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Many American sports fans are justifiably frustrated with the leagues that rarely go out of their way to hold their referees and officials accountable for screwing up. However, the KHL does not mess around at that front when you consider it handed out a lifetime ban over a goal that clearly had no business being counted.
Certain sports have done a better job than others when it comes to minimizing the role human error can play by embracing technology that makes it easier to ensure the officials tasked with keeping order have gotten things right.
We might eventually live in a world where robot umpires and A.I.-powered refs are capable of doing the jobs that are still primarily shouldered by fallible human beings, but we have a long way to go until we actually reach that point.
Hockey is just one of the many sports where judgment calls are a constant source of controversy thanks in no small part to the offside and goaltender interference reviews that have a tendency to generate plenty of rage and frustration among fans.
There are also situations where the people tasked with determining whether or not a goal should count are placed in an unenviable situation, although that was not the case with a video official in the KHL who won’t have another chance to screw up again after the league brought the hammer down over a botched decision.
The KHL banned a video referee for life after they declined to overturn a goal that went through the side of the net
There are really only a couple of factors that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to determining whether or not a goal counts in a hockey game: the entire puck must cross the goal line, and it needs to do so by making its way between the posts.
That second requirement tends to be a bit of an afterthought when you consider the goal is surrounded by a net that usually does a pretty good job of withstanding the stress of being struck by a shot.
However, there have been situations where that has not been the case—none of which spring to mind more quickly than a goal the Flyers shouldn’t have been credited with scoring against the Sabres in the Eastern Conference Final in 2000.
A similar fluke unfolded during a KHL game between SKA and Avtomobilist where defenseman Andrey Pedan was credited with scoring what ended up being the game-winning goal after ripping a one-timer during the third period of the former’s 2-1 win on Monday.
However, a camera inside the goal clearly showed the puck did not cross the goal line but rather tore through the side of the net, meaning it should not have counted.
A KHL ref was BANNED FOR LIFE after initially allowing this goal to stand when the puck entered the goal through a gap in the side of the netting 😬
(via @khl, h/t @HockeyNewsHub) pic.twitter.com/HnvuEuuLS6
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 14, 2025
The KHL acknowledged the mistake and said the video official who should have overturned the tally has been permanently banned from working at any more games.
This isn’t the first time a hockey referee has lost their job due to a bad call, as the NHL treated Tim Peel to an early retirement in 2021 after he was caught making up a penalty on a hot mic during a game between the Red Wings and the Predators.