games and during the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game, Anderson has been FIFA Assistant Referee since 2012, and he also served as a linesman for the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games Finals.

Nominated by U.S. Soccer, Canadian Soccer Association and the MLS Competition Committee, candidates for MLS Referee of the Year and Assistant Referee of the Year Awards were voted on by MLS club management media and MLS players. Below is the breakdown of the voting results for these two awards:

Referee of the Year Player Vote % Media Vote % Club Vote % Average %

Alan Kelly 58.46% 54.00% 76.32% 62.93%

Jair Marrufo 26.92% 26.00% 13.16% 22.03%

Baldomero Toledo 14.62% 20.00% 10.53% 15.05%

Asst. Referee of the Year Player Vote % Media Vote % Club Vote % Average %

Frank Anderson 51.90% 33.33% 36.84% 40.69%

Eric Boria 48.10% 35.56% 28.95% 37.53%

Ian Anderson 45.57% 31.11% 34.21% 36.96%

Fair Play Award - Individual Winners:

2016: Keegan Rosenberry - Philadelphia Union

2015: Darlington Nagbe - Portland Timbers

2014: Michael Parkhurst - Columbus Crew SC

2013: Darlington Nagbe - Portland Timbers

2012: Logan Pause - Chicago Fire

2011: Sébastien Le Toux - Philadelphia Union

2010: Sébastien Le Toux - Philadelphia Union

2009: Steve Ralston - New England Revolution

2008: Michael Parkhurst - New England Revolution

2007: Michael Parkhurst - New England Revolution

2006: Chris Klein - Real Salt Lake

2005: Ronald Cerritos - San Jose Earthquakes

2004: Eddie Pope - MetroStars

2003: Brian McBride - Columbus Crew

2002: Mark Chung - Colorado Rapids

2001: Alex Pineda Chacon - Miami Fusion

2000: Steve Ralston - Tampa Bay Mutiny

1999: Steve Ralston - Tampa Bay Mutiny

1998: Thomas Dooley - Columbus Crew

1997: Mark Chung - Kansas City Wizards

Fair Play Award -Team Winners:

2016: Columbus Crew SC

2015: Philadelphia Union

2014: Philadelphia Union

2013: LA Galaxy

2012: New England Revolution

2011: Portland Timbers

2010: San Jose Earthquakes

2009: Chicago Fire

2008: New England Revolution

2007: Columbus Crew

2006: Kansas City Wizards

2005: Kansas City Wizards

2004: Columbus Crew

2003: New England Revolution

2002: Kansas City Wizards

2001: San Jose Earthquakes

2000: Tampa Bay Mutiny

1999: Columbus Crew

1998: Kansas City Wizards

1997: Columbus Crew

Referee of the Year Winners:

2016: Alan Kelly

2015: Alan Kelly

2014: Mark Geiger

2013: Hilario Grajeda

2012: Silviu Petrescu

2011: Mark Geiger

2010: Kevin Stott

2009: Alex Prus

2008: Jair Marrufo

2007: Brian Hall

2006: Brian Hall

2005: Brian Hall

2004: Abiodun 'Abbey' Okulaja

2003: Brian Hall

2002: Kevin Terry

2001: Paul Tamberino

2000: Paul Tamberino

1999: Paul Tamberino

1998: Paul Tamberino

1997: Esse Baharmast

Assistant Referee of the Year Winners:

2016: Frank Anderson

2015: Corey Parker

2014: Paul Scott

2013: Kermit Quisenberry

2012: Ian Anderson

2011: Corey Rockwell

2010: Craig Lowry

2009: Greg Barkey

2008: Kermit Quisenberry

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