# What's the most blatantly incorrect officiating error in sports history? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 19, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578 "2016-02-19T20:09:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/81 "2016-02-25T00:40:02Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I’d like to remind everyone that the snowplow incident was wholly irrelevant. It may have cost the Dolphins a game in the regular season, but they still went to the Superbowl that year. (And got revenge by knocking the Patriots out of the playoffs along the way.) Any complaints about it seem like petty grudges to my ear. > > My bad call nomination _directly eliminated my team from the playoffs._ Eh. The thread’s not about _most consequential blatantly incorrect officiating errors_ it’s just _most blatantly incorrect officiating errors_. How important it was is sort of beside the point. Of course, I’m the guy saying it doesn’t belong here anywhere, so I don’t know what the hell I’m arguing with you for. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/82 "2016-02-25T00:42:08Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > I could be missremembering, I am not a sports fan. The play in question was atouch down pass that got reviewed because they were not sure the receiver was in bounds, watching the review was were you realized the guy never even caught the ball at all. > > [The third paragraph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XL) mentions talk about the reffing in that game. I cant find footage of the play in particular. You could very well be right (and the officiating was apparently terrible). I was just curious because I had never heard this controversy. I barely remember the game; I certainly don’t remember any details. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/83 "2016-02-25T05:35:59Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > In the history of sports? That would be the jackass ref in 84 or so who said I didn’t catch the ball. The ball never got within 2 feet of the ground you stupid blind asshole. There is no way anybody could have ever thought the ball hit the ground, he obvious just called it 'cause he wanted _them_ to win. Softball. Woman on first. I hit a line-drive to the 1B it has a weird spin on it and actually hits the ground before getting to the first baseman…ump calls me out on Infield Fly Rule. Whic…what…? Not only was it not a flyball, you can’t call it with a person just on 1B. Indoor soccer, ref calles goal when the ball hits the wall about two feet awayf rom the goal. Ref said it bounced off a stanchion inside the goal. Outdoor soccer. Played with those goals under football goalposts so that there’s a couple of feet between crossbars. Ball goes through hole in net, but ref says the ball went between the crossbars. Okayyyyyy ref. Oh…REAL sports? ok. Last year…MLB. Man on first… ball hit to 2B he tosses to SS who throws to first. The batter beats the throw easily. But umps rule man on second and the batter out. HUH? Wha?? I can see a ruling that leaves no men on base. (Some kind of interference by the man on 1B) I can see a man on 1B (What should have happened) I can see two men on base if the SS missed the bag…but how the hell do you wind up with a runner on second who was clearly out and no man on 1B who beat the throw by a mile?? The announcers just sat there, and mumbled, “We don’t know what just happened. I don’t know how to score that.” ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/84 "2016-02-25T05:42:03Z")
Then there’s the MLB commisioner just making up rules on the spot. All-Star tie game?? So they ran out of pitchers? Big deal. There are still nine guys on the scorecard. Make one of them pitch. Rays-Phils World Series. It looks like a WS game might be shortened on account of rain. Commisioner then and there rules no playoff game will be shortened for rain. It will have to be suspended. The game ended up being tied, but that’s how he was going to rule ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/85 "2016-02-25T13:49:36Z")
[From women’s world cup several years back.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN0xHlhnLe4) A shot comes in, goes off the post, bounces toward an Equitorial Guinea defender who grabs the ball and holds it for a good 3 seconds then drops it. Nothing called. The Australian women were stunned that no penalty was awarded. I was watching it live on TV and had to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/86 "2016-02-25T22:48:31Z")
Olympic basketball, 1972 gold medal game, US vs. USSR. The very definition of blatant. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/87 "2016-02-25T23:35:47Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > If it was Hochulees he could have stopped it one handed. Speaking of Ed Hochuli, there was a Chargers/Broncos game 5 years back or so. Chargers are up by 7, with very little time left. Broncos have the ball and are driving. They make it to the Charger’s 20 yard line, but Jay Cutler fumbles it due to a few Chargers defensive players making it to the backfield. Ed blows his whistle, and a Charger scoops up the ball. It was correctly determined that since he blew the whistle, the play was dead and the Broncos keep the ball. They score, go for two and win. