Referee gets flattened by Chiefs player during game (Video)

Being a referee at a sporting event can be a more difficult — and painful — job than it often seems.

Officials have to face the wrath of fans — from both teams — teeing off on them over calls that they didn’t necessarily agree with, usually in the form of boos and jeers.

And, not only that, they have to put themselves right in the middle of the action, which makes them vulnerable. Poor John Parry got absolutely trucked in the end zone during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s AFC Championship game, when a Chiefs player ran right into him during a punt return — sending the poor ref to the ground.

This is not how you reward the refs for favorable calls, Chiefspic.twitter.com/V1LLUr7rt5

— Out of Bounds (@SI_outofbounds) January 19, 2020

Ouch. But to Parry’s credit, he got right up afterward, showing how tough he is.