All articles tagged with #referees
MLS cleared Lionel Messi of any policy violation after video appeared to show him confronting match officials in a tunnel following Inter Miami's 3-0 loss to LAFC; officials confirmed he did not enter a restricted area or the referees' locker room, and no disciplinary action was taken.
MLS concluded Lionel Messi did not violate league policy following a postmatch video that appeared to show him following referees; the league said the door shown was not to the officials’ locker room and Messi did not enter a restricted area, so no action was taken and he remains eligible for Inter Miami's upcoming match.
Finland criticized the officiating after losing to Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey semifinal, pointing to two Canadian referees and a late penalty on Niko Mikkola that allowed Nathan MacKinnon to score the game‑winner with just over two minutes left. Teemu Selänne called the call “Absolutely embarrassing,” and Joel Armia complained of goalie interference on the tying goal; Finland challenged the Canada goal but it was unsuccessful. Canada advances to the gold medal game against the United States.
NFL officials admitted a second error in the AFC Championship when a backward-pass ruling on Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham was reversed after a whistle and a Patriots fumble recovery, a sequence that helped New England tie the game before taking the lead; referee Alex Kemp explained the ruling, Stidham said he thought he threw forward, and the Patriots advanced to Super Bowl 2026 to face the Seahawks.
An officiating error ruled a two-handed backward pass by Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham as a forward pass and intentional grounding, then later reversed to a backward pass after discussion, whistling the play and denying a Patriots touchdown. The miscall could have been corrected by replay, but New England still scored on the ensuing drive, leaving questions about how the explanation was conveyed to viewers.
After a controversial overtime pass interference call helped the Denver Broncos beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round, the internet united in criticizing the officiating, with side-by-side comparisons fueling the debate over consistency and calls that swung the game.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff acknowledged the challenging job of referees after a loss where key touchdowns were nullified by penalties, emphasizing the importance of accepting calls and focusing on their own performance to make the playoffs.
Rex Ryan criticized the referees' calls in the Lions-Steelers game, claiming they were wrong about a key offensive pass interference call that cost the Lions a touchdown and potentially a playoff spot, highlighting ongoing frustrations with officiating in Detroit.
Puka Nacua, a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, was fined $25,000 by the NFL for criticizing referees' officiating on a livestream. Despite a strong game with 225 yards and two touchdowns, Nacua's comments and off-field actions drew attention, prompting the team to plan further discussions to address his behavior.
Starting Saturday, NBA referees will begin using headsets during games to improve communication, initially during stoppages and eventually throughout the game, following a phased rollout tested since 2022.
NFL referees faced accusations of rigging two games during Week 8 of the 2025 season, with fans criticizing questionable calls in the Eagles vs. Giants and Bears vs. Ravens games, raising concerns about officiating bias and trust in the league.
Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux criticized the referees' controversial call on a tush push play that benefited the Eagles, but acknowledged it wasn't the sole reason for their loss, emphasizing the difficulty defenses face with the officiating and the Eagles' overall performance.
The article criticizes the Minnesota Vikings' poor performance against the Los Angeles Chargers, highlighting questionable coaching decisions, injuries, and controversial refereeing calls, while also discussing individual player struggles and overall team issues.
During the Rockets at Thunder game, referees did not call a technical foul on Kevin Durant for calling a timeout Houston didn't have at the end of the first overtime because none of the officials saw Durant signal for the timeout.
Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner believes he is being penalized more because the team is losing, feeling that referees are harsher on him compared to players on winning teams, amid ongoing penalties and team struggles in their 0-4 start.