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/88 "2016-02-25T23:45:53Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > Speaking of Ed Hochuli, there was a Chargers/Broncos game 5 years back or so. Chargers are up by 7, with very little time left. Broncos have the ball and are driving. They make it to the Charger’s 20 yard line, but Jay Cutler fumbles it due to a few Chargers defensive players making it to the backfield. Ed blows his whistle, and a Charger scoops up the ball. It was correctly determined that since he blew the whistle, the play was dead and the Broncos keep the ball. They score, go for two and win. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xta-iJliupo/hqdefault.jpg "Bad Call") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xta-iJliupo) I think I saw that one live. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/89 "2016-02-26T05:06:03Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > 100% incorrect would mean “100% incorrect”; are you denying that the commissioner stated that it wasn’t against the rules? The Commissioner said he wasn’t going to reverse the score, no matter what. > [@](#): > > The “palpably unfair” rules are rather vague in this scenario. Most references in the rule-book refer to players. The “non-player” section, refers generally to non-players “entitled to sit on the bench”. The only reference to “equipment men” which is what Mark Henderson would probably qualify as only prohibits non-players from contacting, threatening or making obscene gestures at opposing players (or league officials). Vague, perhaps. Blatantly incorrect to allow this to happen? Obviously. > [@](#): > > Look, the Patriots could have dug out the spot with their hands. Which would have exhausted the Patriots players, making the snowplow more advantageous, as you point out here: > [@](#): > > It wouldn’t have been that hard. No one would have complained. _ **The snowplow was expedient,** _ certainly, but didn’t confer that profound an advantage. If they had used the snowplow to pile snow on the Dolphin’s field goal spot, then we could talk. I think I know what is going on here, because you are so offended I brought up this as an example. Yer a Boston sports fan, aren’t you? Come clean, don’t lie to me. I’ll break you down if you try. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/90 "2016-02-26T05:18:26Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > [From women’s world cup several years back.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN0xHlhnLe4) A shot comes in, goes off the post, bounces toward an Equitorial Guinea defender who grabs the ball and holds it for a good 3 seconds then drops it. Nothing called. The Australian women were stunned that no penalty was awarded. I was watching it live on TV and had to laugh. Wow. There was the phantom call against Maurice Edu in the USA vs Slovenia match in 2010 that cost the US 2 points and nearly lost them the group. Higher stakes error, but not nearly as blatant. What’s the equivalent to missing that penalty? Something like in the NFL where after getting tackled a player gets up off the ground, walks the ball an addition 10 yards down the field and the refs use that as the spot? ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/91 "2016-02-26T05:24:32Z")
1988 summer Olympics in Seoul, when Park-Sihun beat Roy Jones 3-2 when everyone, even Park, thought Jones beat the crap out of him. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/92 "2016-02-26T13:29:40Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > The Commissioner said he wasn’t going to reverse the score, no matter what. I didn’t ask what else the commissioner said. I asked if the commissioner acknowledged that there was no rule against the act. Try again. > [@](#): > > Vague, perhaps. Blatantly incorrect to allow this to happen? Obviously. Please look up “blatant” and get back to me. > [@](#): > > Which would have exhausted the Patriots players, making the snowplow more advantageous, as you point out here: Like playing football in a blizzard? There is a long way from “more advantageous” to “let’s invoke a rule that has never been defined, not enforced in the history of the league.” > [@](#): > > I think I know what is going on here, because you are so offended I brought up this as an example. > > Yer a Boston sports fan, aren’t you? > > Come clean, don’t lie to me. I’ll break you down if you try. This would be an interesting point if I hadn’t already, explicitly and clearly, referred to the act as gamesmanship at best and cheating at worst. At absolutely no point have I actually defended the Patriots. I’ve been defending the _officials_ who as far as I know do not work for the Patriots organization. I award you no points. Have you noticed the flocks of non-Patriots fans rushing to agree with you in this thread? No? Huh. I’m bored now. I’m going to do something productive with my time. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/93 "2016-02-26T16:27:27Z")
