LOOK: Ed Hochuli accidentally announces a TD on incomplete pass interference play
It's hard out there for NFL referees
By
Will Brinson
•
1 min read
Life as an NFL referee is difficult. Those guys have to make split-second decisions on very vague rules, all while a bunch of people with high definition televisions and Twitter accounts sit at home and scream about the mistakes they make.
Sometimes there are just goofy moves, and Ed Hochuli had a big one on Sunday during the Jaguars-Texans game, when he accidentally announced a touchdown on an incomplete pass.
Jacksonville receiver Allen Robinson was streaking down the field and being guarded by Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye, who committed pass interference on the play.
The pass from Blake Bortles was reasonably on target, but Robinson couldn't bring it in. It clearly hit the ground.
That bad boy is bouncing away from Robinson and it's not really difficult to see. Flags were thrown on Bouye and Hochuli stepped to the microphone.
"Pass interference, defense No. 21," Hochuli announced. "The penalty is declined, touchdown."
That's impossible, however, because, again, the ball wasn't caught.
So Hochuli headed back to the microphone after being told about his mistake. His WELP face is pretty priceless.
"The pass was incomplete, so we don't have a touchdown," Hochuli announced this time. "Pass interference, defense No. 21, the ball will be placed at the spot of the foul. First down."
No harm, no foul. Although that isn't always the case with obvious incomplete passes -- Odell Beckham, Jr., got a free catch after the ball bounced off the ground on Sunday.
Review of a scoring play would have caught Hochuli's mistake anyway, but fortunately he figured it out before it went that far down the road.
