San Diego hosted Philadelphia in the first round of the NLL playoffs. It was single elimination, and San Diego held a two-goal lead late in the game. They had a chance to go up by three, but what looked like a goal was waved off. The crowd reacted like it had gone in, and one fan’s delayed celebration seemed to confirm it. The referees went to video review, stopping play mid-possession. After checking the limited angles, they ruled no goal due to inconclusive evidence.
The replay showed the ball slipping under the goalie’s massive pads and possibly crossing the line. One angle appeared to show a sliver of black between the ball and the goal line. Even the announcers thought it looked like a goal. San Diego’s goalie looked rattled and relieved when the call stood. Fans at Pechanga Arena weren’t having it and started throwing debris on the field. Officials warned the crowd and said any more disruptions would draw a penalty. That led to a funny observation—if you’re a Philly fan, why not have someone toss something and help your team by forcing a penalty?
In the end, San Diego won anyway and moved on. The missed call didn’t change the outcome. Philly went home. Even though that ball probably crossed the line, it didn’t matter.