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Video: NFL ref calls penalty in German during Giants vs. Panthers from Munich | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumours
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Video: NFL ref calls penalty in German during Giants vs. Panthers from Munich | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumours

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 22: Referee Shawn Hochuli #83 calls for a penalty in the third quarter of the game between the Houston Texans and the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

NFL referees enjoyed the crowd during Sunday’s game between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany.

Near the end of the first quarter, referee Shawn Hochuli announced a penalty to the fans while speaking German at the Allianz Arena.

Panthers center Cade Mays was whistled for a false start with the ball at the Giants’ 30-yard line, leading to the call.

Hochuli is not the only member of his family who has imposed a penalty in another language. His father, Ed, is a former referee who officiated the first NFL game in Mexico in the 2005 season.

When he announced a penalty to the crowd, he explained the foul in Spanish.

The league has scheduled a game in Germany every year starting in 2022, with the first contest also taking place at the Allianz Arena before the 2023 game in Frankfurt.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also revealed that Berlin is a target city for the next game to be played in Germany in the 2025 season.

“We’re working on it, but it’s not done,” Goodell said before the Giants’ matchup with the Panthers. James Ellingworth of the Associated Press. “We really feel like Berlin would be a great addition, so we’re looking at that a lot. Our people worked very hard on it. But I want to add that this does not mean that we will not return to Frankfurt and Munich.”

Even if the league is ultimately unable to return to Munich, Hochuli could be overseas again next season to make penalty announcements easier to understand for German fans.