{
  "id": 15426806,
  "title": "😅 Game on? Ref tests ball on flooded pitch, video goes viral",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/game-on-ref-tests-ball-on-flooded-pitch-video-goes-viral",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-18T14:27:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/game-ref-tests-ball-flooded-142700505.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The pitch at a Spanish football match proved to be unplayable due to being flooded, prompting a decision by the referee to conduct a test on the field. The incident took place in Spain during a match between Peña Deportiva and Murcia CF, scheduled for Sunday morning in Group III of the Segunda RFEF, Spain's fourth tier. Consequently, the match had to be abandoned. The viral video of the referee testing the ball on the waterlogged pitch sparked humorous reactions on social media, with some questioning whether the match could have continued or not. One person even suggested the referee should test the pitch one more time for certainty. The club itself contributed to the amusement by sharing an image of the players canoeing on the flooded pitch, and Peña Deportiva even asked their fans to weigh in on whether they perceived the pitch as half full or half empty.",
  "summary": "\"APPARENTLY,\" the pitch was unplayable. But the referee chose to follow protocol, carried out the test and confirmed that the pitch was indeed waterlogged.The scene unfolded in Spain, where Peña Depo...",
  "key_points": [
    "Referee tests ball on flooded pitch",
    "Match between Peña Deportiva and Murcia CF abandoned",
    "Players canoeing on flooded pitch shared by club"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}