A Little Brazilian Hot Sauce Goes A Long Way

A Brazilian football coach pushed a player from the opposing team and then punched the referee on the chin on the day his team were relegated. Television pictures showed Comercial coach Pedro Santilli losing his temper during Sunday’s game against Catanduvense in the second division of the Paulista (Sao Paulo state) championship.

Santilli, assistant Brazil coach for a brief period in 2000-01, went on to the field to pick up a spare ball and as he walked backed to the touchline he barged into a Catanduvense player who collapsed to the ground. He then went over to speak to the referee and suddenly lashed out, landing a right-fisted punch on the official’s chin. Santilli was sent off while his team lost 1-0 and were relegated to the third division.

Who dressed this guy? 

Just A Tad Light In The Loafers

Only in Europe could someone get around cavorting like this red-shirted "fellow."  

Watch him prance! Watch him dance! 

Isn't he sweet? It gives new meaning to the "Gay Pride Parade!"

Marty Lyons gets Caught "Giving Jim Kelly The Business"

Referee Jerry Markbreit earned a spot in the referee's hall of shame by forgetting the term"unsportsmanlike conduct." Apparently Markbreit didn't appreciate the chicken wings Lyons was serving Kelly.

Ronde Barber Greets A Referee

Ronde Barber pops umpire Butch Hannan during a little pushing and shoving with Jets C Kevin Mawae.  NFL rules clearly state any contact with an official is an automatic ejection. I guess punching an official doesn't qualify as contact in their rule book.  Nicely done!

Baffled or Just Tongue Tied, Ed?

Season opener didn't quite get off the start he wanted it to, did it?

In a Runaway ...

2008 Bad Call Man of the Year!

Mr. Edward Hochuli

Click here for the first, but certainly not the least, of his beauties from 2008.

The play occurred with the Broncos at the Chargers' 1-yard line in the final minute. Denver quarterback Jay Cutler dropped back to pass, and the ball slipped out of his hands, bounced off the grass and into the arms of San Diego linebacker Tim Dobbins.

Hochuli ruled it an incomplete pass. Replay ruled it a fumble, but it was spotted at the 10-yard line, where the ball hit the ground, and given to Denver because the rules did not permit possession to be awarded to San Diego because the whistle had blown.

From the Washington Post:

'Hochuli Rule' Approved (it's never a good thing to have a rule named after you, Ed)

DANA POINT, Calif.--The NFL's team owners voted today to expand the scope of plays subject to instant replay review, including making one modification that would have remedied this past season's notorious officiating gaffe by referee Ed Hochuli.

Hochuli erroneously called a fumble by Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler in the late stages of an early-season game an incomplete pass, negating a game-saving fumble recovery by the San Diego Chargers. Because the call could not be overturned via a replay review, the Broncos retained possession of the ball and went on to score a touchdown and a game-winning two-point conversion.

The owners voted today to make such a play subject to a replay review. Under the new rule, the defensive team can be awarded possession of the ball if it made a recovery and the review shows the play to have been a fumble rather than an incomplete pass.

The rule was proposed by the NFL's competition committee and approved by the owners today. It goes into effect next season.

The owners also voted to make a call of a loose ball being out of bounds before it's recovered subject to replay review. That stemmed from a botched call of a kickoff being out of bounds, when actually it wasn't, during the NFC title game.

Another change was approved to modify the system by which the draft order is determined. The 12 teams that reach the playoffs now will automatically have the 12 lowest draft spots. That wasn't necessarily the case before, since the draft order had been based strictly on regular season records (although the two Super Bowl teams did have the two lowest draft spots). That goes into effect next year.

A team no longer gets a second chance at an onside kick at any point during a game. That previously had applied only to the final five minutes of a game.

Welcome to The Bad Call!

Welcome to The Bad Call. This no-holds barred blog will bring you the latest news, video and explanations into calls that utterly and shamefully screw your teams. With stakes in the games at all-time highs, we will expose and tally the most egregious sins committed by referees and officials in all the major sports.  You are encouraged to vent and share your frustrations (no holds barred)!

Let the games begin!