An East Carolina Pirates defensive back suffered a fractured leg after an unusual collision with a referee during his team’s 17-9 victory over the Temple Owls in U S, according to BBC Sport on Sunday.

David Coleman Jr was standing on the field alongside his teammates between plays when an official ran towards the area near the 40-yard line.

However, as the referee approached the players from behind, he slipped and slid into Coleman Jr, sending the defender tumbling forward onto the turf.

Coleman Jr remained on the ground for some time before two teammates helped carry him off the field to avoid putting weight on his injured leg.

East Carolina head coach Blake Harrell later confirmed that an X-ray conducted at half-time revealed that Coleman Jr had fractured his fibula.

“Our thoughts and our prayers are with him. But that’s just one of those things. Kind of wild it happens, I’d never seen that from an official,” Harrell said.

Coleman Jr managed to record one tackle before leaving the game following the unfortunate incident.

Despite losing the defensive back to injury, East Carolina held on to secure a 17-9 victory over Temple.

The incident was particularly unusual, as Coleman Jr’s injury resulted from an accidental collision with a match official rather than contact with an opposing player.