Referee Collapses During USA-Australia Match

It was an odd ending to an entertaining encounter: a referee collapsing with cramp in added time. There were just a few minutes left of USA's 2-0 victory over Australia at the World Cup when German official Felix Zwayer fell to the ground and called for assistance. But just as striking as the injury itself was the remedy: pickle juice, handed to him by Mexican fourth official Katie Garcia.

In the third minute of second-half stoppage time, Zwayer — having just shown USMNT's Chris Richards a yellow card — went down with cramp, halting the match for over 90 seconds. Referees cramping is unusual, although in this instance it should not have been entirely unexpected. Temperatures in Seattle reached around 28C (82F) on Friday and it was a big occasion, with plenty of scrutiny on Zwayer and his team as the USMNT attempted to secure their place in the knockout phase.

After collapsing to the ground, Zwayer, 45, needed assistance from Australia midfielder Aiden O'Neill, USMNT striker Folarin Balogun and his assistant referee, who all stretched his leg out in an attempt to relieve the pain. The fourth official, Garcia, then sprinted over from the touchline to bring Zwayer a carton of pickle juice, which he took on and swiftly got to his feet. The Seattle Stadium let out an ironic cheer, and Zwayer stretched out his left hamstring before ambling back into action to officiate the remaining minutes of play.

What is Pickle Juice and What Does It Do?

Pickle juice is a blend made from the leftover brine from pickled vegetables, supplemented with vitamins and minerals designed to aid immediate muscle recovery. It tends to come in small 2.5oz shot-sized bottles, and the advice is to swirl it around inside your mouth for 20-30 seconds, before either spitting out or swallowing.

In athletic terms, when the body is stressed, the brain can send overactive signals to muscles that are experiencing fatigue, causing cramp. Pickle juice's natural electrolytes like sodium and potassium work together to disrupt this 'neural signalling', triggering a reflex in the mouth which sends a signal to muscles to stop cramping in under 60 seconds.

Dr Mayur Ranchordas, a senior lecturer in sport nutrition and exercise metabolism at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, told the BBC in 2023 that pickle juice "stops cramping 40 per cent faster than drinking water." It also boosts blood sugar and vitamin C inside the body simultaneously.

Given the sharp burst the drink provides, pickle juice cannot be used as a preventative method, only after the onset of cramp to relieve the pain. The blend can also be used to relieve fatigue, dehydration and poor circulation.

Why Have Athletes Started Drinking Pickle Juice in Matches?

The high levels of salt and vinegar it contains provide a tangy and sour taste, with other herbs such as dill and garlic said to be prominent. It's certainly not a taste for everyone.

"It's nasty, but it works", San Francisco 49ers cornerback Eli Apple told The Athletic in 2022. Tennis player Frances Tiafoe, meanwhile, credited the drink with helping him to victories at the 2019 Australian Open, another sporting event played in extreme heat. "I was downing pickle juice, having that like Kool-Aid, just trying to get that done," Tiafoe told reporters after a gruelling win over Grigor Dimitrov. "I'm talking straight up: just downing it. It tasted terrible. I'm feeling terrible right now, man."

A Proven Remedy in Professional Sports

Pickle juice has been used in sports to relieve cramps for decades. NFL sides have had 'shooters' of pickle juice available for its players for the past 10 years, with the Philadelphia Eagles' win over the Dallas Cowboys in 2000 remembered as the 'Pickle Juice Game', as the Eagles used the remedy to contend with heat as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

England's players used the drink during their Euro 2024 campaign in Germany, where they reached the final. Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner were both seen sipping pickle juice during the 2025 French Open final, which lasted five hours and 29 minutes, the second-longest major tennis final in history.

But it's not just sportspeople who can take pickle juice. The ingredients in the drink are known to boost gut health, weight loss and even supplement fresh breath in the long term, while some brands are used by mixologists to make cocktails. It's not cheap: a box of 12 x 75ml shots costs around £28 ($37). For top athletes, however, it's more than worth it.