Kari Seitz

Kari Seitz ( born November 2, 1970 in the U.S.) is a former American football referee and has conducted the only official ( men and women ) games in four FIFA World Cups.

Career

League

Seitz worked as a referee in the first professional U.S. Women's League Women 's United Soccer Association ( WUSA, 2001-2003), as well as in the follow- League Women's Professional Soccer (WPS, 2009-2011), in which she was already considered most experienced referee. In 2002, she was honored as WUSA referee of the year. In the last year of her career Seitz led the newly formed National Women's Soccer League ( NWSL ) nor even professional women's soccer games in league play and whistled among other things, on 31 August 2013, the championship final Western New York Flash against Portland Thorns FC. In addition, she was temporarily working in the highest U.S. Men's Soccer League Major League Soccer ( MLS).

Internationally

Seitz was international from 1999 worked as a FIFA referee until her resignation in 2013. She headed for the World Cup of Women in 1999 with the game Australia versus Ghana her first World Cup match. In 2003, she participated as a referee in part at the first U-19 World Cup of women in Canada and directed at the World Cup 2003, four group matches and the quarter-finals against China Canada. At the World Women's World Cup 2007, she came twice used, respectively, in the group stage. Even at the football World Cup in 2011 led Seitz games, including the match for third place, which they - as so far the only referee - participated in four World Cup tournaments.

Kari Seitz also led performances at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 and the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in 2010. Moreover, it launched at the 2005 European Football Championship Women, a group match and the semifinal against Sweden Norway. At the Olympic Games in 2012, she led the first game between Great Britain and New Zealand. This makes it next to Jenny Palmqvist (Sweden ) is the only referee that came into use in three Olympic soccer tournaments.

Seitz ' last game as a FIFA referee was the friendly match USA vs Australia ( 4-0) on October 20, 2013 in San Antonio. On October 27, 2013, it came in the game against New Zealand United States again as fourth official for use.

Seitz launched, as well as the two Germans Christine frai and Elke Fielenbach, eight games of the German national football team of women and thus most of all referees.