The report says Mayo started refereeing at Winters Park aged 13 before playing college football at Tennessee Tech University. She later spent a decade coaching high school football in Tennessee.
That playing and coaching background has shaped the way she sees officiating. Mayo believes referees need authority and clarity, but also an understanding of the emotional pressure surrounding decisive moments.
“Confidence during communication is important, but one of the best skills any official can have is empathy,” she said.
That perspective is particularly relevant at the elite level, where a single decision can alter a team’s tournament, season or national expectations.
Mayo also defended VAR, arguing that officials should have protection against clear mistakes in matches carrying enormous consequences.
“I love VAR because at the end of the day, I would hate to send a team home over a clear error that could be fixed,” Mayo said. “To have a fixable error send a country home - I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”
Her comments capture the modern referee’s difficult balance: make authoritative decisions in real time, while accepting technological intervention when an obvious error threatens to define a match.
The report says Mayo’s achievement drew attention beyond football, including support from actress Reese Witherspoon and a homecoming message from her daughter: “My mom made history reffing at the World Cup.”
Mayo hopes that visibility can encourage more girls and women to pursue officiating. “It’s just about seeing someone that looks like you in a place that maybe they haven’t always been invited, and being successful,” she said. “Hopefully this opens doors.”
The next storyline will be whether Mayo’s breakthrough becomes part of a broader, lasting pathway for women in the biggest matches.