The wet grass at Wembley Stadium claimed umpire Larry Smith in the first quarter of today’s Texans-Jaguars game.
Smith slipped on the grass and fell on his back, tried to get up and fell again between plays. Trainers from both teams attended to him and he was eventually taken off the field on a cart with what appeared to be a leg injury.
The NFL has six-official mechanics in place for situations like this, and the referee will take over more of the umpire’s responsibilities.
Smith, whose full-time job is working as a school principal in Kansas City, Kansas, is in his second year in the NFL. He has previously worked in college and the USFL.
The Texans and Jaguars are tied 0-0.