Referee Ron Torbert explains unusual do-over state of affairs in fourth quarter of Bengals-Chiefs

The AFC Championship was almost marred by a weird resolution to wipe out a failed Kansas Metropolis third down within the fourth quarter. The drive finally resulted in a punt, not a rating, making the second much less controversial.

It nonetheless was a multitude.

After the sport, referee Ron Torbert defined the choice that gave the Chiefs a do-over on third and 9.

“On the earlier play, there was an incomplete cross,” Torbert instructed Ben Child of ESPN.com. “We noticed the ball, however the line choose got here in and re-spotted the ball as a result of the spot was off. We reset the play clock and the sport clock began working. It mustn’t have began working as a result of there was an incomplete cross on the earlier play. The sector choose seen that the sport clock was working. He was coming in to close the play down in order that we might get the clock fastened however no one heard him, and the play was run. After the play was over, he got here in and we mentioned that he was making an attempt to close the play down earlier than the ball had been snapped. So we reset the sport clock again to the place it was earlier than that snap and replayed third down.”

Torbert went on to elucidate that that is the conventional protocol for conditions like this.

Principally, the clock operator screwed up. However the mistake might have been rectified after the very fact, utilizing video proof so as to add the time again to the clock that was misplaced by the clock error.

Prediction? Somebody will likely be reporting within the coming days that the league will take a look at this particular rule within the offseason, as a way to provide you with a greater option to substitute the misplaced seconds after the following play has begun. Mulligans needs to be used solely as a final resort, to keep away from one thing that may’t be fastened.

Like when a punt hits a Skycam cable. (Oh, wait.)

Referee Ron Torbert explains strange do-over situation in fourth quarter of Bengals-Chiefs initially appeared on Pro Football Talk