Former US FIFA referee Terry Vaughn passes away

[RefIADad]

Terry Vaughn, former FIFA referee from Eastern Iowa, dies

Terry Vaughn, an Iowa City West and Coe College graduate who became one of the nation’s top soccer referees, died Thursday after battling Huntington’s Disease. He was 50.

www.thegazette.com

If you have ever watched a MLS soccer game and wondered why referees wear blue wristbands, this is the reason why.

Terry Vaughn passed away today from Huntington's Disease at the age of 50. Vaughn refereed almost 240 MLS games between 1997 and 2012 before HD forced him into retirement. He started the annual referee academy in my home state of Iowa that now bears his name. Ever since Terry was diagnosed with HD, US referees often wear blue wristbands with "HD" embroidered on them. I wear at least one every game I referee. Not only was he a great ref, he was a better guy. If he wasn't refereeing pro games, he was at youth and high school games mentoring younger referees (including a MUCH younger me 20 years ago).

There was one error in this article. The first referee academy that now bears Terry's name was founded in 2002.

 

[Ref X]

@RefIADad Thanks for posting. A sad day for the world of soccer, for sure.

 

[RefIADad]

Here is a close up of the wristbands that are very common for US referees. I am currently wearing one at work today and answering questions about why I’m wearing it (which was exactly the goal for why I’m wearing it).