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There is no group in sports more underappreciated than referees. It's their job not just to maintain control over the games, but to keep up with the best athletes in the entire world as they continue to grow bigger, faster, and stronger every year. It’s one of the most thankless professions to get into—although we hear the pay is pretty good—and subjects all those who choose to become a referee to copious amounts of emotional (and occasionally physical) abuse.
However, you know you’ve done something wrong as a referee when you become a part of the story. Whether it’s Jim Joyce robbing Armando Galarraga of a perfect game or Joey Crawford acting like a blusterous buffoon, referees often find their way into the limelight for the wrong reasons. Often their missteps can be innocuous, but sometimes they influence games, and even championships. While there are certainly many to choose from, these are the 50 Biggest Referee Fails in Sports History.
50. The Tuck Rule
Date: 1/19/2002
Game: Oakland Raiders @ New England Patriots
Referee(s): Walt Coleman
Would the Patriots' mid-2000s dynasty ever have happened if not for Walt Coleman and the strange tuck rule during this 2002 Divisional AFC playoff game? It's a legitimate question, and is one that John Gruden undoubtedly still ponders after he was forced to watch a clear fumble by the Patriots' quarterback get reversed due to the fact that Brady's arm may have been coming forward when he was hit. The Patriots used their new life to tie the game on a miraculous Adam Vinatieri field goal a few plays later, then won the game in overtime. For the Raiders, this game was fortunately a bump in the road as they made the Super Bowl the next season.
49. The Ghost Goal
Date: 9/20/2008
Game: Reading @ Watford
Referee(s): Nigel Bannister, Stuart Attwell
We have to give some credit to referee Stuart Attwell. At 25 years old, being put in charge of a Championship Division game is impressive. However, awarding a "ghost goal" (with an assistant to linesman Nigel Bannister) is hardly a way to announce your presence as an up-and-comer in the refereeing world. Somehow, a ball that was headed well over a yard wide of the goal was determined to be in, giving Reading a 1-0 lead in a game that ultimately ended a 2-2 draw. Attwell did eventually find his way into the Premier league, but was demoted in early 2012 due to his shoddy performance.
48. In the Face!
Date: 9/15/2013
Game: Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
Referee(s): Rich Hall
It's actually kind of surprising that this doesn't happen more often. NFL umpires are forced to stand right in the middle of a play, and with the rules making it safer for receivers to cut across the middle of the field, an increasing number of passes head in that direction. Still, we can't imagine Rich Hall felt too good after taking this ball to the face from Jay Cutler, who in addition to being an icon in the tobacco industry has an absolute cannon for an arm.
47. Nice Moves, Joey
Date: 11/28/2012
Game: Indiana Pacers @ Los Angeles Lakers
Referee(s): Joey Crawford
Showmanship has become a part of today's NBA whether we like it or not. At this point, fans are used to seeing pretty much all manner of celebration on the court, and we've generally become conditioned not to find anything too over the top. But maybe we've found the limit here. Somebody needs to tell Joey Crawford that he isn't the center of attention, and this gallop/crotch chop routine (ostensibly a simple blocking foul) makes us wonder if he's trying out for the next iteration of Degeneration-X.
46. Maybe Don't Try Out for the Globetrotters
Date: 12/25/2011
Game: Orlando Magic @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Referee(s): Bill Kennedy
NBA referees have a pretty tough job considering the size and speed of the guys they have to control, and we're sure that sometimes they just want to show them that they have a little bit of game too. On opening night of the 2011-12 season, Bill Kennedy undoubtedly wanted to set the tone for the rest of the season, so he attempted to casually throw a behind-the-back pass when he really didn't need to. The result was a souvenir for the folks in the first row, a moment that might have been embarrassing had Kennedy not trotted back down the court with total nonchalance after his errant toss. Maybe it's because he had done this sort of thing before.