In soccer, this was a bad call: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLEw6lFp-ys) ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/94 "2016-02-26T16:56:32Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > Speaking of Ed Hochuli, there was a Chargers/Broncos game 5 years back or so. Chargers are up by 7, with very little time left. Broncos have the ball and are driving. They make it to the Charger’s 20 yard line, but Jay Cutler fumbles it due to a few Chargers defensive players making it to the backfield. Ed blows his whistle, and a Charger scoops up the ball. It was correctly determined that since he blew the whistle, the play was dead and the Broncos keep the ball. They score, go for two and win. I saw that one live too. We drove all the way from Canada for that _&_^%$ nonsense :). Really good game otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/95 "2016-02-26T20:06:25Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > I think I know what is going on here, because you are so offended I brought up this as an example. > > Yer a Boston sports fan, aren’t you? > > Come clean, don’t lie to me. …I’m not American, I don’t really follow American football, nor the various rules it has, but it seems pretty obvious that this was not a blatant incorrect officiating error. If the best you can do is point to a rule that in the history of the game has never been enforced, then you don’t really have an argument. All you’ve got left are ad hominems. > [@](#): > > I’ll break you down if you try. And really lame threats. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/96 "2016-02-26T20:21:30Z")
Does screwing up a video replay count? Ottawa Redblacks against the Montreal Alouettes, 2014: > [@](#): > > With more than eight minutes remaining, London caught a pass from Jonathan Crompton and fell to the turf at the Alouettes’ 31-yard line without being touched by a defender. > > After London got back on his feet, Redblacks cornerback Abdul Kanneh pulled the football out his arms and it was recovered by teammate Jovon Johnson. > > On-field officials called it a fumble by Montreal and a recovery by Ottawa, but the video official ruled London had been touched by a defender, meaning the player was down by contact and the fumble was negated. > > Campbell challenged that second ruling, but the same video official upheld his own decision. [http://ottawacitizen.com/storyline/cfl-officials-admit-they-messed-up-the-redblacks-possession-call](http://ottawacitizen.com/storyline/cfl-officials-admit-they-messed-up-the-redblacks-possession-call) Damn near everyone in the stadium, including the officials on the field, knew overturning the original call was a mistake, and even the league admitted it a few days later. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/97 "2016-02-26T20:35:45Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul, when Park-Sihun beat Roy Jones 3-2 when everyone, even Park, thought Jones beat the crap out of him. That wasn’t an “officiating error” so much as it was biased judging - there was a lot of “home cooking” in Olympic boxing in 1984 as well as 1988. (Of the 11 USA boxers in 1984, all but 3 won gold medals, one lost a decision in the final, one (Holyfield) was DQed, and one (Michael “Who’s He?” Shannon) was knocked out early in the tournament.) What happened to Jones played a major part in AIBA switching to electronic punch-count scoring by 1992. Now, what happened to Holyfield might qualify; in his semi-final bout in 1984, the referee called “Stop”, but apparently Holyfield’s opponent had a glove over one of Holyfield’s ears and he didn’t hear it, and just as we was calling “Stop” a second time, Holyfield threw a punch that knocked his opponent out. The referee ruled “hitting after a ‘stop’ command”, and since the opponent was knocked out, Holyfield was automatically disqualified. Technically, that should have resulted in Holyfield not receiving any medal, but whatever USA Boxing was called at the time complained, and AIBA “compromised”; the disqualification stood, but Holyfield could keep the bronze medal. Speaking of Jones, I am half-expecting NBC to “arrange” for him to be given a gold medal as an apology for 1988, the way they had Muhammad Ali given a replacement gold medal for the one he won in 1960 and subsequently (supposedly) threw into a river. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/98 "2016-02-27T07:19:20Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > This would be an interesting point if I hadn’t already, explicitly and clearly, referred to the act as gamesmanship at best and cheating at worst. At absolutely no point have I actually defended the Patriots. I’ve been defending the _officials_ who as far as I know do not work for the Patriots organization. I award you no points. > > Have you noticed the flocks of non-Patriots fans rushing to agree with you in this thread? No? Huh. Your refusal to answer yes or no to the question speaks volumes. Your a typical entitled butt-hurt Patriots fan that cant accept an example that paints their team in a bad light. > [@](#): > > I’m bored now. I’m going to do something productive with my time. Thank you for letting me off the hook. I was desperately hoping to find a way out of your non-sensical interaction. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/99 "2016-02-27T07:20:51Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …I’m not American, I don’t really follow American football, nor the various rules it has, but it seems pretty obvious that this was not a blatant incorrect officiating error. If the best you can do is point to a rule that in the history of the game has never been enforced, then you don’t really have an argument. All you’ve got left are ad hominems. > > And really lame threats. Who asked you, anyway? Buzz off. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578/100 "2016-02-27T14:13:19Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Who asked you, anyway? Buzz off. Pit posters you’re annoyed with, but stop this way of replying to anyone outside of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-blatantly-incorrect-officiating-error-in-sports-history/746578.md?page=6)