Underwater Hockey Match Descends into Chaos After Referee's Mask Fogs Up

An underwater hockey match between the Adelaide Abalone and the Perth Pufferfish was thrown into disarray on Saturday when referee Graham Nettles's dive mask fogged up eight minutes into the second half, leaving him unable to observe play for the remainder of the match. Nettles, who was positioned poolside monitoring the game through a combination of underwater viewing windows and surface observation, reported that his mask -- which he was wearing while leaning over the pool edge -- fogged completely at the 16-minute mark of the 30-minute match. 'I couldn't see a thing,' Nettles admitted in a post-match interview. 'But the teams were already in the pool. I couldn't stop the match to defog. So I officiated by sound. And, to be honest, by instinct.' During the fourteen minutes of effectively blind officiating, Nettles awarded three goals (two to Adelaide, one to Perth), issued two minor penalties for 'what sounded like excessive stick contact,' and produced a red card for Perth's center forward, whom Nettles identified as 'the one making the most aggressive splashing noises.' Perth's center forward, Damien Holt, disputed the ejection. 'I wasn't even near the puck,' he said. 'I was in the deep end adjusting my snorkel. He pointed at me through a foggy mask and said You're off. I said For what? He said I'll review the footage. There is no footage. There's never been footage.' Adelaide won 5-3 in a result Perth has formally protested. The protest cites 'officiating conducted without the benefit of vision,' which the league's governing body has acknowledged is 'a legitimate concern but not explicitly prohibited by current rules.' Nettles has been suspended pending a review. He has also purchased anti-fog spray. 'I take my responsibilities seriously,' he said. 'But underwater hockey is hard enough to referee when you can see it. Without vision, it's just aggressive pool noises and your best guess.'