45. World's Greatest Dive?
Date: 6/3/2002
Game: Brazil v. Turkey
Referee(s): Yung Joo Kim
This one is pretty much universally accepted as the most egregious dive in modern footballing history. And really, it's not even close; Rivaldo does admittedly take a firm strike to the leg. But let's get real: Who is this fooling? The theatrical display took place right in front of the linesman, and yet he did nothing to dissuade referee Yung Joo Kim from ejecting Turkey's Hakan Ünsal from the match. The Turks would go on to have a shot at revenge in the semifinals when they faced their Group A foes again, but once more they found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreline against mighty Brazil.
44. Look Out Below
Date: 4/22/2013
Game: Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Clippers
Referee(s): David Guthrie
Sometimes it takes a lighthearted moment to diffuse the tension of an NBA playoff game, and Davod Guthrie certainly provided one here. With the tempers flaring in the Grizzlies-Clippers series, Tony Allen went down with a minor injury, he thought he was in the clear to simply rub his leg, then get back up. However, the backpedaling ref decided not to bother checking to make sure he was all clear, and instead tumbled right onto his ass, much to the delight of the fans sitting courtside.
43. Whose Feet was He Watching?
Date: 5/2/2012
Game: Los Angeles Dodgers @ Colorado Rockies
Referee(s): Tim Welke
Todd Helton has just reached the end of a long and decorated career, spending all 17 of his Major League seasons manning first base for the Colorado Rockies. He even has three Gold Gloves to go with his four Silver Slugger awards, making him a truly complete player. He also apparently earned way too much respect from umpires, as on this play his foot was about three feet off the base when Tim Welke called the runner out. While he may have had a bad angle, Welke perhaps should get his vision checked before he umps another Dodgers game.
42. Swing and a Miss
Date: 10/17/1999
Game: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox
Referee(s): Tim Tschida
Before their epic showdowns in 2003 and 2004, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox met in the 1999 American League Championship series. Already trailing two games to one and down by a run in Game 4, the Sox desperately needed to scratch out some runs. A check swing tapper unleashed all manner of controversy as second base umpire Tim Tschida somehow couldn't see Yankees' second baseman Chuck Knoblach whiff as he attempted to tag Jose Offerman. The Sox's appeals fell on deaf ears, and we can't help but wonder if this incident set Offerman on course for his decidedly more violent means of umpire conflict resolution he discovered later on.
41. Running Is Hard
Date: 4/14/2013
Game: Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat
Referee(s): Scott Wall
Who ever thought running could be so hard? Scott Wall was simply trying to get back down the floor, only to take an epic digger instead. The first hint that this is comic gold can be observed when watching Wall interact with his fellow official; the folks in the front row are laughing hysterically, and the guy with the dry mop is working furiously to cover up a pretty wide area. All things considered, though, we have to give him credit for bouncing right back from such a hard fall.
40. Puberty Sometimes Arrives Very Late
Date: 1/26/2011
Game: Carolina Hurricanes @ New York Islanders
Referee(s): Chris Rooney
Gentlemen, this has happened to all of us at some point in our adult lives. You're speaking as you normally would, when all of a sudden you revert back to puberty and your voice cracks. For referee Chris Rooney, this happened at one of the worst possible times: when he was trying to explain a call to thousands of people. It also doesn't help his cause that he is making some, um, adjustments at the very same time his voice goes up. While we can neither confirm nor deny a connection between the two, let's just say this is very suspicious indeed.
39. No Love for Lampard
Date: 6/27/2010
Game: England vs. Germany
Referee(s): Jorge Labbadia
England barely escaped the group stage in the 2010 World Cup, and for their trouble were forced to face a Germany squad that had finished unbeaten and first in the group in their three group stage matches. Things looked bad early on for the Brits, who fell behind 2-0 after 32 minutes. After they cut the deficit in half five minutes later on a goal from Matthew Upson, a penalty was awarded in the 39th minute that should have brought England level. Frank Lampard's kick hit the underside of the crossbar and clearly crossed the goal line, but the referee chose not to award a goal. Two second half tallies by Germany's Thomas Muller then sealed England's elimination.
38. Thanks for Not Listening
Date: 11/26/1998
Game: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions
Referee(s): Phil Luckett
Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday where we reflect upon everything that is right and good in our lives, and celebrate those who enrich our everyday existence. We're guessing that when the Steelers gathered around the table after their game against the Lions, they were not too thrilled with referee Phil Luckett. They were probably justified, considering Luckett somehow managed to confuse the words "heads" and "tails" during the overtime coin toss. Naturally, the Lions won the toss, marched down the field, and kicked a field goal to win the game.
