These controversial calls proved costly. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most infamous and egregiously bad calls ever made by sports officials.
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00:00 I missed it. I missed it. This isn't a call. This is a history call.
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most infamous and egregiously bad calls ever made by sports officials.
00:12 Bumble. Or in this case, Tuckerel.
00:15 Number 20. Jeff Hurst's Wembley goal.
00:20 England won its only World Cup on July 30, 1966, defeating West Germany 4-2.
00:25 However, the game is marred by a small degree of controversy.
00:29 Yes. No. No, it was a system.
00:32 Eleven minutes into extra time, Jeff Hurst kicked the ball, which bounced off the underside of the crossbar before getting cleared.
00:38 The referee called it a goal, but others weren't so sure.
00:41 To this day, the goal remains contentious and has even been studied by the likes of Oxford University.
00:46 The results are not good. According to modern analysis, the ball did not fully cross the goal line and therefore should not have counted.
00:52 It's a goal. For the Germans, go mad at the referee.
00:58 Number 19. Super Bowl XL.
01:00 In this edition of the Super Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-10.
01:04 The first half was a mess at the end. The end of this drive was a mess for Seattle's offense.
01:12 However, the former celebration was somewhat ruined by intense criticism in the media.
01:16 Many football experts criticized the general officiating, with many different calls being singled out for question and doubt.
01:22 A poll conducted by ESPN also found that nearly 62 percent of respondents believed that bad officiating affected the outcome of the game.
01:29 Oh, I didn't see Holden. I mean, you have to be able to jam up in there.
01:34 And, you know, there may have been holding, but it wasn't in that picture.
01:37 While the NFL argued that the game was well run, head referee Bill Levy later admitted,
01:41 "I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game. And as an official, you never want to do that."
01:47 Number 18. The Phantom Tag.
01:49 Mention the 1999 ALCS to any Red Sox fan and you'll be met with a huge groan.
01:53 The Sox were playing the Yankees with the winner advancing to the World Series.
01:56 It was Game 4, bottom of the eighth, with New York up 3-2.
01:59 Jose Offerman was on first with one out when John Valentin hit a dribbler to second base.
02:04 They say he tagged a runner out at first and they're calling it an inning-ending double play.
02:10 Chuck Knobloch tagged the running Offerman and threw the ball to first, turning a double play and ending the inning.
02:15 But Offerman was left visibly angry, and for good reason. Knobloch did not tag Offerman.
02:20 In fact, it wasn't even close. Unfortunately, calls could not be argued or overturned at the time, so the Red Sox were simply out of luck.
02:26 Number 17. The Heads-Tails Fiasco.
02:29 Even a simple coin toss can be the source of great controversy.
02:32 Back in 1998, the Pittsburgh Steelers were playing the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
02:36 The game went to overtime, prompting a coin toss from referee Phil Luckett.
02:40 The Steelers' Jerome Bettis said "tails" while the coin was in the air.
02:43 Yet when the coin came up tails, Luckett gave possession to the Lions.
02:46 He said heads, it is a tails.
02:49 I believe he said tails. He did.
02:52 Luckett claims that Bettis said heads before changing it to tails.
02:55 But as per the rules, Luckett went with the first answer, losing the Steelers both the coin toss and ultimately the game.
03:00 The rules were changed following this messy incident, with the referee needing to audibly confirm the player's choice before the coin is flipped.
03:06 Number 16. The Outfield-Infield Fly.
03:09 According to MLB.com, an infield fly is defined as any fair fly ball not including a line drive or a bunt,
03:15 which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when first and second or first, second and third base are occupied before two men are out.
03:22 The batter who hit the ball is automatically called out.
03:24 Fly ball, shallow left. Back is Cosma.
03:27 He'll take it. He'll call. It's going to drop.
03:30 It falls. Miscommunication.
03:34 And the bases are loaded and Box can't believe it.
03:38 The 2012 National League wildcard game between the Cardinals and Braves was in the bottom of the eighth, with the Cardinals up 6-3.
03:44 The Braves' Andrelton Simmons hit a pop-up to shallow left field, which fell for a hit and loaded the bases.
03:50 However, the umpires called it an infield fly, meaning Simmons was out and the bases were no longer loaded.
