Nicole Petignat
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Nicole Petignat was born on October 27, 1966 in Lime-of-Melt, in Switzerland. In August 2003 she became the first female referee of a men's football game organized by the UEFA, AIK Fotboll (SWE) versus Fylkir (ISL) in the preliminary round of the UEFA Cup.
Petignat passed her youth in the canton of Jura. She started to take courses of arbitration in 1983. She climbed all the levels leading to the arbitration in the national League A (later the Swiss Super League). In July 1999 in Los Angeles she refereed the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup between the United States and China. In September 2000, she refereed in the women's football tournament at the Olympic Games of Sydney. Petignat lives in Watt, in the canton of Zurich, where she is a medical masseuse and lives with the Swiss referee Urs Meier.
[edit] 2007 Women's World Cup
Unfortunately, one call may somewhat mar her legacy. Petignat may now be best remembered for a controversial red card she issued in the 2007 Women's World Cup. Late in the first half of a semifinal match, she carded U.S. player Shannon Boxx after a collision between Boxx and Brazilian forward Cristiane. Cristiane was actually running behind Boxx when her feet clipped the American midfielder's heels, sending both to the ground. Whether there was actually any foul is debatable, but if there were it would normally be called on Cristiane. However, Petignat gave Boxx a second yellow card, which left the United States with ten players for the second half. The Americans had already conceded two goals, one an own goal, and they would concede two more in the second half for a final tally of 4-0.