37. Say What?
Date: 9/26/2010
Game: Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans
Referee(s): Carl Cheffers
Here, Carl Cheffers proved to the world that you don't have to be a replacement referee to get really confused while trying to explain a penalty. We give him credit for taking the time after the initial confusion to try to clarify everything, but you could easily argue that that only made things worse. Who was the penalty even on? And exactly how many penalties were there? It's all pretty hazy still.
36. Talk About Confusing...
Date: 8/29/2012
Game: New England Patriots @ New York Giants
Referee(s): Don King
Maybe it was a bad omen for the NFL replacement referees that they managed to infuriate both coaches simultaneously during a preseason game. Referee Don King (no, not that Don King) quickly became the center of attention during this meaningless game, offering garbled and seemingly nonsensical comments on relatively simple fouls. This particular play took nearly five minutes and three explanations to finally resolve that there were two penalties on the Giants, and really it set the tone for what was going to become a very dark couple of weeks for all football officials.
35. Sweet Throw, Bro
Date: 4/18/2010
Game: Los Angeles Angels @ Toronto Blue Jays
Referee(s): Jim Wolf
Those familiar with Major League Baseball will know Randy Wolf, a reliable just-retired lefty who enjoyed a nice 14-year career. His brother, Jim, happens to be an umpire as well, and one would think that the Wolf gene pool would have room for two capable throwers. Well, you'd be wrong. In this regular season game, Jim Wolf tried to execute a simple toss back to the pitcher, only to see it go horrifically wrong. His throw somehow became a grounder to third, which he followed with the classic "blame the footing" move. Everyone's had to pull that one out at least once before, so we can't be mad at him.
34. Swat City
Date: 12/12/2012
Game: Brooklyn Nets @ Toronto Raptors
Referee(s): Courtney Kirkland
If you're ever playing pickup hoops and need someone unafraid of a big man, we'd suggest you grab Courtney Kirkland. He got to live out a dream many of us have had: swatting the hell out of Kris Humphries. When the former Nets center was getting set to take his second free throw, Kirkland realized a sub was trying to enter the game; at that point, instinct took over. Being a man of action rather than one of words, Kirkland swatter the shot with Mutombo-like confidence; all he was missing was the finger wag.
33. Bottlegate
Date: 12/16/2001
Game: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cleveland Browns
Referee(s): Terry McAulay
Why is it always poor Cleveland on the receiving end of agonizing moments on the football field? For a city that's had to endure The Fumble, The Drive, Red Right 88, and many others, this is just adding insult to injury. Late in the fourth quarter and trailing 15-10 at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns' Quincy Morgan had made a clutch grab on 4th and 1 to give his team a first down. Following a spike by quarterback Tim Couch, Cleveland huddled up to try to get into the end zone and win the game. But referee Terry McAulay inexplicably decided to ignore the rules and review Morgan's catch from two plays prior.
After he found that the pass was incomplete, Browns fans began hurling bottles onto the field in a show of utter dismay, pelting officials and prompting McAulay to end the game right then and there. They actually had to finish half an hour later, and were met with even more trash from the still-frothing fans.
32. Down Goes Frasier!
Date: 8/9/2008
Game: Jeffersonville, Indiana vs. Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Referee(s): Chester Rice
Sometimes, life imitates art. In this Little League World Series qualification game, we got to see umpire Chester Rice do his best impression of "I've fallen and I can't get up," and his subsequent floundering on the ground immortalized his tumble in the pantheon of great "fish out of water" moments. While referees have been known to wipe out for a number of years, this one had the extra special element of occurring during a widely-watched national broadcast and had the added comedy of a very slow tumble that allowed viewers to truly appreciate what was happening. Rice was good-natured about the whole thing as well, realizing that the only way to avoid humiliation was to just totally own this blooper reel moment.