03:54 The game was delayed while Braves fans threw trash on the field and the team went to lose 6-3.
03:59 Wow. We're going to have a significant delay here.
04:04 Very disappointing from the Turner Field fans.
04:09 You can understand their frustration, but never take the steps to throw something on the field like this.
04:14 Number 15. Two seconds from victory.
04:17 Often considered one of the greatest fights of the 90s, Julio Cesar Chavez fought Meldrick Taylor in what was billed Thunder Meets Lightning.
04:24 While it was an exceptionally entertaining fight, it was somewhat ruined by its highly controversial and still debated ending.
04:29 Taylor was up on points going into the final round, meaning he would win the fight if he wasn't knocked out.
04:34 Well, lo and behold, Taylor was knocked to the ground by Chavez, and despite standing back up, he was defeated by way of TKO after failing to respond to the referee.
04:42 Unbelievable. Unbelievable.
04:47 Richard Steele stopped the fight with few within five seconds to go.
04:50 This came with just two seconds left on the clock.
04:52 The referee's decision to end the fight is still intensely debated.
04:56 This is one of the most unusual calls by a referee in the whole history of the sport.
05:01 Number 14. Michael Jordan's potential foul.
05:04 Game six of the 1998 NBA Finals is considered one of the best basketball games ever played,
05:09 with the Bulls defeating the Jazz 87 to 86 and subsequently winning the championship.
05:14 The game is widely remembered for its final seconds, where Bulls superstar Michael Jordan sank two to put the Bulls ahead.
05:20 Jordan, open, Chicago with the lead.
05:24 However, some contend that Jordan pushed off Jazz forward Brian Russell before taking the shot, thereby committing an offensive foul.
05:31 Some argue that Jordan intentionally fouled, some argued it was momentum, and some argue that while he did push off, it was right not to be called.
05:38 Everybody said I pushed off. Bullshit. The man was his energy was going that way. I didn't have to push him that way.
05:44 Number 13. Henri's handball.
05:46 In 2010, the Republic of Ireland played France in a two-legged playoff game to qualify for the World Cup.
05:51 The second game went to extra time, and at one point, French captain Thierry Henri could be seen handling the ball to keep it from going out of bounds.
05:58 Henri, oh, it's in the net. It's a goal.
06:00 He passed to William Gallas, who scored the game-winning goal.
06:03 This goal should not have happened as a whistle should have blown after Henri touched the ball.
06:07 However, the infraction was not seen by any of the officials, and the goal was counted as valid.
06:11 Henri later admitted to touching the ball, but defensively claimed, "I am not the official."
06:15 Number 12. The Dion Waders shove.
06:18 The Oklahoma City Thunder faced off against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2016 Western Conference semifinals.
06:24 The controversy didn't begin until Game 2, which the Thunder won by just one point.
06:28 All hell erupted with 13 seconds left in the game.
06:35 When the Thunder's Dion Waders shoved Manu Ginobili, this blatant foul was not called, and the time ran out with the Thunder emerging victorious.
06:41 Basketball legend Magic Johnson called it the worst missed call in playoff history, and referee Ken Maurer admitted that it should have been called an offensive foul.
06:49 Unfortunately, this was just one of five incorrect non-calls that occurred in the final sequence of the game, ending it on a total disaster of officiating.
06:56 I think the ref just panicked, because it's clearly something.
07:00 Number 11. The Jeffrey Mayer incident.
07:02 It's the 1996 American League Championship Series, and the Yankees are playing the Orioles in Game 1.
07:07 It's the bottom of the eighth, with the Yankees trailing 4-3.
07:10 Derek Jeter hits a deep fly ball, which seems like it will be caught by right fielder Tony Tarasco.
07:15 However, a kid named Jeffrey Mayer reaches over the stands and catches the ball himself, robbing Tarasco of the out.
07:30 This was a blatant example of interference, and Jeter should have been ruled out.
07:33 Yet umpire Rich Garcia ruled it a home run, tying the game and allowing the Yankees to win an extra innings.
07:38 Garcia later watched the playback and admitted that interference had occurred, but by then, it was already way too late.
07:55 Number 10. Frank Lampard's ghost goal.
