PRO to re-evaluate members' connections to pro clubs amid Tim Ford scrutiny following Vancouver Whitecaps debacle

The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) reportedly informed ESPN that it will be re-evaluating the process of how it constitutes a referee's connection with a club. PRO, which handles training and assigning of referees in MLS and USL, made the statement in the wake of social media posts surfacing of referee Tim Ford and his family attending an LAFC match.

Ford will not be sanctioned.

The debacle came to light this weekend after the Vancouver Whitecaps were defeated by the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 in MLS action, highlighted by a flurry of controversial officiating decisions. In the match, Ford handed Whitecaps' defender Edier Ocampo two separate yellow cards for what he deemed to be offenses, sending him off. Ford also called a penalty on Vancouver defender Tristan Blackmon, which was recommended by the VAR official to be looked at on the monitor for a potential change, but Ford stuck with his initial decision, opting not to side with a potential change from video review.

"Everybody who watched the game saw a man slip and one man saw a penalty," Vancouver manager Jesper Sorensen told reporters after the match. "That's how it is. Luckily, we play with VAR, so they saw it differently, and then it was still a penalty."

After the contest, photos, some of which were from 2018, surfaced of Ford and his family attending an LAFC match. The photos came from Ford's wife's Instagram, and the account has since been made private.

On Monday, MLS rescinded the second yellow and ensuing fine from Ocampo, making him eligible for selection immediately for Vancouver. 

Ford and the Whitecaps have an ongoing history, but Saturday marked his first time officiating a match of theirs since the 2023 MLS postseason, where he was once again at the center of controversy with the Canadian side. 

In the 2023 MLS Playoffs, Vancouver and LAFC were participating in a Best-of-3 series, and in match two, Ford awarded LAFC a controversial penalty that was converted by Denis Bouanga in a 1-0 victory to clinch the series. He also sent off former Whitecaps manager Vanni Sartini in the match.

In Sartini's postgame press conference, he threatened Ford and was suspended and fined by MLS for his comments. “If they found [Ford] in False Creek then I’m going to be a suspect. I’m not saying that I would do it, I’m saying I’m the first suspect - it’s different,” Sartini said. He was suspended for six matches and fined $20,000. 

One Instagram post that surfaced from his wife's account showed that his children got to meet LAFC's players after game one of that series. 

PRO informed ESPN that Ford will not be sanctioned, as he was not wearing LAFC merchandise in the photos. In a text message sent, PRO informed ESPN that they will be adjusting their policy for evaluation, though.

"We are re-evaluating our processes about what constitutes a connection with a club," a spokesperson said. 

Vancouver sports a record of 3-3-3 in matches officiated by Ford. LAFC, meanwhile, are 3-2-2.

Ford has been assigned to be the fourth official in Saturday's MLS match between the Colorado Rapids and Atlanta United.