The National Football League on Tuesday offered support for a referee’s controversial decision at the end of Monday night’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. In a statement, the league said the official’s conclusion that there was no indisputable evidence to overturn the call on the field — a touchdown that gave Seattle the victory —was correct.
Replay Official Howard Slavin stopped the game for an instant replay review. The aspects of the play that were reviewable included if the ball hit the ground and who had possession of the ball. In the end zone, a ruling of a simultaneous catch is reviewable. That is not the case in the field of play, only in the end zone.
Referee Wayne Elliott determined that no indisputable visual evidence existed to overturn the call on the field, and as a result, the on-field ruling of touchdown stood. The NFL Officiating Department reviewed the video today and supports the decision not to overturn the on-field ruling following the instant replay review.
The result of the game is final.
The NFL did, however, acknowledge that Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate, who was awarded the questionable touchdown, got away with an offensive pass interference on the same place. If the penalty been called, the game would have ended. Monday’s debacle was another frustrating episode for the NFL’s much-maligned replacement referees, who are serving in place of the locked out officials.
