P R E S S  R E L E A S E

 

 OFFICIATING PIONEER JOINS WPSL AS DIRECTOR OF MATCH OFFICIALS   

 

 

OKLAHOMA CITY (1/20/2025) — The Women’s Premier Soccer League announced today the naming of soccer officiating pioneer Karen Swanner as its Director of Match Officials ahead of the 2025 season. 

 

 

Swanner succeeds Dave Simmons, who directed the WPSL’s referees since the league’s inception in 1998, setting an exemplary standard for the league and women’s soccer match officiating.

 

 

Swanner, with more than 40 years as a soccer official, assigner, educator, researcher, and soccer executive, is tasked with elevating WPSL match officiating by improving professionalism, game knowledge, management skills, and overall performance consistency for the more than 2,500 officials working WPSL games this year.  

 

 

“I am looking forward to this opportunity to be part of the growth and development of the WPSL,” Swanner said. “My diverse background in the sport of soccer allows me to bring an inclusive, enthusiastic, experienced and hands-on approach in my new role.” 

 

Swanner began her officiating journey in 1979, earning her United States Soccer Federation National Referee badge in 1995. During her tenure, Swanner has refereed international, Major League Soccer, United Soccer League, WPSL, and elite amateur and youth matches. 

 

 

Spending nearly two decades in the collegiate sector, Swanner has officiated over 19 college Final Fours (seven Division I, three Division II, eight NAIA, and one NJCAA), and more than 40 conference tournaments along with hundreds of conference and exhibition matches across the collegiate spectrum.  

 

 

A pioneer in indoor soccer refereeing, she became one of the first female Floor Officials in professional indoor soccer and served a three-year stint as Director of Officials for the Premier Arena Soccer League. 

 

 

In 2017, she developed TheOfficialsMind.com to develop and enhance officials’ mental performance and contributes regularly to Referee Magazine. From 1992-1995 she served as General Manager of the Buffalo Blizzard professional indoor franchise, published soccer-related media, and in 2022 became a FIFA and USSF registered sports agent. 

 

 

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For more information on the WPSL, visit wpslsoccer.com.

 

 

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About the Women’s Premier Soccer League

The WPSL is set to open its 27th season in May 2025 to retain itself as the most tenured women’s league in North America. The WPSL continues to operate as the largest women’s soccer league in the world. An all-time high of 141 teams in 34 U.S. states competed in the league’s first division of the 2024 season. Team rosters feature elite collegiate, post-collegiate, international, and standout prep student-athletes. Many of the United States’ most accomplished women’s national team players have played in the WPSL since its inception in 1998, including household names such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Abby Wambach, and Brandi Chastain.