A referee drops the ball on a flooded pitch in Ibiza and it floats away like a tiny boat

Every referee has a simple test for a soggy field. Drop the ball and see if it bounces. On Sunday in Ibiza the ball did not bounce. It floated.

Ankle-deep and rising

A slow-moving storm had soaked the Spanish island for hours before Peña Deportiva was due to host UCAM Murcia in Spain's fourth tier at the municipal stadium in Santa Eulària. Kickoff was set for 11:30 a.m. local time. By then the grass looked a lot more like a swimming pool than a soccer field.

Referee José Manuel López Rodríguez waded out with water covering his ankles to make the call himself. He dropped the ball onto the turf and waited.

The ball had other plans

Nothing happened. The ball did not bounce and it did not roll. It just sat on top of the water and then started drifting away on its own like a tiny boat.

The home club shared the clip with a cheeky question for the official. Referee, so do we play or not? The answer was pretty obvious. The match was called off.

Water polo jokes everywhere

Fans had a field day with the footage. Plenty of viewers said it looked more like a water polo tryout than a soccer inspection. Others praised the referee for making the safe call early instead of letting two teams slide around in the muck for 90 minutes.

The storm led officials to suspend sports across Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera on Sunday under an orange weather alert. The match was moved to Monday at 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Central) at the same stadium as long as the weather cooperates. Somebody may want to bring a mop.