31. Referee Beast Mode
Date: 10/18/2008
Game: LSU @ South Carolina
Referee(s): Wilbur Hackett
Sometimes, you have to show the guys on the gridiron just how tough you all. Is in the middle of a game the time and place to do that? Debatable. But that didn't really matter for Wilbur Hackett, a former University of Kentucky linebacker turned college football umpire who simply reacted to getting bumped the only way he knows how: hitting. South Carolina quarterback thought he had evaded all the tacklers and had a shot at the endzone; the brick wall in zebra stripes had other ideas, though. While Hackett apologized and the matter was forgotten, chances are Garcia won't soon forget his run-in with this tough referee.
30. He Said What!?
Date: 9/12/2011
Game: Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos
Referee(s): Jerome Boger
To be fair, Jerome Boger does not always enunciate as well as might like; there' s a good chance that he is not a bigot. At least, that's what we hope. Through either a simple slip of the tongue or something far more sinister, Boger said "f*g" instead of "flag" when trying to explain why there was no penalty on the play, and if you listen closely you can hear the Denver crowd reacting to what they just heard. Credit Boger though; he played the entire thing very cool, not pausing to correct himself and thus allowing for plausible deniability if he were ever asked about what word he really meant to say. Very clever, Jerome, very clever.
29. All Muscles, No Brains
Date: 9/14/2008
Game: San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos
Referee(s): Ed Hochuli
We love Ed Hochuli for his muscles. There's no doubt he's a guy you want no part of when matching reps at the gym. But even we have to speak up when it comes to this call. Jay Cutler clearly threw the ball backwards, but by blowing the play dead Hochuli negated any chance at a booth review and guaranteed Denver could keep the ball. The consequences of this mistake were about as bad as could be imagined for a referee: he directly impacted the result of the game, and he had his grade lowered by the NFL.
28. Taking it Like a Champ
Date: 3/30/2013
Game: Chicago Bulls @ Dallas Mavericks
Referee(s): Danny Crawford
NBA players like to celebrate their big plays, and that's fine. Carlos Boozer kept it simple with this one, utilizing a simple shout/fist pump to punctuate a potential and-one. The only problem was that referee Danny Crawford, the very man who had given Boozer the chance for a three-point play, was standing in the crossfire. The result was that Crawford took a seismic right hook directly to the junk, although it appears that he managed to avoid any major damage to future generations.
27. Get Bob a Stick and Some Skates
Date: 5/14/2007
Game: Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs
Referee(s): Tim Donaghy, Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie
While calling this one a brawl would be generous, it had enormous implications on the rest of the series and on the Suns' entire franchise. After Robert Horry body-checked Steve Nash into the scorer's table and shoved Raja Bell, their teammates Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw rushed from the bench to their aid. No fighting occurred, but Stoudemire and Diaw's subsequent suspensions for Game 5 changed the entire tenor of the series, and had the referees been better able to control the situation it's likely they wouldn't have stormed off the bench like they did. Alas, we'll never know, and likewise the Suns were probably robbed of a title shot that season.
26. Nice Aim
Date: 12/22/2008
Game: Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Referee(s): Ron Winter
Of all the things that can go wrong for a referee in an NFL game, the coin toss is probably not high on the list. For a ref as experienced as Ron Winter, you'd think this type of thing would be pretty easy by now. Apparently not. His errant flip gave us the kind of fail we can all laugh at: one where the ref is embarrassed and taken down a peg or two, but not one that changes the outcome of the game.
25. Ball Boys: More Dangerous Than Strikers?
Date: 9/24/2006
Game: Atletico Sorocaba @ Santacruzense
Referee(s): Silvia Regina Oliviera
It's probably most Brazilian ball boys' dreams to become a professional soccer player. To be able to influence the outcome of your favorite team's games is a dream scenario, and usually you have to wait until you're much older to realize it. If your referee is Silvia Regina Oliviera, though, you might get to live your dream much sooner. In this Paulista Football Federation Cup match, the referee somehow didn't notice that the ball boy had been the one to toss a ball into the net after a shot had gone wide. The resulting goal she allowed (based on her linesman's opinion, she said) allowed home side Santacruzense to escape with a draw.