07:57 The 2010 edition of the World Cup saw England playing Germany in the knockout round.
08:01 Germany was up 2-1 when England's Frank Lampard scored a goal to tie the game.
08:05 Oh wait, no, he didn't.
08:12 You see, the ball had hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced to the ground, crossing the goal line.
08:16 However, the backspin of the ball caused it to shoot back to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who quickly grabbed it and continued play.
08:22 Unfortunately, neither of the referees saw the ball cross the line, so the goal was not awarded.
08:27 It's the tie that should have been, because that ball was a mile past the line.
08:30 Number 9. Roy Jones Jr. somehow loses to Park Si Hun.
08:34 One of the most celebrated boxers in history, Roy Jones Jr. represented the United States at the 1988 Olympics, fighting South Korea's Park Si Hun.
08:41 The fight completely belonged to Jones, who landed 86 punches.
08:44 Park even got a standing 8 count and only hit Jones 32 times.
08:48 Despite landing nearly triple the punches, Jones lost the fight with the judges awarding a split-decision victory to Park.
08:54 The ruling was so egregious that Park reportedly apologized to Jones after the fight, and referee Aldo Leone told Jones that he should have won.
09:07 The decision was controversial. Allegations of corruption were made, and the judges who voted against Jones were suspended.
09:12 It hurt the sport of boxing, especially amateur boxing.
09:15 It hurt it because when you can take a kid 19 years old, he defeats his rival, clearly, and you rob him.
09:24 It really eliminates the integrity of that sport.
09:28 Number 8. Vinny Testaverde's non-touchdown.
09:31 In 1998, the NFL did not have a review system in place.
09:34 Instant replay was in use from the mid-80s to the early 90s, but it was removed for slowing the pace of play.
09:39 This changed after the Jets' Vinny Testaverde scored a touchdown with his helmet.
09:43 The Jets were playing the Seahawks and were down 31-26 with 20 seconds to go.
09:48 Testaverde attempted a sneak and ran the ball but was stopped by the Seahawks' defense.
09:52 However, his helmet had crossed the line and referee Ernie France mistook it for the ball, awarding the Jets a touchdown.
10:03 The Seahawks lost both the game and a playoff berth. And wouldn't you know it, instant replay was brought back for the 1999 season.
10:09 Number 7. The no-goal game.
10:11 For fans of the Buffalo Sabres, the Dallas Stars, their forward Brett Hull, and the entire 1999 Stanley Cup Finals may as well be a bad dream.
10:18 The fury dates back to June 19, 1999, with the Sabres playing the Stars in Game 6.
10:23 The game was fantastic, going a triple overtime and pushing each team to their absolute limits.
10:27 Hull eventually scored the game-winning goal, giving the Stars their first Stanley Cup.
10:31 The Dallas Stars, with 5-0-9 to go in the third period, for the first time in their franchise history, have won the Stanley Cup!
10:40 However, his left skate was in the crease, so many believe that the goal shouldn't have counted.
10:44 Upon review, it was determined that Hull had complete control of the puck despite his skate entering the crease, and therefore the goal was good.
10:50 Sabres fans still aren't convinced.
10:52 Number 6. The Fail Mary.
10:54 On September 24, 2012, the Packers were visiting the Seahawks and were winning 12-7 with just one second left, prompting quarterback Russell Wilson to throw a Hail Mary.
11:03 Both Golden Tate and MD Jennings caught the ball, resulting in complete pandemonium.
11:07 The game's final play is a Wilson loft to the end zone, which is fought for by Tate with Jennings simultaneous. Who has it? Who did they give it to? Touchdown!
11:19 The refs called both a touchdown and a touchback before ruling a touchdown, giving the Seahawks the win.
11:24 Furthermore, Tate had shoved another player before making the catch, which should have been called pass interference.
11:29 Intense criticism was levied at both the touchdown ruling and the missed interference call.
11:33 It's a joke. The whole thing's a joke. You're really into the game, and you want to see it done properly.
11:38 This came at a time when NFL officials were on strike, resulting in the use of replacements.
11:42 Following this game, the NFL made a deal with the Referees Association, and the strike ended.
