{{short description|American association football referee (born 1987)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox football official | name = Alex Chilowicz | fullname = | image = | caption = Chilowicz in 2023 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|12|03}} | birth_place = New Jersey, United States | death_date = | death_place = | otheroccupation = Musician | years1 = 2009–2022 | league1 = NCAA | role1 = Referee | years2 = 2013–2017 | league2 = United Soccer League | role2 = Referee | years3 = 2014–2017 | league3 =NASL | role3 = Referee | years4 = 2017–2023 | league4 = Major League Soccer | role4 = VAR | years5 = 2017–2023 | league5 = Major League Soccer | role5 = Referee | years6 = 2023– | league6 =English Football League | role6 = Referee | years7 = 2024– | league7 =Premier League | role7 = VAR | internationalyears1 = 2022 | confederation1 = CONCACAF | internationalrole1 = Referee }} '''Alex Chilowicz''' (born December 3, 1987) is an American association football referee working in the English Football League since 2023.<ref name="chilowicz-becomes-efl-official">{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/news/2023/december/12/former-mls-referee-alex-chilowicz-becomes-efl-official/ |title=MLS Referee Alex Chilowicz becomes EFL Official |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=December 12, 2023 |website=EFL.com |publisher=English Football League |access-date=June 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303033408/https://www.efl.com/news/2023/december/12/former-mls-referee-alex-chilowicz-becomes-efl-official/ |url-status=live |archive-date=March 3, 2024}}</ref> He was previously employed by PRO and officiated in Major League Soccer (MLS) between 2017 and 2023.<ref name="pro-chilowicz">{{cite web |url=https://proreferees.com/roster/referees/alex-chilowicz/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201221753/https://proreferees.com/roster/referees/alex-chilowicz/ |title=Alex Chilowicz |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |publisher=Professional Referee Organization |url-status=live |archive-date=December 1, 2023 |access-date=June 29, 2024}}</ref>
==Career== In 2014, Chilowicz was named Referee of the Year by the New Jersey Soccer Association.<ref>{{cite web |title=Referee of the Year |url=https://www.soccernjsa.com/referee-of-the-year/ |website=soccernjsa.com |publisher=New Jersey Soccer Association |access-date=June 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925073509/https://www.soccernjsa.com/referee-of-the-year/ |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Chilowicz officiated college soccer for many years, beginning as early as 2009<ref>{{cite web |title=YORK (N.Y.) vs Stevens (11/12/09) |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_soccer_champs_records/2009/d3/html/steven1.htm |website=ncaa.org |publisher=NCAA |access-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607180253/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_soccer_champs_records/2009/d3/html/steven1.htm |archive-date=June 7, 2012 |date=November 12, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> until as late as 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacific Lutheran (16-1-3, 12-1-2) -vs- Lewis & Clark (4-7-8, 4-5-7) |url=https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/plu.sidearmsports.com/stats/wsoc/2022/pdf/20221106030559-225519.pdf |publisher=Northwest Conference |access-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807165506/https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/plu.sidearmsports.com/stats/wsoc/2022/pdf/20221106030559-225519.pdf |archive-date=August 7, 2024 |date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> He was the referee for a round of 16 match between USC and Utah in the 2016 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament.<ref>{{cite web |title=Women's Soccer vs Utah (Third Round) on 11/20/2016 - Box Score - USC Athletics |url=https://usctrojans.com/sports/womens-soccer/stats/2016/utah-third-round-/boxscore/10595 |publisher=University of Southern California Athletics |access-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103071427/https://usctrojans.com/sports/womens-soccer/stats/2016/utah-third-round-/boxscore/10595 |archive-date=November 3, 2023 |date=November 20, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Chilowicz debuted as a referee in Major League Soccer on August 19, 2017, taking charge of a match between the Colorado Rapids and D.C. United in Commerce City. In a career spanning seven seasons, Chilowicz was the referee for 106 regular-season MLS matches and served as VAR for 62 regular-season matches. He was the VAR for the 2018 MLS All-Star Game and fourth official for MLS Cup 2020.<ref name="pro-chilowicz" />
In May 2022, Chilowicz refereed at the 2022 Caribbean Club Championship in the Dominican Republic.<ref>[https://www.concacaf.com/en/caribbean-club-championship/game-details?matchid=621094 Violette AC 3 – 2 Cavalier]</ref><ref>[https://www.concacaf.com/en/caribbean-club-championship/game-details?matchid=621098 Cibao 1 – 0 Vega Real]</ref> On June 10, 2022, Chilowicz refereed his first competitive match between senior national teams, taking charge of a CONCACAF Nations League B match between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago in Arnos Vale.<ref>[https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=626324 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 – 2 Trinidad and Tobago]</ref><ref>{{Soccerway}}</ref>
Following the 2023 Major League Soccer season, the English Football League announced that Chilowicz had relocated to England and would become a National Group official.<ref name="chilowicz-becomes-efl-official" /> On December 23, 2023, he became one of the first non-British referees to take charge of a Football League match, refereeing a League Two fixture between Sutton United and Mansfield Town.<ref name="sutton-vs-mansfield-preview">{{cite web |url=https://www.suttonunited.net/news/2023/december/match-preview-for-sutton-united-vs-mansfield-town-on-23-dec-23/ |title=Sutton v Mansfield preview |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=December 22, 2023 |publisher=Sutton United |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227105302/https://www.suttonunited.net/news/2023/december/match-preview-for-sutton-united-vs-mansfield-town-on-23-dec-23/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 27, 2024 |access-date=June 30, 2024}}</ref>{{efn|Australian native Jarred Gillett began officiating in the EFL in 2019.}} On April 1, 2024, Chilowicz refereed his first EFL Championship match, a 2–1 win for Rotherham United against Millwall at New York Stadium.<ref name="vital-2024-rotherham-vs-millwall">{{cite web |url=https://rotherham.vitalfootball.co.uk/easter-monday-ref-watch-millers-v-millwall/ |title=Easter Monday Ref Watch – Millers v Millwall |author=Neale, Caz |date=March 31, 2024 |website=vitalfootball.co.uk |access-date=June 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630202315/https://rotherham.vitalfootball.co.uk/easter-monday-ref-watch-millers-v-millwall/ |archive-date=June 30, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