24. The Refs Fight Back
Date: 10/24/2013
Game: Al Nasar vs. Al Arabi
Referee(s): Saad Al Fadhli
Normally, you don't see a lot of highlights coming out of Kuwaiti soccer. However, this one from just a few weeks ago is too good to pass up. Referee Saad Al Fadhli decided that he had had enough of the complaining coming from Al Nasar's players, who were none too pleased about conceding a penalty kick. Some refs put up a tough guy façade but ultimately back down; not Al Fadhli. When an Al Nasar player got too close, he got slapped. Another one dared to enter the referee's personal space again, and he got kicked. Anyone else who got near was summarily dismissed from the game, and referees everywhere had to have been rejoicing that one of their own finally took a stand against bullying players.
23. Keeper Truck Stick
Date: 7/8/1982
Game: West Germany vs. France
Referee(s): Charles Corver
Goalkeepers can be a bit rough around the edges; just ask Patrick Battiston. In the semifinals of the 1982 World Cup, Battiston attempted to run onto a through ball but was met by leaping West German goalkeeper Harold Schumacher. Schumacher's force flattened the French striker, who lost several teeth, suffered damage to his vertebrae, and was completely knocked out before he hit the ground. Somehow, this was not enough for Dutch referee Charles Corver to call a foul, and Schumacher took the goal kick as if nothing happened. Who says soccer isn't a brutal sport?
22. The Wide Left That Wasn't
Date: 9/24/2011
Game: Toledo @ Syracuse
Referee(s): Tracy Jones
The greatest benefit of instant replay in college football is that inaccurate calls can quickly be rectified, as those who have a better viewing angle can have the final say. So what does it mean when not only the two officials in the end zone, but also the head ref both manage to screw up one play? Well, in this case it meant that Syracuse was given an additional point that allowed them to ultimately go to overtime, and then win the game. While neither team was a national title contender, every win matters; this one was owed in big part to the guys in black and white.
21. A Very Errant Throw
Date: 12/19/1999
Game: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cleveland Browns
Referee(s): Jeff Triplette
Jeff Triplette, a guy know for making questionable decisions, had everything wrong happen when he threw this flag. Referees are instructed to throw a flag towards the spot where the foul occurred, so Triplette hurtled a flag into a crowd of players during this December game. Unfortunately, the BB-weighted flag pelted the Browns' Orlando Brown square in the eye, sending the lineman into a rage that caused him to shove Triplette to the ground. To make matters worse, the injury nearly blinded him and forced him to sit out the rest of that season, as well as all of 2001 and 2002. Brown did finally return in 2003, and played until 2006.
20. The Pine Tar Incident
Date: 7/24/1983
Game: Kansas City Royals @ New York Yankees
Referee(s): Tim McClelland
Talk about a fun highlight. When he isn't threatening to shoot autograph seekers or telling tales of gastrointestinal distress, George Brett can be seen absolutely losing his mind during his playing days too. A bit of gamesmanship by Yankees' manager Billy Martin caused umpire Tim McClelland to toss Brett from the game for having too much pine tar on his bat, a seemingly innocuous offense that Martin probably pointed out only because Brett had just hit a home run to put the Royals ahead in the top of the ninth. American League president Lee MacPhail, mercifully, stepped in and overturned the call, and the game was resumed after the home run.
19. The Bulls Get Robbed
Date: 5/18/1994
Game: Chicago Bulls @ New York Knicks
Referee(s): Hue Hollins
The career of Hue Hollins is one of polar opposites. He was a referee in 19 Finals games and five All-Star games, working a total of 27 seasons. And yet, he also was the center of controversy both during his career and after, when he was implicated in the Tim Donaghy scandal. No call of his drew more scrutiny than here in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls, playing without Michael Jordan, looked poised to grab a three games to two lead in the series by stealing a road win at Madison Square Garden; as Hubert Davis attempted a desperation three pointer, Hollins called a ticky tack foul (at best) on Scottie Pippen, and naturally Davis hit all three free throws to give the Knicks the game and ultimately the series.
