The most noteworthy change for MLS referees in 2017 is scheduled to come in the form of video replay during the second half of the season.
But that won’t be the lone modification.
In a teleconference with the media Friday afternoon, Peter Walton, the general manager for the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), outlined four areas of emphasis for officials this year — cracking down on holding and pushing in the penalty box, disciplining acts of visual dissent, punishing the intentional delay of restarts and carding persistent infringement.
“Those four initiatives will advance the game itself,” Walton said.