David Socha

{{Short description|American soccer referee (1938–2025)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox football official

| name = David Socha

| image =

| fullname = David Stanley Socha

| otheroccupation =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|09|27}}

| birth_place = Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|02|10|1938|09|27}}

| death_place = Ludlow, Massachusetts, U.S.

| role1 =

| league1 =

| years1 =

| internationalyears1 = 1979–1986

| confederation1 = FIFA-listed

| internationalrole1 = Referee

}}

David Stanley Socha (September 27, 1938 – February 10, 2025) was an American soccer referee. He is best known for supervising two matches in the FIFA World Cup, one in 1982FIFA. [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=59/results/matches/match=1051/report.html "Match Report - Scotland - New Zealand 5:2 (3:0)"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629034155/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition%3D59/results/matches/match%3D1051/report.html |date=June 29, 2009 }}. June 15, 1982. Retrieved on June 5, 2013. and one in 1986.FIFA. [https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=68/results/matches/match=643/report.html "Match Report - Korea Republic - Italy 2:3 (0:1)"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706183115/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition%3D68/results/matches/match%3D643/report.html |date=July 6, 2013 }}. June 10, 1986. Retrieved on June 5, 2013. The 1982 match between Scotland and New Zealand marked the second ever World Cup match supervised by an American referee after Henry Landauer in 1970. Socha played in the semiprofessional leagues of the United States{{cite news |last1=Vecsey |first1=George |title=Sports of the Times; Only Yank In the World |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/10/sports/sports-of-the-times-only-yank-in-the-world.html |access-date=November 6, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=June 10, 1986}} and two seasons for Portsmouth in the 1950s.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19820614&id=NrdAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6602,2932106&hl=en|title = The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search}}

Socha is known to have served as a FIFA referee during the period from 1979Reyes Padilla, Macario. [https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/mex-intres7079.html "Mexico - International Results Details 1970-1979"]. RSSSF, September 18, 2008. Retrieved on June 5, 2013. to 1986. His other international events include the 1984 Olympic tournamentFIFA. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071102222741/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=3330/matches/match=12686/report.html "Match Report - Cameroon - Iraq 1:0 (1:0)"]. August 1, 1984. Retrieved on June 5, 2013. in Los Angeles and qualifying matches for the 1982[https://www.11v11.com/matches/honduras-v-mexico-22-november-1981-236925/ "Honduras v Mexico, 22 November 1981"]. November 22, 1981. Retrieved on June 5, 2013. and 1986[https://www.11v11.com/matches/el-salvador-v-honduras-10-march-1985-239055/ "El Salvador v Honduras, 10 March 1985"]. March 10, 1985. Retrieved on June 5, 2013. World Cups. During his career working matches in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1978 to 1984,[https://obits.masslive.com/us/obituaries/masslive/name/david-socha-obituary?id=57562200 David S. Socha 1938–2025 (obituary) – Legacy.com.] Retrieved February 18, 2025. Socha was the head referee for Soccer Bowl '82, and for game 1 of Soccer Bowl '84.{{cite web|title=NASL Soccer Bowl 84 - Game 1 (Sting vs. Blizzard) - First Half - YouTube |website = YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i85DTQa_m5s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106211520/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i85DTQa_m5s |archive-date=January 6, 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=June 29, 2013 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te2aKJWEpLQ|title = NASL Soccer Bowl 84 - Game 1 (Sting vs. Blizzard) - Second Half|website = YouTube}} He was also an assistant referee at Soccer Bowl '78.TVS Broadcast footage

Socha died at age 86 at his home in Ludlow, Massachusetts, on February 10, 2025.{{Cite web |url=https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2025/02/12/rip-david-socha-who-officiated-in-two-world-cups-passes-away/ |title=Socha, who officiated in two World Cups, passes away |first1=Michael |last1= Lewis |date=February 12, 2025 |website=FrontRowSoccer.com |access-date=February 17, 2025}}