18. Seriously, Can You Count?
Date: 6/22/2006
Game: Croatia vs. Australia
Referee(s): Graham Poll
Counting can be difficult. Most of us weren't math majors, after all. But did you at least watch Sesame Street? If so (or even if you didn't), you can probably count to three. You should pat yourself on the back, though, because apparently not everyone can do this. At least, not major international soccer refs; Graham Poll somehow managed to issue three yellow cards in one game to Croatia's Josip Šimunić in their group stage clash with Australia during the 2006 World Cup. If you're not familiar with the rules of soccer, it's two yellow cards and you're out. In a game with 10 cards, we can see how it might be easy to lose track, but isn't that really the referee's main job? To you, you know, control the game?
17. Malice at the Palace
Date: 11/19/2004
Game: Indiana Pacers @ Detroit Pistons
Referee(s): Tim Donaghy, Ron Garretson, Tommy Nunez Jr.
Perhaps the most notorious event in NBA history, the "Malice at the Palace" perhaps could have been avoided had the officials been a bit more assertive in the brawl's early stages. Referees Tim Donaghy (amazing how he's at the center of every controversy, isn't it?), Ron Garretson, and Tommy Nunez Jr. certainly could have done a better job corralling the players at the center of the argument and getting them off the court. Ben Wallace and Stephen Jackson lingered for a very long time, which in part allowed things to escalate and the teams to get closer and closer to one another. In the immediate aftermath, the Pistons themselves criticized the refs for their role, notably not holding themselves at all accountable.
16. He Must Have Had Miami...
Date: 6/6/2005
Game: Detroit Pistons @ Miami Heat
Referee(s): Joey Crawford
Joey Crawford certainly likes being the center of attention, but this was taking things way too far. Facing elimination as they trailed late in the fourth quarter of Game 7, the Heat's Damon Jones raced down the court looking to get up one of his trademark corner threes. Before he could, though, he was bodychecked out of bounds by Crawford. To cover up his mistake, though, Joey decided to whistle the closest possible player (which happened to be Chauncey Billups) for the foul, which made about as much sense as when he challenged Tim Duncan to a fight a couple years later.
15. The "Hand of Frog"
Date: 11/18/2009
Game: Ireland @ France
Referee(s): Martin Hansson
The addition of the playoff to get into the World Cup has been a nice change of pace, simultaneously giving underdog teams a shot and forcing the perennial powers to put forth a maximum effort. It certainly worked in the runup to the 2010 World Cup, where 2006 finalist France had a rough go at it in qualification and found themselves in the second leg of a do-or-die playoff with Ireland. Just when it looked like the World Cup slot would be decided on penalties, referee Martin Hansson and his linesman decided to turn a blind eye to a blatant handball by France's Thierry Henry, a move which allowed the striker to slot the ball through to teammate William Gallas, who hammered in the game-winning goal.
14. Poor, Poor America
Date: 6/21/2002
Game: Germany vs. United States
Referee(s): Hugh Dallas
The 2002 World Cup was supposed to be the coming out party for American soccer, with the Yanks making it all the way to the quarterfinals against a powerhouse Germany squad. They put up quite a fight, but in the 49th minute found themselves down a goal but with a corner kick coming up. Claudio Reyna's delivery was headed goalward by Gregg Berhalter, and the only reason the ball was kept out of the net was due to a fortuitous handball by Germany defender Torsten Frings. Referee Hugh Dallas failed to see the foul, though, and Germany would go on to win the game and reach the Finals before losing to Brazil.
13. Phantom Pass Interference
Date: 1/3/2003
Game: Miami vs. Ohio State
Referee(s): Randy Christal
The 2003 Fiesta Bowl will be best remembered for Willis McGahee's gruesome knee injury, but it also had one of the most dramatic (and controversial) finishes in college football history. Down a touchdown on fourth down in overtime, it looked like Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel's pass would sail incomplete and Miami would win the national title. However, a late flag came in for pass interference, a dubious call at best that instead of ending the game gave the Buckeyes new life. Naturally, they ended up scoring to tie it, then winning it in double overtime, birthing a dynasty that almost never came to be.
