Referees deal with a lot of issues during a match but it's not every day they get hit by a wild ball travelling at high speed squarely to the face.
That was the unfortunate experience A-League assistant referee Lara Lee found herself in on Monday night during a match between the Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC though.
The incident happened early in the second half after a throw-in by Brisbane's Corey Brown wasn't controlled by one of his teammates, leading Sydney's Josh Brillante to thump the ball as hard as he could for a clearance up field.
Unfortunately for Lee, the ball lined up squarely with her face on the sideline.
Brillante and Brown immediately checked the fourth official was fine - a grin and thumbs up proving she was.
Lee remained in her position for the rest of the match which Sydney comfortably won 3-0.
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