Kari Seitz

{{Short description|American soccer referee}}

{{Infobox football official

| name = Kari Seitz

| image = Kari Seitz 2013.jpg

| caption =

| fullname = Kari Seitz

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|11|2|df=y}}

| birth_place = United States

| otheroccupation = FIFA Senior Manager of Referees

| years1 =

| league1 = National Women's Soccer League

| role1 = Referee

| internationalyears1 =

| confederation1 = FIFA-listed

| internationalrole1 = Referee

}}

Kari Seitz is an American professional soccer referee and the most experienced female referee in the World (out of the male and female referees){{cite web|url=http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/12/32/longtime-us-soccer-referee-kari-seitz-to-retire|title=Longtime U.S. Soccer Referee Kari Seitz to Retire|publisher=U.S. Soccer Federation|access-date=18 October 2013}} She participated in four FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments in (1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011), as well as four Olympic soccer tournaments (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016) and is the only referee — man or woman — to do so.{{cite web|title=U.S. Soccer Centennial Referee Interview: Kari Seitz|url=http://www.ussoccer.com/news/referee-programs/2013/10/centennial-referee-interview-kari-seitz.aspx|publisher=U.S. Soccer Federation|access-date=18 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018043408/http://www.ussoccer.com/news/referee-programs/2013/10/centennial-referee-interview-kari-seitz.aspx|archive-date=18 October 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last=Baxter|first=Kevin|title=Referee Kari Seitz has been there, done that|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-xpm-2012-jul-28-la-sp-oly-baxter-soccer-20120729-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=28 July 2012 |access-date=18 October 2013}}{{cite web|title=Kari Seitz|url=http://www.usrefereeconnection.com/#!kari-seitz/ctyd|publisher=US Referee Connection|access-date=18 October 2013}}

In October 2013, she announced she would be retiring later in the month after a 28-year career. Her final assignments included the 2013 National Women's Soccer League championship match, the league's first.{{cite web|title=Kari Seitz to retire from center circle|date=8 October 2013 |url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2013/10/08/kari-seitz-to-retire-from-center-circle/|publisher=Equalizer Soccer|access-date=18 October 2013}}{{cite web|title=U.S. referee Seitz to retire after historic career|url=http://www.concacaf.com/article/u-s-referee-seitz-to-retire-after-historic-career-2|publisher=Concacaf|access-date=18 October 2013}}{{cite web|title=Most decorated international soccer referee in U.S. history to retire|url=http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_24270987/most-decorated-international-soccer-referee-u-s-history|publisher=Contra Costa Times|access-date=18 October 2013}}

At the request of FIFA, in 2016 she began managing training for Women's Soccer Referees worldwide. She and her husband relocated to Switzerland in 2016 and she assumed her duties within the FIFA organization.