12. Wait, He Was Safe?
Date: 10/20/2009
Game: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox
Referee(s): Tim McClelland
In baseball, the rules are pretty clear-cut: if you get tagged while you're not on a base and the ball is in play, you're out. You tend to learn that type of thing in little league, if not sooner. Just don't try to tell that to umpire Tim McLelland, a repeat offender on this list who seems to have a bizarre sense of when to totally change the rules. Here, a Yankees baserunning gaffe allowed Mike Napoli to tag out both Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano, both of whom were a few feet of off third base, except McLelland decided to award third to Cano for no apparent reason. The only reason this call isn't higher is because the Angels were already down 5-0, and would go on to lose the game 10-1.
11. Toeing the Line
Date: 6/19/1999
Game: Buffalo Sabres @ Dallas Stars
Referee(s): Bryan Lewis (Officials' Supervisor)
Thanks to its forward thinking on replay, the NHL has been relatively free of referee-induced controversy in recent years. However, the marathon Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals may be the greatest exception to this rule. With Dallas leading the series 3-2, the Stars' Brett Hull at last netted what looked like the cup-winning goal in the third overtime of Game 6; however, replay clearly indicated that his foot was in the crease, a clear violation of the rule at the time. Bryan Lewis, the referee supervisor responsible for such rulings, inexplicably decided to let the goal stand, delivering Dallas their first cup and sending the Sabres into a rage.
10. The Imperfect Game
Date: 6/2/2010
Game: Cleveland Indians @ Detroit Tigers
Referee(s): Jim Joyce
In the entire history of Major League Baseball-a league spanning 135 years and over 300,000 games played-there have been exactly 23 perfect games thrown. But, really, anyone familiar with Armando Galarraga will recall the horrific botch job by umpire Jim Joyce that robbed the Tigers' starter of joining this elite fraternity. While Joyce's postgame waterworks defied the adage that there's no crying in baseball, his career wound up a lot better than Galarraga's; Joyce was on the umpiring crew of this year's World Series, while Galarraga has combined to go 5-16 with a 5.31 ERA since that fateful day, not even appearing in the Majors last season.
9. The Infield Fly Rule
Date: 10/5/2012
Game: St. Louis Cardinals @ Atlanta Braves
Referee(s): Sam Holbrook
While opinions vary on the value of another baseball playoff game, we can all agree that the first couple years have not been short on excitement. Last year's inexplicable "infield fly" call by umpire Sam Holbrook completely changed the course of the Braves-Cardinals one game playoff, and set off a near-riot not seen at a baseball game since Disco Demolition Night. The Cardinals held a three-run lead entering the eighth inning, but the Braves put two runners on and seemingly had the tying run on base as well after Andrelton Simmons' fly ball dropped into shallow left. The supposed infield fly rule meant Simmons was out automatically, and the Braves went down quietly after that (even though their fans did not).
8. What Fan Interference?
Date: 10/9/1996
Game: Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees
Referee(s): Rich Garcia
But for this one play, baseball fans would probably not remember much about the career of Tony Tarasco. With the Yankees trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, second-year shortstop Derek Jeter launched a fly ball to deep right and it appeared Tarasco had lined up to make the catch. At the last possible instant, though, 11-year-old Jeffrey Maier reached well out over the fence, bringing the ball over and tying the game for the Yankees. Rather than rule this fan interference, right field umpire Rich Garcia somehow decided to let the play stand, propelling the Yankees to victory that night and ultimately to a World Series title a few weeks later.
7. Fifth Down
Date: 10/6/1990
Game: Colorado @ Missouri
Referee(s): J.C. Louderback
Pop quiz: how many downs do you get before turning the ball over? If you said four, you're smarter than J.C. Louderback and crew, who infamously awarded a fifth down to Colorado in their game against Missouri. The Buffaloes went spike-power run-power run to set up a must-get fourth and goal. The only problem was the officials had forgotten to flip the down marker after second down and thus thought it was only third down, and so did Colorado quarterback Charles Johnson as he spiked the ball to stop the clock on the Buffs' fourth play. The ensuing fifth down was (of course) a touchdown with no time remaining on the clock, and after a 20-minute conference upon realizing their mistake, the officials somehow let the play stand and allowed Colorado to win the game.
