NFL official responds to criticism following controversial finish

A controversial finish to the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers game again put the NFL officials under the spotlight on Wildcard Weekend. After a run by quarterback Dak Prescott ended in-bounds, a referee rushed forward to spot the ball but made contact with the players in the process. The resulting delay allowed the clock to reach 0:00 and the 49ers won 23-17 on the road.

A transcript of the interview between Pro Football Writers Association pool reporter Todd Archer and referee Alex Kemp revealed the details of what happened in the final seconds of the game. The interview started with an emphasis on the play, asking whether the mechanics went to plan.

“The umpire spotted the ball properly,” Kemp told Archer. He also confirmed that there was no communication between the on-field officials and the NFL’s New York replay booth.

When pressed about the collision between the official and the Cowboys’ players, Kemp explained the NFL rules which govern that situation and reaffirmed that it was handled properly.

“The umpire was simply spotting the ball properly. He collided with the players as he was setting the ball because he was moving into the proper spot.”

He continued” We’re trailing the play, keeping proper distance so that we can identify fouls, if there are any. Once the play is over, the umpire immediately goes to spot the ball and that’s what he did.”

At the conclusion of Archer’s interview, he asked again whether there was any communication with the replay booth, then confirming whether any type of review could even take place in that situation.

“That’s the end of the game, once we confirmed it with the officials on the field,” Kemp said.

Controversial finish ends Cowboys season

The Cowboys season came to an end in an incredibly disappointing fashion after a controversial moment involving the officiating crew. After a scramble for extra yards with time expiring in the game, the Cowboys attempted to spike the ball for one last pass attempt into the end zone.

The official must touch the ball before it is snapped by the offense, by rule. As Prescott and his line did not give the referee the football, the official fought his way through the linemen and reset the ball’s position himself. As he pushed through the line and forced Prescott and the line to move their feet, the ball was unable to be snapped as the referee was not clear of the play.

Adding to the controversial finish, the referee involved in the final play was involved in a similar strange moment earlier in the game as well. After a successful fake punt that earned them a first down, the Cowboys left their punting unit on the field in a strange formation as they attempted to get San Francisco to burn a timeout on the play.

As the 49ers did not bite on the attempt, Dallas substituted their personnel with the offense and tried to snap the football. The same referee involved in the final play of the game stood in the middle of the field to make sure the defense was given time to set. He appeared to stand in the way for a much longer time than needed, and the Cowboys received a delay-of-game penalty as he hurried out of the Cowboys’ way.