On August 27, 2024, Chilowicz refereed his first match at a Premier League stadium when he took charge of the EFL Cup tie between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crawley Town. The match was marked by a controversial incident early in the game, when a challenge by Jay Williams on Brighton's Matt O'Riley resulted in a serious injury for O'Riley. Chilowicz was criticized for not booking or sending off Williams for the foul.<ref name="brighton-crawley-2024">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c4gd9ne3g2yt#Report |title=Brighton & Hove Albion vs Crawley Town: League Cup }}</ref>
Chilowicz has received praise from Steve Evans for his decision-making and communication skills.<ref name="steve-evans-chilowicz-premier">{{cite web |url=https://www.thecomet.net/sport/24149503.steve-evans-alex-chilowicz-good-enough-premier/ |access-date=30 June 2024 |title=Steve Evans: Alex Chilowicz is good enough for the Premier |author=Metcalfe, Neil |website=thecomet.net |date=February 28, 2024 |publisher=The Comet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303221538/https://www.thecomet.net/sport/24149503.steve-evans-alex-chilowicz-good-enough-premier/ |url-status=live |archive-date=3 March 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Chilowicz was raised in Wayne, New Jersey, and played soccer at Wayne Hills High School, graduating in 2006.<ref name="the-record-weekend-shuffle">{{cite news |title=Weekend shuffle: Tourney semis, final may move to Saturday |last=Schutta |first=Gregory |date=October 23, 2002 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-weekend-shuffle-tourney-semi/150373131/ |work=The Record |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="community-news-chilowicz">{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=December 3, 2009 |title=Student to perform rare piece |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/community-news-student-to-perform-rare-p/150370870/ |work=Community News |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> His father Dan is a former teacher and soccer coach at Clifton High School.<ref name="the-record-weekend-shuffle" /><ref name="the-record-lembryk">{{cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Darren |title=Lembryk back at helm of Clifton girls soccer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-lembryk-back-at-helm-of-clift/150373580/ |work=The Record |via=Newspapers.com |date=March 21, 2009 |quote=Lembryk, a 1987 Clifton graduate, replaces Dan Chilowicz who, in the last three years, led the Mustangs to a Passaic County title and an NNJIL divisional title.}}</ref><ref name="clifton-journal-top-10-students">{{cite news |title=Top 10 students are impressive group |last1=James |first1=Barbara |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/clifton-journal-top-10-students-are-impr/150373970/ |date=July 12, 2013 |work=Clifton Journal |via=Newspapers.com |quote=Among her favorite teachers were Dan Chilowicz, who taught honors and AP Chemistry.}}</ref>
Chilowicz attended the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University and the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University–Newark.<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Berger-Carter-Berger Awardees |url=https://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/newark/visit-study/institute-jazz-studies/fellowship-programs/past-berger-berger-carter-awardees |website=libraries.rutgers.edu |publisher=Rutgers University |access-date=June 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810222810/https://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/newark/visit-study/institute-jazz-studies/fellowship-programs/past-berger-berger-carter-awardees |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="all-about-jazz-chilowicz">{{cite web |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/alex-chilowicz-at-william-paterson-university-by-david-a-orthmann |title=Alex Chilowicz At William Paterson University |author=Orthmann, David A. |date=January 16, 2010 |website=allaboutjazz.com |publisher=All About Jazz |access-date=June 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630214831/https://www.allaboutjazz.com/alex-chilowicz-at-william-paterson-university-by-david-a-orthmann |archive-date=June 30, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> He plays the saxophone.<ref name="all-about-jazz-chilowicz" /> Outside of refereeing, Chilowicz works as a musician, with credits in television and film as well as on Broadway.<ref name="ibdb-once-upon">{{cite web |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/alex-chilowicz-537334 |title=Alex Chilowicz – Broadway Cast & Staff |website=IBDB |access-date=June 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522225608/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/alex-chilowicz-537334 |url-status=live |archive-date=May 22, 2023}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Professional Referee Organization}} * {{Soccerway}} * {{WorldFootball.net referee}} * {{IMDb name}} * {{IBDB name}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chilowicz, Alex}} Category:Living people Category:1987 births Category:American soccer referees Category:Major League Soccer referees Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) referees Category:People from Wayne, New Jersey Category:Wayne Hills High School alumni Category:William Paterson University alumni Category:Rutgers University–Newark alumni Category:Sportspeople from New Jersey Category:Sportspeople from Passaic County, New Jersey Category:American male saxophonists Category:Musicians from Passaic County, New Jersey Category:Music copyists Category:English Football League referees