Major League Soccer hired its first full-time referees prior to the 2008 season.
The initiative began in 2007, when U.S. Soccer hired four officials—Jair Marrufo, Ricardo Salazar, Baldomero Toledo, and Terry Vaughn—as full-time referees. Their contracts allowed them to concentrate on match preparation, fitness, evaluation, and professional training instead of balancing officiating with another primary career.
The move was part of MLS’s broader “Game First” effort to improve the quality and consistency of play. MLS itself does not independently assign every referee; U.S. Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association supplied officials for professional matches, while MLS worked with those governing bodies on development and standards.
A common mix-up is saying the program began in 2008 because that was the first season in which the change was widely visible. The hiring itself happened in 2007, making 2008 the season immediately following the historic appointment.