11:47 Number five, Cold War on the court.
11:49 Going into the 1972 Olympics basketball final, Team USA had an undefeated record of 63 to 0 and had won seven straight gold medals.
11:57 But along came the Soviet Union to ruin the fun.
11:59 With just three seconds left in the game, USA was leading 50 to 49.
12:03 But that's when complete bedlam broke out.
12:05 A referee stopped the clock with just one second left, supposedly owing to a Soviet timeout.
12:10 This led to a complex series of events, which saw the final three seconds of the game being replayed numerous times.
12:15 Emerging from the mess was the Soviet Union, who won the game 51 to 50.
12:19 The debacle was enormously controversial, and Team USA refused to accept their silver medals in protest.
12:24 I wasn't surprised, but it was a bit insulting. It wasn't sporting of them.
12:29 You have to accept things as they are in life. Today you lose, but life goes on.
12:33 Number four, the fifth down game.
12:35 Speaking of complex game-ending debacles, let's talk about the infamous fifth down.
12:39 This college football game was played between the Colorado Buffaloes and Missouri Tigers, with Colorado trailing 31 to 27.
12:46 Colorado called a timeout with just seconds left in the game.
12:49 But the crew had forgotten to flip the down marker, and when the next play began, it showed second down instead of the proper third.
12:54 So when quarterback Charles Johnson spiked the ball on third down, it was really fourth down and possession should have gone to Missouri.
13:00 Instead, Colorado was granted an illegal fifth down, as everyone believed it was fourth down.
13:05 Johnson ran the ball into the end zone, scoring the winning touchdown that should never have been.
13:09 Johnson himself, is he in? Yes! Oh my goodness! Look out, they're all over the field!
13:17 Number three, the hand of God.
13:19 We return to the World Cup once again, with this infection occurring during the 1986 quarterfinal match between Argentina and England.
13:26 With the game tied nil-nil, the ball was kicked toward England's goalkeeper Peter Shilton and Argentina's Diego Maradona.
13:32 Both jumped in the air, and Maradona bumped the ball with his hand.
13:35 The English players screamed for handball. Everyone had seen the infringement, except Tunisian referee Barakoua.
13:42 The ball went into the net, and since none of the officials saw him touch the ball, it was ultimately called a goal.
13:47 It later became known as the hand of God goal. Maradona later admitted that he indeed touched the ball with his hand.
13:53 It was my hand. With this, I don't mean any disrespect to English fans.
14:00 But this is something that happens.
14:02 Number two, the tuck rule game.
14:04 The NFL's now-defunct tuck rule claimed that any intentional forward movement of the arm starts a forward pass,
14:09 even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body.
14:13 Enter New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who was tackled by the Raiders' Charles Woodson during a 2001 playoff game.
14:20 Lost the football. It's on the ground. Covered by the Raiders.
14:24 It was initially ruled a fumble, and the Raiders recovered the ball, guaranteeing them the win.
14:28 But upon further review, officials enacted the tuck rule, which had been introduced just two years prior and left many people confused.
14:34 After reviewing the play, the quarterback's arm was going forward. It is an incomplete pass.
14:41 Second and ten on the 42.
14:44 It was then ruled an incomplete pass rather than a fumble, and possession was given back to the Patriots, who went on to win the game in overtime.
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15:06 Number one, the not so perfect game.
15:10 Hundreds of thousands of professional baseball games have been played over the last 150 years.
15:14 As of the time of writing, only 24 of them have been perfect games.
15:17 It's an incredibly rare event, and if a pitcher throws one, they immediately enter the annals of baseball history.
15:22 On June 2nd, 2010, the Tigers' Armando Galarraga was just one out away from throwing a perfect game.
15:28 Galarraga got the last batter out, putting his foot on first base before the runner reached him.
15:33 However, umpire Jim Joyce incorrectly called him safe, preventing Galarraga's place in the history books.
15:38 Galarraga covers! He's out! No! He's safe! He is safe!
15:43 Joyce later cried and apologized to Galarraga, and he later told The Athletic that the ruling should be overturned so that Galarraga gets awarded a perfect game.
15:51 Did we miss any outrageous calls? Let us know in the comments.
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16:06 [Outro]