6. Who Says the NBA Isn't Fixed?
Date: 5/31/2002
Game: Sacramento KIngs @ Los Angeles Lakers
Referee(s): Tim Donaghy
To describe the officiating of Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals shady would be doing an injustice to shady behavior. Some of the calls (or lack thereof) were downright criminal, and fittingly enough the man at the center was indeed himself a criminal. Good ol' Tim Donaghy—he of gambling scandal fame—managed to put his own personal print on the series by influencing the game officials into a slew of dubious calls, the result of which was the Lakers shooting a staggering 40 free throws in the game (including 27 in the fourth quarter) and squeezing past the Kings en route to their third consecutive title.
5. The Hand of God
Date: 6/22/1986
Game: England vs. Argentina
Referee(s): Ali Bin Nasser
Perhaps the most famous goal in World Cup history, Maradona's "Hand of God" really should never have happened. We can't totally blame referee Ali Bin Nasser; you'll note from the video that he is well behind the play as the attack suddenly shifts into the box, so it is totally possible he didn't see it. But what in the hell was the linesman looking at? Maradona was even facing the man on the far side, who had to have been blind (or more likely well-paid) to have missed it. Argentina, of course, used the momentum provided by this goal as well as the subsequent "Goal of the Century" to win this quarterfinal match and the World Cup soon after.
4. An Olympic Robbery
Date: 9/29/1988
Game: Roy Jones Jr. vs. Park Si-Hun
Referee(s): Bob Kasule, Alberto Durán, and Hiouad Larbi
The beatdown Roy Jones Jr. put on Park Si-Hun in the gold medal bout at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul was a pretty humorous victory in how lopsided it was. Or rather, should have been a victory. Despite Jones landing 86 punches to Park's 32, three of the five judges scored the fight for Park, giving him the gold medal even though he clearly didn't deserve it. Both the referee and Park reportedly apologized to Jones as it was happening, and the IOC would go on to revise the rules regarding judging boxing matches in the games, so at least Jones received some consolation to go along with his silver medal.
3. Swinging the Series
Date: 10/26/1985
Game: St. Louis Cardinals @ Kansas City Royals
Referee(s): Don Denkinger
Nobody will remember Don Denkinger for his distinguished 30-year career as a Major League umpire that saw him work in two perfect games, a no hitter, three All-Star games, and four World Series. Unfortunately, he'll only be remembered for his botched call at first in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. The Cardinals were poised to take the title as Todd Worrell took the mound to start the ninth inning, nursing a one-run lead. A bouncer to first by Jorge Orta led to a close play at the bag, with Denkinger calling the clearly out Orta safe. Naturally, the Royals scored twice that inning to walk off with a win, then took Game 7 the next night.
2. The "Fail Mary"
Date: 9/24/2012
Game: Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks
Referee(s): Wayne Elliott
Ah, the replacement refs. The men in stripes who for a brief period during the 2012 seasons lit up our lives with their ineptitude and spawned hundreds of YouTube parodies. The nadir of their tenure had to be the infamous "fail mary" play on Monday Night Football, where they managed to cast complete and utter confusion over a game-ending toss into the end zone by Russell Wilson. Who really caught it? Thanks to Wayne Elliott and his crew, we'll probably never know.
1. Gold Medal Screwjob
Date: 9/9/1972
Game: USA vs. USSR
Referee(s): Artenik Arabadjan, Renato Righetto
One of the all-time strangest and most sinister endings to a sporting event has to be the basketball gold medal game during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. After falling behind 50-49, the Soviet coach failed to follow proper protocol to call timeout, and after his team inbounded the ball he ran onto the court in protest. This somehow got the referee to stop the game with precisely one second on the clock (even though he shouldn't have). Then, the subsequent inbounds pass was deflected and time expired, seemingly giving USA the win. However, the FIBA president then decided to give the Soviets a timeout and put three seconds back on the clock.
After the other ref forced the USA's Tom McMillen to back off the inbounds passer (not a rule in international play), the Soviets convert a full-court pass/lob and win the game. With all this shady business, it's no wonder that to this day the US team refuses to accept their silver medals.