Alex Chilowicz

Alex Chilowicz (born March 12, 1987) is an American association football referee working in the English Football League since 2023. He was previously employed by PRO and officiated in Major League Soccer between 2017 and 2023.

Career
In 2014, Chilowicz was named Referee of the Year by the New Jersey Soccer Association.

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.

In December 2021, Chilowicz refereed at 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying in the Dominican Republic. In May 2022, Chilowicz refereed at the 2022 Caribbean Club Championship, also in the Dominican Republic. 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.

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. On December 23, 2023, he became the first American to referee a Football League match, taking charge of a League Two fixture between Sutton United and Mansfield Town. On April 1, 2024, Chilowicz refereed his first EFL Championship match, a 2–1 win for Rotherham United against Millwall at New York Stadium.

Chilowicz has received praise from Steve Evans for his decision-making and communication skills.

Personal life
Chilowicz was raised in Wayne, New Jersey and played soccer at Wayne Hills High School, graduating in 2006. His father Dan is a former teacher and soccer coach at Clifton High School.

Chilowicz attended the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University and the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University–Newark. He plays the saxophone. Outside of refereeing, Chilowicz works as a musician, with credits in television and film as well as on Broadway.