NFL games have once again kicked off in Germany. Over the week, the league will have 2 games in Germany as part of its International Series. The first fixture was a high-powered clash between the two AFC giants the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs and it looks like refs were up for the international challenge.
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Fans couldn’t help but notice that the ref called the false start in German which made it more appealing to the German audience. The referee called the false start for a neutral zone infraction by Chiefs offense Tight End Noah Gray. But instead of calling it a false start, the ref added a bit of twist called a few starts, and awarded the Chiefs a 5-yard penalty. Saying in German, “Fehlstart. Offense no.83. Five-yard penalty.”
The refs are an important part of the game and have recently come under scrutiny for controversial and bad calls during crucial phases of the game. But this one stole the show and made himself dear to the fans with light-hearted banter.
NFL is Up and Running in Germany as Ref Calls False Start in German
The NFL is live and up and running in the German city of Frankfurt. The Big Showdown had a moment of awe and laughter when the referee called the false start by the chief’s offense as Fehlstart which is “false start” in German. The NFL on their official X(formerly Twitter) posted the video of the referee with a funny caption and a laughing emoji,
False start, but make it German. 😂
📺: #MIAvsKC on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/d4RDZpceuE pic.twitter.com/JqLT5ko76b— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023
Fans couldn’t keep calm as the gesture by the ref floored them. While some appreciated his making an effort for the German audience on their home ground, some couldn’t help but troll him for his sub-par German speaking abilities:
One fan said– ” We are going to learn some German today.”
We’re going to learn some German today 😆
— Lucidvein (@Lucidvein) November 5, 2023
Another replied-” Yeah, but he couldn’t do “neutral zone infraction”, weak”.
Yeah, but he couldn’t do “neutral zone infraction”, weak 😂
— Robert Hohenfeldt (@Roho390) November 5, 2023
A fan appreciated the effort of the ref going above and beyond for the German audience: “Most Germans get taught English in school, but it’s cool to see the refs speak their language! We are in their house!”
A German fan couldn’t help but say, “As a native German speaker, I unfortunately have no idea what he was trying to say but I love the gesture!”.
A fan hilariously trolled NFL ref staff, making a callback to the bad calls this season with,
Hard to imagine, but there it is – an NFL ref got something right.
— Kyle Tharaldson (@Mrbutterlove) November 5, 2023
But the general sentiment remained– “He stole the show”
He stole the show
— angrycardsfan 🏈 (@angrycards) November 5, 2023
There had been some opposition against the idea of playing NFL games especially high-powered clashes in Germany and not even in the prime time. But the moments like these will certainly earn the NFL some new fans and keep the fans entertained. The next match in Germany will be played between the Colts and the Patriots at Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Park. The Chiefs dominated the Phins during the matchup, taking a 21-point lead at halftime, and eventually taking home a 21-14 win over their AFC rivals, and improving 7-2 in the season.
